~ Current Schedule ~
Today is ,
Practices: Advance signup is not required. However, prior to attending your first outing, read the information on our Practices and Acknowledgement of Risk pages. Download and sign the Acknowledgement of Risk Agreement form and submit it to the leader of your first Canes outing.
Meeting times & places: 9.15 at "CTL" unless specified otherwise in the outing description. More info on CTL and meeting places.
Outing types: Outing types are listed as Regular, Alternate (ALT) or Bonus. More info on outing types.
Difficulty: Outing difficulty ratings are shown as "Easy," "Moderate," "Difficult", or a hybrid. These are subjective ratings, and even an "Easy" outing will require attendees to be fit and aware of their physical limitations. More details about difficulty are typically shown in the outing description. Distance and elevation gain shown are generally derived from GPS readings, which are approximate. More info about ratings.
Lead an outing: If you would like to volunteer to lead an outing, please contact the Outings Co-Coordinator. Here's a more detailed information guide. The earlier you respond, the more time your fellow Canes will have to plan to attend your outing.
Air quality: Wild fires in Canada and the western US can cause hazy skies and may also affect ground-level air quality. Check regional air quality for today. More info on haze and air quality and other useful info.
Co-Coordinator: Leo Demers has volunteered to become our Outings Co-Coordinator upon Peter's retirement, and Peter and Leo are seeking a Co-Coordinator-partner to train and share the responsibilities. This is an opportunity for a member to give something back to the Canes and assure we continue to thrive. Contact Peter to volunteer and/or ask questions. As Outings Coordinator Emeritus, Peter will provide the co-coordinators with oversight and support.
Refresh the page in your browser to assure you see the latest content.
Scheduled outings:
Oct 9, 2025 Regular Moxham Mtn Hike Rating: Moderate Steve Mackey Email leader WX
This is a 5.5-mile out-and-back hike to a beautiful mountain summit near Minerva. A moderately easy hike with some ups and downs with a cumulative gain of about 1,500 feet. There are many overlooks with scenic views along the trail and expansive views from its rocky summit. The trailhead has limited parking so carpooling from one of the meeting locations is encouraged.
Meet at CTL at 8:45 for a departure at 9:00 or at the Black Bear Restaurant, Northway Exit 26 at 9:30, or the trailhead at 10:00. 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. Please contact me with any questions.
Oct 16, 2025 Regular Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob Hike Rating: Easy/Moderate Fran Herve 518-477-0932 Email leader WX
The Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob is owned and maintained by the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) and offers a couple of options of hikes totaling 3.7 miles. From the trailhead we will hike the orange trail 0.7 mile with about a 620’ gain to a Gazebo with fine views of the southern basin of Lake George. Anyone who wishes may opt for a relaxing stay and an early lunch at the Gazebo enjoying the sweeping view of the lake and mountains before returning to their car. I will lead others from the Gazebo along the blue trail another 1 mile and an additional 400’ gain to the waterfall loop trail. There we will have lunch and visit both the bottom and top of the falls before retracing our steps to the Gazebo and returning to our cars.
Meet at CTL at 9:15 for departure at 9:30, or at the trailhead, located 0.7 miles north on Pilot Knob Rd from its intersection with NY 9L, at 9:50. Please contact me with any questions.
Oct 23, 2025 Regular Castle Rock Loop Hike Rating: Easy/Moderate Lenore and Jack Reber 518-859-8555 Email leaders WX
Castle Rock is one of the most popular destinations in the Blue Mountain Lake Region, with an open summit at 2480 feet, 700 feet above Blue Mountain Lake, providing spectacular views of the lake and surrounding area. The hike to the summit is generally a gentle slope except for one steep section just below the summit. We will return on the Sargent Ponds Trail for a total distance of about 3.4 miles.
Meet at CTL at 8:15 for a departure at 8:30, or meet us at Indian Lake Stewarts at 9:30 for a short pit stop. We are confident that someone will be able to lead the group from CTL to Stewart’s in Indian Lake. Directions to the trailhead: It is a 20-minute drive from Stewart's to Blue Mtn Lake. From the intersection of Route 28 & Route 30 in Blue Mountain Lake, head north on Route 30 and drive 0.6 mile to Maple Lodge Road. Make a left onto Maple Lodge Road, park near the Minnowbrook Conference Center and follow a private road to reach the trailhead. Please contact us with any questions.
Oct 30, 2025 Regular Rock Pond Hike (Putnam Pond area) Rating: Moderate Scott Anderson 518-955-7991 Email leader WX
This hike will take us to and around Rock Pond in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness. We will start our hike from the parking lot at the Putnam Pond State Campground boat launch. At a distance of 1 mile, we will make a quick detour to visit Heart Pond. After an additional 1.5 miles we will visit the abandoned graphite mining area (shaft, quarry, and workings). We will continue along the west side of the pond to our lunch spot on a peninsula with excellent views of the pond. After lunch, we will continue around the pond and then visit Little Rock Pond and the lean-to. After a snack and chat there, we will pick up our original trail back to the trailhead. The route is mostly rolling terrain on a nice forest trail. The section along the west side of the pond is rocky and takes some care. The trail section on the east side of the pond is very nice, level and soft. We should be back at the trailhead by 3:30. The hike is rated moderate because of the distance of 7.0 miles and 625ft ascent for the entire hike.
Meet at CTL at 8:15 for departure at 8:30, or at the Putnam Pond boat launch trailhead parking lot around 9:30. Please contact me with any questions.
Nov 6, 2025 Regular Daniels Road State Forest Hike Rating: Easy/Moderate Lenore and Jack Reber 518 859-8555 Email leaders WX
The 523-acre Daniels Road State Forest is located just to the north of Saratoga Springs in the Town of Greenfield. The Saratoga Mountain Bike Association (SMBA) maintains the trails in the State Forest per agreement with DEC. The lands are mostly mixed forest and feature mountain bike trails throughout the property. The trails range from easy to difficult and provide hiking opportunities as well. This hike is a 5+ mile hike of short ups and downs with rocks, roots, runoff, and fingers of bedrock on the mountain bike trails. This is the southern tip of the Adirondack Mountains and has great rock formations and lovely little streams and ponds. The mountain bikers have added a few interesting surprises also. There may be wet sections of the trail from recent rain so your hiking boots should be waterproof.
Meet at the official trailhead/kiosk at the end of a dirt/gravel access road just east of the Skidmore riding center on the north side of Daniels Road at 9:30 for a 9:45 start of the hike. (Note – NOT at the small parking area opposite where Clinton St. intersects Daniels Rd.) Directions to the trailhead access road (one of several ways). Daniels Rd runs between Rt 9N on the west and Rt 9 (aka Maple Ave) on the east, just north of the City of Saratoga Springs. From Rt 9N take Daniels Rd E for 2.5 miles to the large DEC State Forest sign on the left. From Rt 9 take Daniels Rd W for 1.2 miles to the same sign on the right. On the east side of the DEC sign proceed N on the dirt/gravel access road 0.5 miles to the trailhead parking lot. Note that this access road contains a few speed bumps so drive slowly. Please contact us with any questions.
Nov 13, 2025 Regular Pilot Knob Ridge Hike Rating: Moderate Cathy Gilchrist 518-248-1150 Email leader WX
This moderate hike has an approximate RT distance of 4 miles with an accumulated vertical gain of 1,338 feet. It starts on the marked state trail to Buck Mtn and Inman Pond and veers SE onto an unmarked herd path. It’s pretty much up all the way to the top, where there are several overlooks. The false summit will be our lunch spot while we enjoy spectacular views of Lake George! We will return the way we came up. All down! Note: Beware of lots of slippery dry leaves over rocks in some places.
Meet at CTL at 9:00 for departure at 9:15, or the trailhead at 9:45. Trailhead directions: From exit 20, I-87, follow Rt 9 north for 0.3mi to NY 149. Turn right and continue on NY149 for 4.3mi and turn left onto NY9L (Ridge Rd) by Stewart's for an additional 4.6mi, then right onto CR32/Pilot Knob Rd. Continue for 3.3mi to the DEC parking lot/trailhead on the right. Please note this is NOT the Schumann Preserve for the Pilot Knob Preserve/Gazebo. Please contact me with any questions.
Nov 20, 2025 Regular Fifth Peak Hike Rating: Moderate Gail Stauble 518-932-1251 Email leader WX
We will begin our hike from the popular Clay Meadows parking lot/trailhead on a relatively flat trail for the first 0.5 mile before beginning a somewhat steep and continuous climb for the next mile, gaining approximately 1000 feet. At this point the trail becomes less steep but still climbs in the final 1.1 mile, gaining another 500 feet to the top of Fifth Peak and a lean-to. From the overlook near the lean-to, we should have excellent views of the Lake George Narrows, portions of Northwest Bay, the southern end of the Tongue Mountain Range, and the mountains that surround the southern end of Lake George. This will be our lunch spot. After our lunch, we will return to the parking lot on the same trail. We are unlikely to see the local rattlesnakes in November. Total RT distance is about 5.2 miles with a total elevation gain of about 1500 ft.
Meet at CTL at 8:45 for departure at 9:00, or the Clay Meadows parking lot at 9:30. The Clay Meadows parking lot is located approximately 6 miles north of the hamlet of Bolton Landing on the east side of NY 9N. For those of you aspiring to obtain the Lake George 12ster patch, this is your chance to reach the top of one of the required mountains. Please contact me with any questions.
Nov 27, 2025 Happy Thanksgiving!
Dec 4, 2025 ALT Spectacle Pond Hike Rating: Easy Joanne Armstrong
Details to follow