After our morning hike up Owl’s Head, we headed over to Adirondak Loj for a nice, mellow hike out to Marcy Dam via the Van Hovenberg Trail. We’ve done this section of trail several times before and being that it was shoulder season, we thought it was best to stay below 2,500’ to avoid soft melting snow and the ice still holding on at higher elevations. The hike to Marcy Dam is pleasant with much of it being easy, rolling trail. It was a perfectly beautiful day and upon arriving at the dam, we chatted with some hikers who’d just come down from Colden. They confirmed it was mostly still ice up there, which was not a surprise. We took our time and hung out at the dam soaking in more sunshine before heading back. We stopped at the Big Slide restaurant for lunch in Lake Placid before heading back to the hotel and checking out to drive back. We’d initially planned to stay another night, but a spring snow storm was predicted to roll in overnight and by this time, the weather service was pretty certain it would bring with it about 12 inches of snow. We checked out early and drove back home to be on the safe side and avoid unpredictable driving conditions the next morning. It was another wonderful trip to the ADK which has become my happy place since we are currently here on the east coast.
We spent another couple of days hiking in the Adirondack Mountains High Peaks Region. Weather was not ideal for high elevation since it’s the beginning of shoulder season when fall starts to turn into winter. Trail conditions are beginning to become a mix of mud, ice and snow so we stayed low and just enjoyed our time exploring the area and scouting out more potential hikes for future trips. Once there’s a good coating of snow on the ground we’ll be back for snowshoeing. Despite the weather, (rain mixed with snow which I honestly don’t mind… better then humidity!), we had an amazing time.
After yesterday’s long journey to the top of Mt. Marcy, we were ready for an easy day. We decided to hit the trail again, but this time tackle a much shorter peak, Mt. Jo. The trail begins across the street from Adirondack Loj and starts off on a flat, gravel path with interpretive signs for the diverse vegetation. It passes by Adirondack Loj Nature Museum before becoming a dirt path that begins the ascent. It was a beautiful morning as the light shined through the trees on this crisp, fall day. And while I wasn’t planning for a steep climb, we did have some work to do to get to the top. After a little over a mile of steep climbing, the trail leveled off just before the summit. Another short scramble and a climb up some helpful ladders and we were at the top of Mt. Jo looking over at Mt. Marcy, where we were just yesterday. Down below we could see Heart Lake and the trees were just beginning to show signs of fall color. We chatted with some hikers at the summit before heading back down. People are always so much happier when you meet them on the trail. Once we got back down, we added a little more hiking with a walk around Heart Lake. We stopped a few times to sit and enjoy the views, listen to the sounds of the wilderness and watch people in their canoes paddling across the lake. It’s in these moments when I feel most at peace. I’m always happy in the mountains. It was a great way to end an amazing couple of days in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks and I foresee many more trips to come.
