Back when I was in college, I used to drive back and forth between Plattsburgh and Albany a lot. I used to try a variety of routes, some more indirect then others, to see the scenery, especially when I had extra time to burn in the afternoon.
1) Via the Adirondack Northway.
The most direct and quick way is via the Adirondack Northway (I-87) all the way up.
This route is moderately fast. There is some spectular secenry along NY 22 as you head from Whitehall to Ticonderoga, with sweeping views of Lake Champlain.
I quite often would take this route over the old Lake Champlain Bridge when I wanted to visit Burlington. The old bridge was beautiful, as is the landscape after you cross into Vermont. Burlington is an amazingly nice city too.
I used to come back via Burlington some times, by taking VT 22A through the dairy country of southern Vermont. The land is pretty flat, and VT 22A, but there are still some amazing views of the Adirondack Mountains along this route.
Two weekends ago I went out hiking on a portion of the Blackhead Range, known for it’s Rooster Comb that it visible from most of the Catskills and Albany. Heading down there, I missed the turn-off to Barnum Road, which is a side road marked with a “Forest Preserve Access” sign from County Route 40, just as you head south out of Maplecrest.
The first part of the trail follows the right of way of the Old Barnum Road, until you access the Blackhead mountain Wilderness, and the kiosk welcoming you to the trail.
The trail up the mountain starts out gentle, then follows a series of switchbacks.
Then there is one steep portion, with some beautiful broken views of the East Kill Valley.
And of Devil’s Clove.
One you reach the unnamed mountain west of Camel’s Hump, the trail is relatively flat, with signs reminding people not to camp too close to the trail.
Looking at Camel’s Hump with Blackhead in the background.
Reaching the top of Camel’s Hump.
Looking off Camel’s Hump at Mount Hayden and the ridge you see to the north-west of Windham Mountain.
Thomas Cole Mountain’s “Black Head” from the Pine Stand, as seen from Camel’s Hump.
North-West from Camel’s Hump you see Acra Point and Huntersfield Mountains.
The flat “col” between Thomas Cole and Camel’s Hump, with Thomas Cole in the distance.
Looking at Camel’s Hump from Thomas Cole Mountain’s clearing.
From the Thomas Cole Mountain’s clearing, looking at Hunter Mountain and how the bottom of the mountain is bright green, while the top of the mountain is largely leaf less.
The view of Evergreen Mountain, and the valley to the west of Hunter.
The dense pine forest a top of Thomas Cole, with some snow remaining.
A broken view of Burnt Knob from Thomas Cole Mountain.
For today’s fodder, we will be checking out some of the land features of Partridge Run from Google Maps Satellite pictures.
1) The Gulf.
The Gulf is one of the most notable features of Partridge Run. A deep cut into the land, it’s cliffs are steep. Going in their, you find plants and animals that can survive only with darkness for long periods of time.
This is the gravel pit off of Peasley Road. It’s the biggest gravel pit at Partridge Run, and always an interesting place to explore, with shot up targets and other interesting places.
The Echo Cliff of Panther Mountain overlooks the Piseco Lake, Spy Lake, and Oxbow Lake, along with mountains and points east. The trail that goes up to Echo Cliff is labeled “Panther Mountain”, however the trail does not ever reach the ascent, but dead ends at Echo Cliff.
A beautiful day hiking up the trail for sure. The sun was bright, and I kept slapping on sunscreen. It was even a bit warm, not surpising for April 24th.
Reaching the top of the trail, almost up to Echo Cliff. The beauty of the mountaintop approaches.
Reaching the top, the beauty was amazing, as I looked across Piseco Lake with the trees just starting to green up.
Across the Lake to Popular Mountain and Oxbow pond.
Sitting along the edge, looking at the land and lake below.
Here is map of the hike. It’s quick, 30 minute each hike each way. If your up this way, do make this hike. I some day may want to hike this prior to sunrise, and watch the sun rise on this mountain.
Kane Mountain is located next to Canada Lake, which is just north of Caroga Lake on NY 10. I hiked up there one evening, after spending the day hiking in the South-Central Adirondacks. It is a wonderful, quick hike, perfect after a long day of hiking or outdoor activities as one heads back to the Mohawk Valley or Albany as the case may be.
The trail up Kane takes you up about 500 feet in elevation over a 1/2 mile. It’s an old woods road, and well traveled, so don’t worry about hiking after dark if you have a flash light or even just moonlight.
Reaching the top of the mountain you reach the Firetower and an old Forest Ranger’s cabin, which sadly has been broken into and vandelized. It still was interesting to walk in and take a look at the cabin, including the tiny little woodstove that once was there. The bunks and other furniture where long gone from it.
Remind me again why people have to be such pigs?
The Fire Tower has some really interesting views out of it, and it is an interesting place to watch the sun set from in the evening. Here is looking from the windows of the observer station, which have the glass removed.
Looking due South, you can see Canada Lake, Sheely Mountain, and the Mohawk Valley to the South. Once you get South of Sheely Mountain, the area around Caroga Lake is relatively flat until you get to the other side of the Mohawk Valley, with the ridges Schoharie High Lands.
The light flickers over West Lake, which is connected to Canada Lake.
Looking at the Southern Adirondacks, heading North along the NY 10 Coridoor. Until recently visiting this portion of the Adirondacks, I always generally viewed these lands as relatively flat, but instead as this picture shows, actually is fairly rugged, with peaks in the 2,000-2,500 elevation range, which is about 500-1,000 above the valleys below. Not flat exactly.
Watching the setting sun from the Fire Tower.
Through the tower windows in the cab as the sun sets.
Due to the clouds, it wasn’t a perfect sun set, but just before the sun disappeared into the clouds, here is what I saw.
After sunset, looking at the fire tower by the last light of the day.
Crane Pond Road is a 2 mile historical truck trail in the Pharaoh Lake bureaucratically-defined “Wilderness”. This truck trail provides access Alder Pond and Crane Pond, along with access to hiking trails to Goose Pond, Glidden Marsh, Oxshoe Pond, Crab Pond, and Pharaoh Mountain.
This truck trail is popular and is frequently used hunters, fishermen, backpackers, and hikers visiting the vast lands of Pharoah Lake “Wilderness”. The wilderness distinction, is rather dubious as these lands are not historical wilderness but only designated as such on paper by the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Porn Agency. There is few old growth forests or undeveloped land remaining in our state, and the wilderness designation is frequently abused by environmental extremists.
The entire Pharaoh Lake “Wilderness” is traversed by old logging roads, has old foundations, and other ruins of a once privately owned, farmed or logged land. Many of the hiking trails follow old logging roads. The state has developed foot bridges, hiking trails, and many lean-tos throughout the property, so man made structures are not uncommon to find in this so-called “Wilderness”.
A Rough Truck Trail.
The entire Crane Pond Road is a rough truck trail. It’s has gotten minimal maintenance by the state of New York, ever since those with an certain extremist ideological agenda attempted to get this truck trail closed off.
Some portions of the truck trail are deeply rutted, and at least this time of year, very muddy. A few places are washed out, and you have to travel past washed outs, or carefully climb over them. I bottomed out my Ford Ranger a couple of times and could feel the front-drive train pulling the back wheels along as they started to slip.
Towards the end of the truck trail, the truck trail actually crosses an inlet to Alder Pond. I didn’t try driving through this section during the high water of spring, but apparently at least one person with an old Chevy K1500 4×4 made it to the end without problems.
I drove to the pull-off right before the spot where the truck trail crosses Alder Pond. In low water, I wouldn’t mind driving through the inlet to the parking area at the end of Crane Mountain Road, but I wasn’t going to get my pickup stuck or flooded.
A Good Thing to Still Be Open.
All and all, I am happy that citizens fought to keep this existing truck trail open, against an extremist ideological agenda of some environmentalists. It shortens the hike up Pharaoh Mountain by 4 miles, and provides easy access to many important areas.
This would have been different issue if was proposed by the NYS DEC to build a new road through the Pharoah Lake “Wilderness”. If the DEC had shown up with bulldozers, and chainsaws, to cut a new road one could have made an argument against building a new road.
Yet, Paraoh Lake “Wilderness” is not that — it’s a land that has long been minimally developed with forest access roads, trails, lean-tos, with Crane Pond Road long being minimally maintained to provide access to this important public land. It’s not a Strip Mall or Housing division, and most of the area is very wild, even if it’s somewhat developed to provide for the public access and enjoyment.
New York State Should Maintain &
Keep Crane Pond Road
OPEN to Public Motor Vehicles !
