kane | Andy Arthur.org

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.