My many summers of wandering about the Adirondack Mountains began with mountain climbing trips organized by
Adirondack Swim and Trip Camp (ASTC). (Read more about my ASTC experiences at my blog entry
here.) Our trip leader on my first climb, little Mt. Jo, was
Ben Greenstein. Back then, Ben had a lot more, um, body-mass than in the picture I inserted below. Fully bearded, he had the stature of a grizzly, and with us kids he was a gentle as a teddy. He is the one who first taught me about camping and hiking. Then a geology student, he is someone who loves the outdoors and always had stories to tell about the mountains and rocks, and he infected us with his enthusiasm.
Mt. Jo, at 2876 ft elevation, is not one of the
Adirondack 46ers, and with a 700 ft vertical ascent (213 m) and a hiking distance of 1.1 mi to the summit (or alternately, 1.3 mi / 2.1 km via the "long trail"), it is an easy hike and nice introduction to hiking in the Adirondack Park.
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| Topographic Map of Mt. Jo Trail |
Mt. Jo is easily done as a day trip, but at
ASTC it was combined with an overnight campout at a scenic lakeside campsite with a nearby bridge that we could jump off of. Dinner was the all time classic trail meal which we called "last minute mush," which consists of macaroni and cheese with ground beef, onions and tomatoes. I actually never had eaten macaroni and cheese before then, and have always been somewhat resistant to trying new foods - particularly as a child. Ben is a vegetarian and offered us a meatless version of the entree. I was hoping for just the meat and not the rest, but that option wasn't made available to us. My pride outweighed my food aversion, and a new favorite meal was added to my dining list.
We all got tasks setting up camp, and mine was to dig the latrine. We had some free time when the trip leaders prepared dinner and had the chance to go swimming. Ben was the first one to let us know that when we go swimming on the trail, we have to wear shoes for safety reasons, but swimsuits were optional. While I did recover from the shock, I never felt free enough to fully take advantage of clothing optional swimming at camp.
The campsite wasn't actually near to Mt. Jo, so we were picked up the next morning and taken to the trailhead in the camp's van. Mt. Jo is adjacent to Heart Lake, near the
High Peaks Information Center and
Adirondack Loj.
Speaking of which, the nearby parking area charges a daily fee. The proceeds go to support the
Adirondack Mountain Club, which is active in maintaining trails, operating educational programs and performing conservation work. So, we are happy to pay the fee. On our most recent Mt. Jo outing, we were on our way to Canada and running short on US $. We haggled for a little while with the nice young woman at the counter, and I gave her an antique nickel I stumbled onto during the trip in exchange for the difference between what we had in cash and what we owed for parking. She gladly accepted. When we told her we were just doing a quick tour of Mt. Jo, she told us that they have an unadvertised special rate for Mt. Jo hikers, 50% off the normal rate. We stuck to our negotiated rate with the antique nickel.
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| Mt. Jo Summit |
Someone once said to me that Mt. Jo has "the best view for the cheapest climb," and I think that is a good a description as any. It is a pleasant outing, and you end up on a rock face, but not a bald peak, as the mountain is not above the tree line. Looking down, you have a nice view of Heart Lake from above, and the panoramic view includes Mt. Marcy, Algonquin Peak (the highest two peaks in NYS) as well as Cascade Mountain and Indian Pass.
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| View of Heart Lake from Mt. Jo |
The combination of easy climb and great view make this one of
our recommended day hikes for those looking for a family friendly outing, an extension to another day hike - perhaps in combination with a climb of Phelps or Tabletop Mountains, or as a departure day activity.
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| View from Mt. Jo |
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