~ Outings Archive 2023-2026 ~
January 5, 2023 Regular Saratoga Spa State Park Walk-About Lenore and Jack Reber Rating: Easy to moderate.
Following the 5-mile trail, we will explore our local park's varied features. The trails offer ups and downs with lots of flat parts. The warm weather has melted the icy spots, so you won't need spikes. The current forecast is a bit cooler, high of 31 degrees and some sun later. Bring a cup to sample water from the five springs nearby to compliment Lenore's cookies. We will meet at the Geyser Picnic Area parking lot adjacent to the Creekside Classroom Environmental Education Center (CCEEC) at 10:00; alternative meeting places for carpooling purposes will be left to the discretion of those attending. Directions: The Geyser Picnic Area parking lot is located on the Geyser Loop Road which is located off the East-West Road of the Park. The East-West Road is the southernmost road into the Park and can be accessed from either Route 50 on the west or Route 9 on the east. From Rt 50: Travel E on the E-W Rd for .2 mi and turn L onto the Geyser Loop Rd; continue on the Geyser Loop Rd. for .6 mi, the parking lot will be on your R. From Rt 9: Travel W on the E-W Rd. for .8 mi and turn R onto Geyser Loop Rd; continue on the Geyser Loop Rd. for.4 mi, the parking lot will be on your left. Please contact the Rebers with any questions.
January 15, 2023 Bonus Hurricane Mountain Hike Scott Anderson and Kim Brown Rating: Moderate/Difficult.
Hurricane Mountain is located north of Rt. 9N between Keene and Elizabethtown. Although not a High Peak, from its bald summit at 3,694', the views are expansive in all directions - from Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains of Vermont to the east, the High Peaks to the west, Whiteface Mtn. to the northwest and Giant Mtn. due south. It also has a restored fire tower on its summit but you don’t need to climb it for great views. It is one of the mountains included in the ADK Fire Tower Challenge so if you aspire to complete the Challenge this is a great mountain to include. There are three trails to the summit, but for this hike we will take the trail starting on Rt 9N which begins 3.5 miles E of the junction of Route 9N and Route 73, south of Keene. The hike is advertised at 6.8 miles RT and an elevation gain of ~2,000'. Meet at the Warren County Municipal Center Park and Ride at 8:15 for a departure of 8:30; or the High Peaks Welcome Center, north of Exit 29, at 9:20; or the Rt. 9N trailhead at 10ish. The weather forecast for Sunday is sunny, a high of 25 and winds at 10mph. You will NOT need snowshoes but “You will need spikes!” Scott was there last Sunday and it was Microspikes all the way to the top. It can be cold up there, so please bring adequate warm clothing. Please email Scott if you plan to attend or have any questions. Hope to see you Sunday!
January 27, 2023 Regular Spruce Mountain Lake George Snowshoe Tim Ward Rating: Moderate/Difficult
This hike on Spruce Mtn. in Huletts Landing on Lake George is a little different. First it's quite a workout though it's only about 4.5 miles. Second, it has great views in several places but you will have earned them. We'll start on Lake George Conservancy land and then quickly enter State land on a trail marked by Richard Hayes Phillips, the guy who placed the trail up Cat Mountain in Bolton. He's a master in building picturesque routes. After about 1.5 miles we'll reach the ridge trail junction. We'll hike this north/south trail to the top of Spruce in about 1.25 miles. The hike down will be a straight forward open woods bushwhack back to the trailhead. We're talking a total of about 4.5 miles with an ascent of 1800 feet. With nearly a foot of new snow, plan to use poles and snowshoes. No cliffs have to be scaled, but the slopes are often steep. Meet at CTL at 9:00 for departure at 9:15; or at the NYS DEC Boat Launch on NY 22 on the north side of the causeway crossing South Bay at 9:50. Please email Tim if you have any questions.
February 2, 2023 Regular Hennig Preserve-South Trails Spike Gail Stauble Rating: Easy/Moderate.
The Hennig Preserve is owned by Saratoga PLAN and is located on Centerline Rd. in the Town of Providence, about 13 miles west of Saratoga Springs. There are over 10 miles of trails, including the trails in the adjacent Homestead County Forest owned by Saratoga County. Our hike will be limited to between 4-5 miles in length over generally flat terrain with some ups and downs. For those of you who are familiar with the preserve we will be hiking on the south side of the preserve and include portions of the yellow, blue (Esker) and green trails and the Homestead County Forest with views of Cadman Creek. The specific route will be determined on Wednesday. These particular trails are considered a wood's walk with no panoramic views or lakes but we will pass old stone walls, cellar holes of old homesteads and pretty streams, our pace will be leisurely. Our lunch location will be decided during the hike. Meet at the Amtrak Rail Station in Saratoga Springs at 9:15 for departure at 9:30 or at the Hennig Preserve sign at 10:00. If you have any questions please email or call. Directions: There are a number of ways to reach the Hennig Preserve but from the Amtrak Station here is the shortest: Turn right on to West Ave. from Station Lane; continue about .25 miles to NY 29 and turn right; continue on NY 29 for about 9.7 miles and turn right on to Antioch Rd (just after the East Galway sign the road makes a sharp bend back); continue on Antioch Rd to the end, about 3.5 miles, and turn right on to Wileytown Rd; continue on Wileytown for about 1 mi and turn left on to Centerline Rd; continue on Centerline Rd for about 1.25 miles to the sign on the left. For those using a GPS navigator try using 200 Centerline Rd., Middle Grove, NY (or Galway if Middle Grove doesn't work) - that will get you close.
February 8, 2023 Bonus LeVine Preserve Spike Gail Stauble Rating: Easy
This is a wonderful hike with lots of options as to the length with a maximum of 3+ miles of rolling terrain, two creeks to follow, view of an old sawmill along Cadman Creek and even a hike on an esker. Lunch will be at the old homestead (circa 1920s?) with its well-preserved foundation and hand-dug well — there is even a picnic bench. The LeVine Nature Preserve is owned and maintained by Saratoga PLAN and is just down the road from its big sister — the Hennig Preserve. There are essentially four loop trails within the 177-acre preserve plus Taber Road Trail, an old abandoned dirt town road that bisects the preserve. The specific route TBD on the day of the hike. Meet at the LeVine Preserve sign at 10:30. Directions: There are a number of ways to reach the preserve but for those of you using a GPS navigator try using 303 Centerline Rd., Middle Grove, NY (or Galway if Middle Grove doesn't work) — that will get you close. Alternatively, Gail will meet at the Saratoga Amtrak Station at 10:00 to carpool/caravan to the trailhead. From there turn R on to West Ave from Station Lane; continue about 0.25 miles to NY 29 and turn R; continue on NY 29 for 12 miles to Barkersville Road. (You should see the Waterwheel Village Store on the far right corner). Turn R here and stay on Barkersville Road for 2.7 miles. The road will take several sharp turns, but stay on Barkersville Road (Route 16) until it intersects with Glenwild Road. Turn L on Glenwild Road, and after driving 1.4 miles, turn L on Centerline Road. In approximately 0.8 miles, you will see the kiosk for the LeVine Preserve on the L side of Centerline Road. As an option, if you are familiar with getting to the Hennig Preserve just continue W on Centerline for an additional 1.3 miles to LeVine. Please contact Gail with any questions.
February 11, 2023 Bonus Marcy Dam Ski From South Meadows Steve Mackey Rating: Moderate.
Licia and I have skied many times into Marcy Dam on the old truck trail from South Meadows. It is 5.5 miles (round trip) with about 500 feet of elevation gain. We plan on going this Saturday and thought we would lead it as a Canes outing. It is usually tracked from other skiers (not groomed). You want to be of at least intermediate ability. When I first did it, I thought it was kind of hard. Now that I’ve skied it many times, I consider it fairly easy. There is a very good chance that we will be able to feed wild chickadees out of our hands. (Bring some bird seed or nuts). Meet at CTL at 8:30 for an 8:45 departure; or the High Peaks Welcome Center, north of Exit 29, at about 9:35. Email Steve if you have any questions.
February 15, 2023 Regular Gull and Spectacle Ponds Thru Hike Eric Potter Rating: Easy/Moderate.
Instead of doing two separate hikes and a car ride covering the 1 mile between trailheads, we now have a new route going to both ponds in one hike, easy, only possible in midwinter. The trailheads for these two ponds are located on Adirondack Rd. approximately 2.5 miles south of Alder Meadow Rd. on the east side of Schroon Lake. From the Gull Pond trailhead we hike 0.6 miles to lovely Gull Pond, then over the pond on the ice and down a gentle wooded draw to Harrison Marsh (actually a pond with wetland margins), across the Marsh and thence south along Shanty Bottom Creek - a gorgeous easy wooded route - to connect with the Spectacle Pond trail near its midpoint. We've come about 1.7 miles so far, all flat or gently downhill. We then take the regular trail SE to Spectacle Pond and our lunch spot, a very wild spot with (we hope) stellar views of nearby Pharaoh Mountain. Then back to a couple of cars we've previously spotted at the Spectacle Pond Trailhead, for drivers to retrieve their cars from the Gull Pond trailhead, a mile away. Total distance, about 4 miles, with only small elevation gains of maybe 400 ft total. Meet at CTL at 9:15 for a 9:30 departure; or Stewarts in Schroon Lake via Exit 27 at 10:10; or the Gull Pond trailhead at 10:30. Contact Eric if you have any questions. Also, please consider offering a XCS as an Alternate (ALT) outing for those that would like to ski instead – just contact the Outings Coordinator.
February 22, 2023 Regular Great Camp Santanoni Cross-Country Ski Steve Mackey Rating: Moderate.
A cross-country ski to Great Camp Santanoni. Most of us have been in here, hiking, biking, or skiing. (Good chance, we aren't going to take the boats out, this trip). It's 9 miles round trip, with a gain of 700 feet. It's not hard to ski, but it is pretty far. You want to be at least an intermediate skier. I just checked "All Trails", and the conditions are excellent right now. Let's hope that it doesn't get too warm between now and then. Meet at CTL at 8:30 for departure at 8:45; or at the Black Bear Restaurant, Northway Exit 26 at 9:15; or at the Santanoni Gate Lodge parking lot at 10:00ish. Please take advantage of the Mobil Station just off the Northway at Exit 26 to pick up something you may have forgotten or use the restroom before meeting at the Black Bear. We will also stop at the Town of Newcomb’s High Peaks Overlook Park before proceeding to the trailhead for a short pit stop. Please email Steve if you have any questions
March 3, 2023 Bonus Potash Mountain Hike Steve Mackey Rating: Moderate.
Potash Mountain is located just west of NY 9N in the Town of Lake Luzerne. It isn’t a very high mountain at only 1700’ but what it lacks in height it makes up in character. It is dome shaped with southern facing cliffs, an eye catcher that can be identified from many of the higher mountains in the area with super views from the expansive open rock ledges above the cliffs. The hike, including the nature trail, is slightly less than 4 miles in total with a 1000’ gain, steep in places but the route has received a great deal of trail improvements including stone steps and stairways in the steepest sections, all built by Steve! Lunch will be at the overlook near the summit. CTL at 9:30 for departure at 9:45; or the trailhead at 10:00ish. Trailhead parking is located on the R on Potash Rd. just past its junction with Dunkley Rd., .5 mile N from where Potash Rd. intersects Rt. 9N, directly across from the entrance to Luzerne State Campground, 7 miles S of Exit 21 of the Northway or about 3 mi N of Hadley-Luzerne High School. If you have any questions please email Steve.
March 9, 2023 Regular Hoffman Notch Snowshoe/Ski Steve Mackey Rating: Moderate.
The trail basically goes from Loch Muller, just west of Schroon Lake, to the Blue Ridge Rd. near the Buffalo Farm west of North Hudson. It is 7.5 miles one way, so I figured it was a good hike to do as a key swap since it would require nearly a 50 mile drive to spot cars otherwise. A group will start from each direction, we will exchange car keys when we meet, and then drive each other’s cars, to Stewarts in Schroon Lake. If you hike from south to north, there is about a 500’ drop in elevation. Obviously, we have no idea what conditions will be, so it could be skis, snowshoes, or spikes. I might try skiing it with my very slow skis, but this shouldn't have any bearing, on whether you are thinking of attending. They are basically snowshoes with a little glide. I’m willing to go either north or south, so the rest of the group can go whichever way they feel comfortable doing. This is mainly a walk in the woods, but we follow streams almost the whole way, and we go through a marsh in the middle. During different times of year, it could be buggy, and/or muddy, so March is a nice time of year. The 46'ers cleared all the blowdown on the trail this fall, and the group that went last year really enjoyed it.
My best guess is that we want to carry snowshoes and spikes regardless if you decide to ski. We also might be able to bare boot, but it’s good to have snowshoes, worse case. I don’t think standing water or mud will be a problem and I don’t think stream crossings will be a problem. All the big streams have bridges.
Meet at CTL at 9:00 for departure at 9:15. Here we will break into the north and south bound groups. Based on our trip last year we should finish around 4:00ish and rendezvous at Stewart’s in Schroon Lake to switch cars. Email me if you have any questions or are interested in going, so we know we have enough people, and we can cancel if conditions or the weather is bad.
March 16, 2023 Regular Lake Bonita/Lake Ann Snowshoe Diane Selin Rating: Easy/Moderate.
Since we expect to receive significant snow prior to this hike we’ll make this hike shorter and easier for everyone with a snowshoe of about 4 miles RT from Lake Bonita to Lake Ann. We will stop for lunch at the Lake Ann lean-to and return by retracing our route and finish with a walk around Lake Bonita. Snowshoes will be required. Terrain is considered rolling, through mixed forest and probably not more than 300 or 400 ft. of elevation gain. Meet at 10:30 at the Lake Bonita parking lot of Moreau Lake State Park located 2.0 miles west of Rt. 9 on the north side of Wilton-Corinth Road at the height of land or about 4 miles west of Northway Exit 16. Please contact Diane with any questions. Also, she would like anyone that is interested in attending to contact her. This is not a commitment on your part but a way for her to be able to contact you if circumstances change.
March 22, 2023 OK Slip Falls Hike Steve Mackey Rating: Moderate
OK Slip Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in the Adirondacks with over a 200' free fall. The trailhead is located on the north side of Rt 28, about 10 miles west of the hamlet of North Creek with excellent parking available on the south side, before the trailhead. From the trailhead the well marked trail takes us through a variety of woods of mixed hardwoods and evergreens. There are some ups and downs, for a total of slightly over 3 miles one-way and a gain of about 800 feet to two overlooks with great views of the falls and our lunch spot. The falls should be really full with all the snow melt, framed by beautiful ice formations. CTL at 8:30 for an 8:45 departure; or the North Creek Stewart’s at 9:30; or the trailhead at 10:00-ish.
