What are the Adirondack Mountains?
Located in the northeastern part of Upstate New York, the Adirondack Mountains are located in the northeastern region of the Appalachians, but are considered to be a separate and distinct geological formation. Lake Champlain and Lake George to the East form a boundary between the Adirondack Mountains and the Green Mountains of Vermont. The smaller Catskill Mountains are located further to the South, also in New York State.
The highest Peak, Mount Marcy, is the crown jewel of the Adirondack High Peaks, which are also known as the "Adirondack 46ers." It was originally thought that there were 46 peaks in the Adirondacks over 4000 ft in elevation, but later surveying showed that the last four in this group are actually below this elevation, and one peak was overlooked which should have been included. Accordingly, some lists of the Adirondack High Peaks will include 43 mountains, although the list of the traditional 46ers remains intact.
I still have not been able to find a satisfying answer to the total number of mountains in the Adirondacks, but the Adirondack Mountain Club guidebook to the High Peaks Region lists 100 peaks starting at 3425 ft., including the 46ers. Wikipedia lists 73 mountains other than the 46ers. That would bring us to 119 mountains, which appears to include all of the "lesser peaks" that I have also climbed.
Here are a few lists of Adirondack Mountains by category. Some of the lists overlap, and none is exhaustive. Still, the lists are helpful in narrowing down options when deciding where to go for a hike.
- The Adirondack High Peaks (wiki, ADK Mountain Club, Adirondack Forty-Sixers, Adirondack.net)
- 100 highest peaks of the Adirondacks
- The Saranac Lake 6ers
- Fire Tower Mountains
- 10 Hikes for Beginners (includes 3 non-mountain hikes)
- 10 Best Hiking Views
- Day Hike Pairings
Saranac Lake 6ers
Each one of the lists above includes excellent hiking ideas for day trips starting from White Pine Camp. In particular however, I would like to focus on the Saranac 6ers. This is a tourism initiative started in the spring of 2013, and includes the six major peaks encircling Saranac Lake: Mt. Baker, Haystack Mt., McKenzie Mt., Scarface Mt., Ampersand Mt. and St. Regis Mt. For the sake of clarity: none of the "6ers" are among the "46ers." Anyone completing all 6 peaks can become a registered "6er", those completing all 6 peaks within a 24 hour period are considered "Ultra 6ers." To date, we have been to the summit of Ampersand Mt., Haystack Mt., and St. Regis Mt.
The reason I mention the Saranac 6ers in so much detail here is that all of the trailheads are within a short drive from White Pine Camp, they generally offer excellent views, and they generally have moderate ascents (from 884 ft / 270 m to 2221 ft / 766 m) and hiking distances (1.8 mi / 3km to 10.6 mi / 17 km) round trip. These are our recommendations for anyone wanting to climb a mountain on a day hike from White Pine Camp, but don't necessarily want to climb one of the high peaks.
Where have I been?
I was first introduced to mountain climbing in the Adirondacks at Adirondack Swim and Trip Camp aka "ASTC." ASTC was then an overnight camp for boys, but has since reconfigured their property and now rent out individual cabins in the summer months. During my years as a camper, I first climbed the minor peak "Mt. Jo," followed by the majority of the "46ers" that I have ascended to date. It would then be many years before I returned to climb more mountains in the Adirondacks, which I have done with my wife several times since 2003. Together, we shared first climbs of a number of the lesser peaks and Cascade Mountain, and I introduced my wife to Mt. Jo and Phelps Mountain, which I had previously climbed.
Here is the list of Adirondack Mountains that I have climbed:
Mt. Marcy, #1, 5344 ft (1629 m)*,
Algonquin Peak, #2, 5114 ft (1559 m)*
Iroquois Peak, #8, 4840 ft (1475 m)*
Table Top Mt., #19, 4427 ft (1349 m)*
Phelps Mt., #32. 4161 ft (1268 m)***
Mt. Marshall, #25, 4360 ft (1329 m)*
Mt. Colden, #11, 4714 ft (1437 m)*
The Great Range*
Lower Wolf Jaw Mt. #30, 4175 ft (1273 m)
Upper Wolf Jaw Mt. #29, 4185 ft (1276 m)
Armstrong Mt. #22. 4400 ft (1341 m)
Gothics #10, 4736 ft (1444 m)
Saddleback #17, 4515 ft (1376 m)
Basin #9, 4827 ft. (1471 m)
Haystack #3, 4960 ft. 1512 m)
Cascade Mt. 36. 4098 ft. (1249 m)**
Mt. Jo 2876 ft. (877 m)***
Ampersand 3353 ft (1022 m)**
Haystack Mt. 2864 ft (873 m) (of the Saranac 6'ers, not to be confused with the high peak Mt. Haystack)**
Mt. St. Regis 2874 ft (876 m)**
Baxter 2440 ft (744 m)**
We have also been to the Summit of Whiteface Mountain (#5, 4867 ft / 1484 m), but I am mentioning this separately as we didn't actually climb this mountain, but rather took the Whiteface Mountain Veteran's Memorial Highway and continued to the summit via the in-mountain elevator. I did however take the footpath back down to where our car was parked.
* Climbed between 1978 - 82
** Climbed since 2003
*** Climbed between 1978 - 82, reprised since 2003
My Climbing List
I will divide this list into two categories: "New Challenges" and "Old Classics." The first category includes Mountains that I have been wanting to climb but haven't and the second are some of our favorites which we would gladly revisit if anyone in our group has a particular interest. The statistics that I will include with each peak are relatively self explanatory, except for the first one: "distance to trailhead." This indicates the driving distance from White Pine Camp.
New Challenges
Porter Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 47 min (same parking area as Pitchoff Mountain)
Elevation: 4059 ft / 1238 m
Order of height: 38
Vertical ascent: 1960 ft / 598 m (or 3275 ft / 999 m from Marcy Airfield)
Round trip distance: 5.6 mi / 9 km (or 9 mi / 14.6 km from Marcy Airfield)
Porter Mountain is typically done as a day trip pairing with Cascade Mountain, and according to the descriptions I have read, Cascade has the more impressive summit, with a massive rock bald peak. We did Cascade in 2004, and my wife was in for doing Porter as well, but I was running out of steam. I also had the alibi response that it was beginning to look like rain. We did catch a few drops on the way down, but have since had much wetter hikes than this one. Taking the most popular route to Cascade, the turnoff to Porter is near its summit, and amounts to a 0,7 mi / 1,13 km detour, one way. Having done Cascade without Porter, I have been wanting to finish up this pair ever since. This time around, I would do Porter first, then make a return visit to Cascade as time, energy and enthusiasm permit.
One of our friends at White Pine Camp reminded me that there is another, more challenging approach to Porter Mountain. He writes:
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 47 min (Same parking area as Porter Mountain)
Elevation: 3500 ft / 1067 m
Vertical ascent: 1300 ft / 396 m
Round trip distance: 5.2 mi / 8.4 km
I have had my eye on Pitchoff Mountain for some time but have been waiting to be part of a somewhat larger group as the best way to do this hike is with two cars. The most interesting way to do this climb is via a one-way trail that ends 2.7 miles down Rt. 73 than where it begins. The hike goes along a long ridge with excellent views of Cascade Lakes and Mountain, Mt. Marcy and other high peaks.
View Larger Map
Wright Peak
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 51 min
Elevation: 4580 ft / 1396 m
Order of height: 16
Vertical ascent: 2400 ft / 732 m
Round trip distance: 7.6 mi / 12.2 km
I think that it was 1979 when I climbed my first high peak, Algonquin Peak. This was part of the climbing trip "AIW," which stands for Algonquin, Iroquois, Wright. It is a relatively compact cluster of three mountains, with Wright Peak and Iroquois Peak on either side of the larger Algonquin Peak. We first climbed Algonquin, then I believe that we made it from Algonquin to Iroquois in about 45 minutes. The plan was to continue to Wright Peak on the final descent from Algonquin, but that was too much for most of our group. We took an afternoon break while a few in the group went on to the summit of Wright. Wright Mountain is also known for being the crash site of a B-47 bomber in January 1962, and some of the crash debris is quite large and to my knowledge, still on the mountain. This is the most challenging climb on my current Adirondacks climbing list.
View Larger Map
Azure Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 21 mi / 42 min
Elevation: 2518 ft / 767 m
Vertical ascent: 1000 ft / 304 m
Round trip distance: 2 mi / 3.2 km
There are 23 lesser peaks in the Adirondacks with Fire Towers, including one of our previous climb recommendations below, Mt. St. Regis. With a manageable ascent and distance, plus "amazingly good views in almost every direction," this promises to be a good family climb.
View Larger Map
Baker Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 15 mi / 24 min
Elevation: 2452 ft / 747 m
Vertical ascent: 884 ft / 270 m
Round trip distance: 1.8 mi / 3 km
This is one of the three remaining "Saranac 6ers" that we have yet to climb. It is billed as an excellent family hike with a series of spectacular views of Saranac Lake, Lake Flower, and the High Peaks to the east, including views of more than 20 major mountains. As an added bonus, the trailhead is right in the village of Saranac Lake, which makes it a nice outing to combine with picking up groceries in town.
View Larger Map
Hurricane Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 42 mi / 62 min
Elevation: 3694 ft / 1126 m
Vertical ascent: 2000 ft / 610 m
Round trip distance: 5.4 mi / 8.7 km
I was negligent for almost not mentioning Hurricane Mountain. It is one of the Fire Tower peaks, and while the fire tower itself is not climbable, the bald peak gives 360° views, including of the length of Lake Champlain. Said to be one of the more popular of the lesser peaks, the climb goes through virgin forest, large blowdowns and passes a number of beaver dams. The climb starts out gentle and becomes increasingly steep with a final rocky approach. It is also said to be family friendly as "the summit has no dangerous cliffs or pitfalls."
View Larger Map
Old Classics
While there are a number of the high peaks that I would like to revisit including some on the top of the list, many of these are out of my range for a day hike. Also, I want to leave the focus on the new-to-me challenges I listed above: Wright Peak and Porter Mountain. And, if we get a group together for Porter, there is the real chance that we could combine it with Cascade. And, if you catch me on a really good day, there is the outside chance that we could combine Wright with Algonquin. Instead, I would like to focus on some of our recent favorites that are both convenient to reach from White Pine Camp and have proven to give a high enjoyment-to-effort ratio.
Ampersand Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 37 min
Elevation: 3353 ft / 1022 m
Vertical ascent: 1775 ft / 543 m
Round trip distance: 5.4 mi / 8.7 km
We discovered this mountain in 2011, before the "Saranac Lake 6ers" initiative came into existence. It offers an easier climb than any of the 46ers, but has stunning views in all directions, of the high peaks on one side and the lake country on the other side. It once had a fire tower which is long gone. It normally would not be a bald peak, but the trees were removed in the 19th century to do surveying work, erosion washed away all the remaining soil and what we now see is the bare rock. On the peak, you will find a plaque with the inscription "In loving memory of Walter Channing Rice, 1852 - 1924, 'Hermit of Ampersand,' who kept vigil from this peak 1915 - 1924, erected by his sons 1930." I was so enamored by this peak, that a picture of it was the main image in our 2011 retrospective collage. The image at the top of this blog is also taken at the peak of Ampersand. An added bonus is the small beachhead on Saranac Lake just across the street from the trailhead, perfect for an after climb swim.
View Larger Map
Mt. St. Regis
Distance to trailhead: 6 mi / 14 min
Elevation: 2874 ft / 876 m
Vertical ascent: 1266 ft / 386 m
Round trip distance: 6.6 mi / 10.6 km
The view from Mt. St. Regis was the main image in our 2004 retrospective collage and also offers a very broad view of the lake country and some of the high peaks. It has the closest trailhead to White Pine Camp and is a relatively long hike, clocking in at 6.6 miles round trip, when compared to the relatively mild overall vertical ascent. You seem to walk forever in the woods before you get to the relatively "short steep climb to the summit." It is also notable for having a Fire Tower at the summit, which is in disrepair and not open to the public. Another really nice aspect of this mountain is that it can be clearly seen in the distance from the next pond over from White Pine Camp, Jones Pond, which is reachable by canoe from Osgood Pond.
Mt. Jo
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 51 min
Elevation: 2876 ft / 877 m
Vertical ascent: 700 ft / 213 m
Round trip distance: 2.4 mi / 3.9 km (using a combination of the long and short trails)
Mt. Jo is the first mountain I climbed as a camper at ASTC, and I have been at its summit at least four times. A fitting description I have heard is that it has "the best view for the cheapest climb." This mountain was used as an introduction to the young ASTC campers to mountain climbing and camping, and it was sometimes an added bonus climb in connection with high peaks trips where the group returned to the trailhead ahead of schedule. We have also done Mt. Jo as a departure day activity. On the summit, you look down on Heart Lake and have a broad vista of many of the high peaks, including Marcy, Algonquin, Colden and others.
Other recommended minor peaks
Other mountains that we recently climbed and can recommend include Haystack Mt. (of the Saranac 6'ers, not to be confused with the high peak Mt. Haystack) and Baxter Mountain. I won't go into full detail about these two here as they are two of our most recent climbs, but if anyone has a particular interest, we would be more than happy to join you on a climb of either one. Baxter is particularly family friendly. We made it to the summit of Baxter mountain in 50 minutes, and made the round trip in a little over two hours including a leisurely break for lunch.
I still have not been able to find a satisfying answer to the total number of mountains in the Adirondacks, but the Adirondack Mountain Club guidebook to the High Peaks Region lists 100 peaks starting at 3425 ft., including the 46ers. Wikipedia lists 73 mountains other than the 46ers. That would bring us to 119 mountains, which appears to include all of the "lesser peaks" that I have also climbed.
Here are a few lists of Adirondack Mountains by category. Some of the lists overlap, and none is exhaustive. Still, the lists are helpful in narrowing down options when deciding where to go for a hike.
- The Adirondack High Peaks (wiki, ADK Mountain Club, Adirondack Forty-Sixers, Adirondack.net)
- 100 highest peaks of the Adirondacks
- The Saranac Lake 6ers
- Fire Tower Mountains
- 10 Hikes for Beginners (includes 3 non-mountain hikes)
- 10 Best Hiking Views
- Day Hike Pairings
Saranac Lake 6ers
Each one of the lists above includes excellent hiking ideas for day trips starting from White Pine Camp. In particular however, I would like to focus on the Saranac 6ers. This is a tourism initiative started in the spring of 2013, and includes the six major peaks encircling Saranac Lake: Mt. Baker, Haystack Mt., McKenzie Mt., Scarface Mt., Ampersand Mt. and St. Regis Mt. For the sake of clarity: none of the "6ers" are among the "46ers." Anyone completing all 6 peaks can become a registered "6er", those completing all 6 peaks within a 24 hour period are considered "Ultra 6ers." To date, we have been to the summit of Ampersand Mt., Haystack Mt., and St. Regis Mt.
The reason I mention the Saranac 6ers in so much detail here is that all of the trailheads are within a short drive from White Pine Camp, they generally offer excellent views, and they generally have moderate ascents (from 884 ft / 270 m to 2221 ft / 766 m) and hiking distances (1.8 mi / 3km to 10.6 mi / 17 km) round trip. These are our recommendations for anyone wanting to climb a mountain on a day hike from White Pine Camp, but don't necessarily want to climb one of the high peaks.
 |
| Mount Marcy photo-stich panaroma, from Wikipedia |
Where have I been?
I was first introduced to mountain climbing in the Adirondacks at Adirondack Swim and Trip Camp aka "ASTC." ASTC was then an overnight camp for boys, but has since reconfigured their property and now rent out individual cabins in the summer months. During my years as a camper, I first climbed the minor peak "Mt. Jo," followed by the majority of the "46ers" that I have ascended to date. It would then be many years before I returned to climb more mountains in the Adirondacks, which I have done with my wife several times since 2003. Together, we shared first climbs of a number of the lesser peaks and Cascade Mountain, and I introduced my wife to Mt. Jo and Phelps Mountain, which I had previously climbed.
Here is the list of Adirondack Mountains that I have climbed:
Mt. Marcy, #1, 5344 ft (1629 m)*,
Algonquin Peak, #2, 5114 ft (1559 m)*
Iroquois Peak, #8, 4840 ft (1475 m)*
Table Top Mt., #19, 4427 ft (1349 m)*
Phelps Mt., #32. 4161 ft (1268 m)***
Mt. Marshall, #25, 4360 ft (1329 m)*
Mt. Colden, #11, 4714 ft (1437 m)*
The Great Range*
Lower Wolf Jaw Mt. #30, 4175 ft (1273 m)
Upper Wolf Jaw Mt. #29, 4185 ft (1276 m)
Armstrong Mt. #22. 4400 ft (1341 m)
Gothics #10, 4736 ft (1444 m)
Saddleback #17, 4515 ft (1376 m)
Basin #9, 4827 ft. (1471 m)
Haystack #3, 4960 ft. 1512 m)
Cascade Mt. 36. 4098 ft. (1249 m)**
Mt. Jo 2876 ft. (877 m)***
Ampersand 3353 ft (1022 m)**
Haystack Mt. 2864 ft (873 m) (of the Saranac 6'ers, not to be confused with the high peak Mt. Haystack)**
Mt. St. Regis 2874 ft (876 m)**
Baxter 2440 ft (744 m)**
We have also been to the Summit of Whiteface Mountain (#5, 4867 ft / 1484 m), but I am mentioning this separately as we didn't actually climb this mountain, but rather took the Whiteface Mountain Veteran's Memorial Highway and continued to the summit via the in-mountain elevator. I did however take the footpath back down to where our car was parked.
* Climbed between 1978 - 82
** Climbed since 2003
*** Climbed between 1978 - 82, reprised since 2003
My Climbing List
I will divide this list into two categories: "New Challenges" and "Old Classics." The first category includes Mountains that I have been wanting to climb but haven't and the second are some of our favorites which we would gladly revisit if anyone in our group has a particular interest. The statistics that I will include with each peak are relatively self explanatory, except for the first one: "distance to trailhead." This indicates the driving distance from White Pine Camp.
New Challenges
Porter Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 47 min (same parking area as Pitchoff Mountain)
Elevation: 4059 ft / 1238 m
Order of height: 38
Vertical ascent: 1960 ft / 598 m (or 3275 ft / 999 m from Marcy Airfield)
Round trip distance: 5.6 mi / 9 km (or 9 mi / 14.6 km from Marcy Airfield)
Porter Mountain is typically done as a day trip pairing with Cascade Mountain, and according to the descriptions I have read, Cascade has the more impressive summit, with a massive rock bald peak. We did Cascade in 2004, and my wife was in for doing Porter as well, but I was running out of steam. I also had the alibi response that it was beginning to look like rain. We did catch a few drops on the way down, but have since had much wetter hikes than this one. Taking the most popular route to Cascade, the turnoff to Porter is near its summit, and amounts to a 0,7 mi / 1,13 km detour, one way. Having done Cascade without Porter, I have been wanting to finish up this pair ever since. This time around, I would do Porter first, then make a return visit to Cascade as time, energy and enthusiasm permit.
One of our friends at White Pine Camp reminded me that there is another, more challenging approach to Porter Mountain. He writes:
I would like to offer an alternate approach to Porter which I like far better. It is a longer, lesser travelled approach and quite possibly more challenging. The rewards are many.
The trailhead begins at Marcy Field in Keene Valley. It climbs 2.4 miles steady to the top of Blueberry Mountain – a fantastic hike up with several great views along the way. The summit is gorgeous. From there you descend slightly, then hike up to the ridge that goes out to Porter. The trail between the ridge and Blueberry is hardly maintained, with a few blow downs along the way etc – not too bad though, quite fun. Gave me the feeling of “nobody has been here for a long time” and indeed I don’t think anyone had been. Once you get up on the ridge, it’s a lovely ridge walk out to Porter with several more nice views along the way. The summit of porter itself is really nice though granted not as open as Cascade.
The round trip mileage on this is 9 miles. 4.5 miles each way. Blueberry is my favorite mountain between the two of them because of the peak; but the trail along the ridge to Porter is the highlight of the hike.Pitchoff Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 47 min (Same parking area as Porter Mountain)
Elevation: 3500 ft / 1067 m
Vertical ascent: 1300 ft / 396 m
Round trip distance: 5.2 mi / 8.4 km
I have had my eye on Pitchoff Mountain for some time but have been waiting to be part of a somewhat larger group as the best way to do this hike is with two cars. The most interesting way to do this climb is via a one-way trail that ends 2.7 miles down Rt. 73 than where it begins. The hike goes along a long ridge with excellent views of Cascade Lakes and Mountain, Mt. Marcy and other high peaks.
View Larger Map
Wright Peak
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 51 min
Elevation: 4580 ft / 1396 m
Order of height: 16
Vertical ascent: 2400 ft / 732 m
Round trip distance: 7.6 mi / 12.2 km
I think that it was 1979 when I climbed my first high peak, Algonquin Peak. This was part of the climbing trip "AIW," which stands for Algonquin, Iroquois, Wright. It is a relatively compact cluster of three mountains, with Wright Peak and Iroquois Peak on either side of the larger Algonquin Peak. We first climbed Algonquin, then I believe that we made it from Algonquin to Iroquois in about 45 minutes. The plan was to continue to Wright Peak on the final descent from Algonquin, but that was too much for most of our group. We took an afternoon break while a few in the group went on to the summit of Wright. Wright Mountain is also known for being the crash site of a B-47 bomber in January 1962, and some of the crash debris is quite large and to my knowledge, still on the mountain. This is the most challenging climb on my current Adirondacks climbing list.
View Larger Map
Azure Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 21 mi / 42 min
Elevation: 2518 ft / 767 m
Vertical ascent: 1000 ft / 304 m
Round trip distance: 2 mi / 3.2 km
There are 23 lesser peaks in the Adirondacks with Fire Towers, including one of our previous climb recommendations below, Mt. St. Regis. With a manageable ascent and distance, plus "amazingly good views in almost every direction," this promises to be a good family climb.
View Larger Map
Baker Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 15 mi / 24 min
Elevation: 2452 ft / 747 m
Vertical ascent: 884 ft / 270 m
Round trip distance: 1.8 mi / 3 km
This is one of the three remaining "Saranac 6ers" that we have yet to climb. It is billed as an excellent family hike with a series of spectacular views of Saranac Lake, Lake Flower, and the High Peaks to the east, including views of more than 20 major mountains. As an added bonus, the trailhead is right in the village of Saranac Lake, which makes it a nice outing to combine with picking up groceries in town.
View Larger Map
Hurricane Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 42 mi / 62 min
Elevation: 3694 ft / 1126 m
Vertical ascent: 2000 ft / 610 m
Round trip distance: 5.4 mi / 8.7 km
I was negligent for almost not mentioning Hurricane Mountain. It is one of the Fire Tower peaks, and while the fire tower itself is not climbable, the bald peak gives 360° views, including of the length of Lake Champlain. Said to be one of the more popular of the lesser peaks, the climb goes through virgin forest, large blowdowns and passes a number of beaver dams. The climb starts out gentle and becomes increasingly steep with a final rocky approach. It is also said to be family friendly as "the summit has no dangerous cliffs or pitfalls."
View Larger Map
Old Classics
While there are a number of the high peaks that I would like to revisit including some on the top of the list, many of these are out of my range for a day hike. Also, I want to leave the focus on the new-to-me challenges I listed above: Wright Peak and Porter Mountain. And, if we get a group together for Porter, there is the real chance that we could combine it with Cascade. And, if you catch me on a really good day, there is the outside chance that we could combine Wright with Algonquin. Instead, I would like to focus on some of our recent favorites that are both convenient to reach from White Pine Camp and have proven to give a high enjoyment-to-effort ratio.
Ampersand Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 37 min
Elevation: 3353 ft / 1022 m
Vertical ascent: 1775 ft / 543 m
Round trip distance: 5.4 mi / 8.7 km
We discovered this mountain in 2011, before the "Saranac Lake 6ers" initiative came into existence. It offers an easier climb than any of the 46ers, but has stunning views in all directions, of the high peaks on one side and the lake country on the other side. It once had a fire tower which is long gone. It normally would not be a bald peak, but the trees were removed in the 19th century to do surveying work, erosion washed away all the remaining soil and what we now see is the bare rock. On the peak, you will find a plaque with the inscription "In loving memory of Walter Channing Rice, 1852 - 1924, 'Hermit of Ampersand,' who kept vigil from this peak 1915 - 1924, erected by his sons 1930." I was so enamored by this peak, that a picture of it was the main image in our 2011 retrospective collage. The image at the top of this blog is also taken at the peak of Ampersand. An added bonus is the small beachhead on Saranac Lake just across the street from the trailhead, perfect for an after climb swim.
View Larger Map
Mt. St. Regis
Distance to trailhead: 6 mi / 14 min
Elevation: 2874 ft / 876 m
Vertical ascent: 1266 ft / 386 m
Round trip distance: 6.6 mi / 10.6 km
The view from Mt. St. Regis was the main image in our 2004 retrospective collage and also offers a very broad view of the lake country and some of the high peaks. It has the closest trailhead to White Pine Camp and is a relatively long hike, clocking in at 6.6 miles round trip, when compared to the relatively mild overall vertical ascent. You seem to walk forever in the woods before you get to the relatively "short steep climb to the summit." It is also notable for having a Fire Tower at the summit, which is in disrepair and not open to the public. Another really nice aspect of this mountain is that it can be clearly seen in the distance from the next pond over from White Pine Camp, Jones Pond, which is reachable by canoe from Osgood Pond.
 |
| Mt. St. Regis |
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 51 min
Elevation: 2876 ft / 877 m
Vertical ascent: 700 ft / 213 m
Round trip distance: 2.4 mi / 3.9 km (using a combination of the long and short trails)
Mt. Jo is the first mountain I climbed as a camper at ASTC, and I have been at its summit at least four times. A fitting description I have heard is that it has "the best view for the cheapest climb." This mountain was used as an introduction to the young ASTC campers to mountain climbing and camping, and it was sometimes an added bonus climb in connection with high peaks trips where the group returned to the trailhead ahead of schedule. We have also done Mt. Jo as a departure day activity. On the summit, you look down on Heart Lake and have a broad vista of many of the high peaks, including Marcy, Algonquin, Colden and others.
 |
| Mt. Jo |
Other recommended minor peaks
Other mountains that we recently climbed and can recommend include Haystack Mt. (of the Saranac 6'ers, not to be confused with the high peak Mt. Haystack) and Baxter Mountain. I won't go into full detail about these two here as they are two of our most recent climbs, but if anyone has a particular interest, we would be more than happy to join you on a climb of either one. Baxter is particularly family friendly. We made it to the summit of Baxter mountain in 50 minutes, and made the round trip in a little over two hours including a leisurely break for lunch.
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