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Hiking Bear Den and Flume Knob – 5.15.21
A few weekends ago Brendan and I found ourselves with a free day with some great weather to we drove up to Wilmington (near Whiteface!), to hike Bear Den and Flume Knob mountains. They are lesser-known lower-elevation peaks right near Whiteface and Esther. The trailhead to Bear Den actually starts in the Whiteface ski area’s parking lot. Bear Den is only 2,600 ft in elevation (~1,300 ft of ascent) and although the trail is steep, it’s in great shape as it isn’t very rocky. Plus at the top, there are great views of Whiteface and the surrounding high peaks. We spent about 45 minutes on the summit taking in the…
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Hiking Potash Mountain – 12.6.2020
Earlier this month Jordan and I went hiking with our friends Jason and Aubrey and their 2 dogs. We decided to hike Potash Mountain in Lake Luzerne. The trail to Potash is relatively new, so it was on my list of hikes to do this summer or fall. It’s also relatively short and fairly easy with some nice views! Surprisingly there were some steep, rocky sections. Eventually you’ll arrive at a rocky outcropping that has some really nice views of the Southern Adirondacks. The summit is slightly wooded, but with no trees on the leaves in early December, we still had some decent views. The summit is at 1,791 feet.…
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Hiking Rooster Comb and Snow Mountain Loop – 11.14.20
Yesterday Alicia and I decided to go on a hike in the High Peaks Wilderness Area—the Rooster Comb / Snow Mountain Loop. The trail starts in Keene Valley on route 73. I hiked Rooster Comb with Jordan a few years ago in the winter and I loved it and have always wanted to go back. Now seemed like the perfect time! I have been maxing out my hikes at around 7 miles and right now that seemed like the perfect hike. We arrived at the parking lot at around 8:30am to find it only filled with a few cars. I wasn’t sure what to expect since this lot is usually…
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Kane Mountain Firetower
I recently hiked Kane Mountain in Fulton County, about an hour and 15 minutes outside of Albany. It’s a nice little hike if you are looking to get outside and hit the trails. It has a decent view for minimal effort! Jenna, Steve and I opted for the shortest route up and then took the longer trail back to make a nice loop. There is a nice view from the top of the fire tower. I’d love to come up here for a sunset hike sometime. There is no real view from the summit unless you climb the tower. There is a little cabin at the top that has been boarded…
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Winter Hike: Cat and Thomas Mountain Preserve
If you are looking for a nice hike not too far from the Albany area, check out Cat and Thomas Mountains in Bolton Landing, near Lake George. It’s about an hour from Albany and the hike itself is pretty easy! The trail follows an old road for a while, and eventually re-routes into the woods for a little bit. It is a gentle incline. There wasn’t much snow on the ground, but the trail was covered in ice! Thank goodness for microspikes! We took the yellow trail to the summit of Cat Mountain first. The summit is expansive and has great views of Lake George! We ate a snack and…