My truck broke down on Memorial Day Weekend heading out to Burnt-Rossman State Forest, losing it’s brakes once again. After finally getting them fixed, I got out there for the first weekend of June 2010. I wanted to camp up top of Eminence hill, but due to logging in that area, I settled to camp down in my old favorite place, the small primitive campsite along Betty Brook.
At first, I couldn’t find any dry matches. But then after an hour stumbling around with the cigerette lighter in the truck, and a box a wet matches, I got some paper started, and off I went cooking dnner.
Not much has changed at this camp site from last year, or actually in early April when I last camped here. Things are a bit more green for sure though.
I was quite happy to see that my little white gas stove was well behaved, and not leaking. Last year, when I was cooking something, the gas valve leaked, and the stove’s gas valve and I think also tank caught on fire (!!) I moved the stove away from everything, and fortunately it did not explode.
At night, space is a little tight, so I have to stick all my crap up in the cap of my truck. It’s not a great situation having so little space, but I guess it works okay for now. In a thunderstorm, I can still get into the drivers side, despite having a lot of the camping crap packed in passenger side.
Despite the heavy rain in the morning, it was a nice night up there. From here, I went over to Luthernville State Forest and Clapper Hollow State Forest to explore some of those lands, in my truck.
Here is a map of Betty Brook, in case you don’t know where it is by now. Next time I camp up here, I will probably camp either at the lean-to or up by Doney Hollow Pond on Burnt Hill Road. I haven’t camped up there since Labor Day Weekend 2006.
Up by the Leonard Hill Fire Tower, there is a clearing cut into the hillside, and an area where there is a little fire place, and some grass that never grows that tall. It’s obvious that people camp up here from time to time, to enjoy the beautiful sunset, and myself I’ve been itching to watch a sunset from here for some time.
While on June 5th, the weather was somewhat cloudy, as thunderstorm after thunderstorm came rolling through the valleys and mountains alike, it actually turned out to be a remarkably beautiful evening. with a beautiful sunset into the clouds. The views from Leonard Hill where as spectacular as always.
Looking at my camping set up.
The rain lead to some beautiful misty sky scapes, especially as the sun was lowering in the sky. Here is Rossman Hill, where I had camped deep in the valley the previous night.
And here Blenheim Mountain with the Blenheim Upper Power Project Reservoir above it.
It was windy up there, but the little White Gas Coleman Stove did just find boiling the water for the pasta I was cooking up for dinner. I did stick it behind this little rock to provide a little more shelter from the wind, but regardless cooked it quickly.
With the wind racing up the hill with coming front, I kept the fire very small and a lot of water nearby. It had been raining throughout the day, so things weren’t particularly flammable, but with the winds being so strong, it was a bit frightening.
I watched the sunset into the valley while the very small campfire roared away with the winds whipping away. It wasn’t particularly cool, but by 8 PM, I did feel it neccessary to put on a long-sleeved shirt.
The sun setting through the trees.
With the clouds starting to over take the sun.
And eventually a front comes through, making the sun set before it normally would, quite far to the north, over Rossman Hill.
The view after sunset. You can just barely make out the mountains, from Utsayathana to the left, to Blenheim and the Reservoir in the center, to Burnt-Rossman Hills on the right.
The truck truck and camping gear after dark.
Awaking in the morning to pounding rain, which fortunately let up into a relatively thick fog by the time I got up in the morning. Here is a view out the back window of the truck cap.
My “night stand” in the truck. Books, radio, flashlight, even fan. I’m as well prepared as I would be at home for sure. That light has only a 9-watt florescent bulb in it, although if I ever needed more light, I have two other lead-lamps with 26-watt florescent in them to illuminate the night.
Packing up my gear on the foggy morning.
The rain and fog pretty much obstructed the view by morning.
The farther I got down the mountain, the worst the weather got on the truck trail. A little farther down the mountain, the fog was so bad, I had to drive really slow with my truck.
Here is a map of where I camped on top of Leonard Hill.
There has been for quite some time some confusion in downtown Albany, on whether or not Hamilton Street is the Adirondack or Catskill Mountains. After all, this street is known as “Environment Row”, and is home to a cluster of environmental lobbyists, who think they represent the interests Adirondacks and Catskill Mountains.
Of course as Google Map informs us, Hamilton Street is nowhere near either the Catskill Mountains or the Adirondack Park for that matter. It’s kind of in the middle, in downtown Albany.
Of course, if you want, you can take Hamilton Street to South Swan Street (a one way street), which takes you to South Mall Arterial (an expressway), which ultimately takes you to Interstate 787 North, which you take until Alternate Route 7, and ultimately the Adirondack Northway, which within 60 miles takes you to the Adirondacks.
Alternatively, you can take I-787 South to the Thruway or NY 32, and get to the Catskills that way. So while Hamilton Street, is the most convenient way to get to I-787 Arterial to take you the Adirondacks or Catskills, it’s not either the Catskills or Adirondacks.
In the western Catskill Mountains, near Margretville and the Pepacton Reservior is Alder Lake, and old resort lake that is now State Forest, and offers primitive camping around the lake. It is backpack only in, however it is a short walk from the parking area to the approximately 7 designated primitive campsites around the lake.
The 77-acre man-made lake, is handsomely surrounded by a high mountains of the Mill Brook Range, and other unnamed mountains. It is a 6-mile hike to the east to get to Balsam Mountain, home of a fire tower.
Setting up my tent at one of the campsites.
The 1.5 mile trail around the lake has several interesting views of the lake.
Several of the campsites have stone chairs, and other things made out of natural products.
I’ve camped up at Burnt-Rossman State Forest a couple of dozen times. It’s one of my favorite places to go out truck camping, with it’s remote and quiet nature, and while I had known from maps that there was a lean-to up there, that one could hike to, I had never actually visited it. I had spent the previous night tent camping, and being up early, decided to check out the lean-to.
The lean-to is located on the section of the Long Path that crosses Morey Road, just south of Rossman Hill Road, right next to the old cemetary. Alternatively, you can access the lean-to from Burnt Hill Road, just up the hill from where Duck Pond Road splits off. The lean-to is located about a 1/2 mile from either road. Regardless of which way you choose to go, it’s a nice level hike through marshes and old timber stands.
And old woods roads…
As you past by the headwaters of the Cole Brook, which ultimately helps feed the Schoharie Creek.
And the lean-to is really nice looking and only used occassionally, mostly by the locals.
And it’s nearby a spring, or at least a marshy area that never gets wet.
It’s definately some place I would like to stay some day.
For the first day of spring it was around 65 degrees and sunny. The forecast promised only to get down into the upper 50s. The snow was gone in Albany, but in the mountains there was several feet. A top Cotton Hill, there was about two feet of snow.
Amazingly enough when I got up there, I was the only person who had been up to the lean-to since the last snow storm, probably two weeks ago now. It was very quiet except for the sounds of nature, from the snowy owl to the churbing robins.
Reaching the lean-to, with gear all set up for the the night.
My backpack, and flannel shirts.
Sitting in the lean-to, looking at the setting sun. At the front of the lean-to, snow had melted off the roof, and was piling up in the front, creating a snow berm, keeping cool drafts away. Ironically, at this point due to the warm weather, I was sitting in a t-shirt and no jacket on.
As I enjoy a nice a fire.
And night rapidly approaches.
At times it was a bit smokey in the lean-to, as I played on my cellphone, jotted down some notes, read some books, and just enjoyed the first night of spring.
It was a nice night. When I woke up, it was a gray cloudy morning and I made up some breakfast and got cleaned up.
And I packed my bags…
Burned my garbage from the past night…
And off I went, down to the truck, then off to Middleburgh Cliff. Here is a map of where the lean-to is.
Severence Hill, mis-signed by the NYSDEC as Severence Mountain is located just North of Schroon Lake on US 9. It is a short hike, taking 45-minutes or so to go up, and is right off the Ticonderoga Exit of Adirondack Northway.
I’ve been up it a couple of times back when I was in college — if you have hour and a half to use up and your driving on the Northway near Saranac Lake it’s a must do.
The first part of the trail goes under the two carriageways of the the Northway in a series of tunnels.
The next 1/4 mile of the trail is relatively flat until you cross a brook and head up a series of stairs, followed by a 1/4 mile ascent, some flat areas, then a quick ascent to the top.
As you reach towards the top, you have broken views of Schroon Lake to the South.
Reaching the top of the mountain, you have some beautiful views of Schroon Lake. Unfortunately the village is too close to see from the mountain and trees block the partial view.
On the top of Severence Mountain, overlook Schroon Lake is this cute little lean-to shelter hand-made out of branches.
On the top of the mountain, the trail proceeds for another 1/4 mile, with broken views of Pharaoh Mountain.
As you continue along the trail to it’s end, you left with a good view of Paradox Lake with Skiff Mountain in the background. Blocked by that mountain range, after a significant descent, is Ticonderoga and Lake Champlain.
You come back the same way you came up the mountain. This is looking towards the southern-most portion of Schroon Lake at the mountains at the southern portion of the Adirondacks.
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