Today's Hike

Gondola Ride and Memorial Highway might be overkill (the views are the same, no) especially if we are looking to hike some???  If we did the Gondola then hiked the summit we’d get the Gondola, the views, and the hiking.

Once we hit the top of Summit Quad is there a doable hiking route up the ridge to the Observatory and Cafe, or maybe cut in off the top of Follies around the back side, or is tackling any of that a bit more advanced for the fam?  Would be cool to explore some summer hiking up there, to aid my future skiing exploits!

Nothing marked from top of summit chair.  Top of lookout goes to WF summit via formal trail  

1250 kinda limits up but if 1500 is ok and still around 3 hours check out Jay mt or Catamount or Hurricane or Noonmark.  For less vertical check out Silver Lake mt or Baxter or Baker in Saranac Lake    Can’t go wrong on any of these.   Ampersand for a bit more effort but spectacular views into the high peaks.  

Hiking from riva ridge is steep, rocky and an anicent interwoven web of spruce fir so impenetrable even the most hardened mountaineers never return  

Maybe our story Dis-Lodge might help...

Pics please when you go.

Last year the whole fam hiked Cascade..Well  marked and cool finish with a million dollar view...

For family friendly I can think of a few I've done:

Cascade is the first one that most think to do, and its a 46er...gets pretty crowded...think it took us 2hrs each way when we did it a few years back.  Great view though.

Mt Jo has a nice view and isn't very long.  I've only done it in winter.

Owls Head super easy maybe 45 mins.  Great view.  (Trail might be closed on weekends now I heard?)

Just did Baxter two weeks ago, about an hour each way, very easy, and great view.

Agree with the Ampersand (little more effort), Mt. Jo, & Cascade (obviously) recommendations for family friendly.

I'd like to add Coney Mountain (south of Tupper, might be too far away) and a family trip to St. Regis mountain and the VIC in Paul Smith's, combined with a stop at Donnelly's for ice cream.

Thanks everyone, great suggestions.  Looks like the last .5m of the Ampersand hike might be a little beyond my wife’s comfort threshold, but all the other options are on the table.  I put them out to vote.

My vote is Cascade, even though it may be crowded.  Of course it seems like they can all get crowds.  Not sure the wife will go for the 5 hour allotment of time for Cascade, although we could start early and still be tubing in Ausable Chasm to cool off before 2:00!

Cascade is going to be a mob scene get there before 7:00.  Heck cobble hill has nice views right in lake placid.  

You can stop in Stewarts in LP and they will have a book with small hikes for sale

I’ve always thought that when I do get up there in the summer I’d like to explore the viscinity of the Cascade lakes, so if my wife is up for it I’m willing to brave the crowds.  What a fucking asshole tourist, right!?  

The crowds will be nothing like Cascade anywhere, anytime.  Will places like Jay be busier than others? Sure, but Cascade is in a class of its own unfortunately. If you prefer the convinence of that area (10 mins from LP) do Pitchoff rock instead.  We did it couple summers ago.  Hundreds of cars on 73, less than a dozen people on Pitchoff.  Great views into High Peaks too.

I hear ya, I’ve been forewarned!  I looked at Jay, and Noonmark, Catamount, Hurricane, Pitchoff....and there is a reason Cascade gets the crowds.  All things considered, if you can deal with the crowds, it has the most to offer, it seems.  Most of those other ones seems more difficult with less return, although I’m sure they are all beautiful!

JTG4eva! wrote

I’m sure they are all beautiful!

Pics or it didn't happen!  

Mt Van Ho from South Meadow Road off Adk Loj Road.  

Cascade was busy , but far from a total shit show...

Arrived 7:40ish and parked one lot from the trailhead.  Started at 8.  Until 10:30 and the false summit may two dozen people passed us.  We were a slow group.  By the time we got down they had logged 381 people for the day so far, they figured they’d finish north of 400.  3 hours up (with lots of stops) and 2 hours down.....but we all made it, and we still had time to make it to Ausable Chasm and a refreshing tube ride on the Ausable.  

Gawd...what a cheesy tourist, but a great day!  Better report on the hike to come....



You know what I was eyeing up....

Big rescue scene on 73 Saturday around 1:00 right across from Cascade lake.  Lots of emergency vehicles, ropes and chainsaws headed up the hill, opposite side of the road from the lake.  My wife had just been asking....what if somebody breaks their ankle on the hill?  That’s what.  Hope whomever it was made it out ok....

Nice 👍. Get them young ones’ eyes on the beauty of nature.  We need more warriors on the side of the righteous!

The kids now all plan on being 46ers!  Too bad for them my wife wasn’t up for the offshoot to Porter, they could have knocked off two.  Does Whiteface count if we only do the scramble from the top of the Highway?