Trip Report
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Backpacking Mount Redfield
I have my first official backpacking trip behind me and it was awesome. On Friday, my best hiking friends Brendan, Jenna, her boyfriend and their friend Greg headed to the Upper Works trail head in Tahawus. Our plan: hike in our gear to a lean-to in the Flowed Lands, get up the next morning and hike high peaks Cliff and Redfield. With heavy packs we started down the Calamity Trail. We hiked for a little over an hour. We passed a good looking tent site on the right of the trail next to the Calamity Brook and decided to set up camp there versus setting up our camp in…
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Hunter Mountain Fire Tower
School is over for the semester and I found myself with Monday off. It was going to be a pretty nice day so I asked Jona if she wanted to get in a short hike since she had the day off also. We decided to hike Hunter Mountain, a peak in the Catskills that is part of the 35 over 3,500′ (5/35) and is also on the Fire Tower Challenge (10/28) list. It is the second highest Catskill Peak at 4,040 feet. There are many trails to get to the summit of Hunter. We opted for the easier fire-road. The trail head is at a parking lot near the end of a long dead-end…
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Phelps Mountain in the Spring
Yesterday I hiked Phelps, the 32nd highest peak in NY, for the second time. The first time I hiked this mountain was back in January 2014 with Jona. It was cold. Yesterday’s weather was much better! The temps were perfect. There was very little ice on the trail (only at higher elevations). It was a beautiful day. Brendan is my good friend and one of my hiking buddies. He’s working on the 46 also and we both wanted to hike this weekend. I need to get my legs in shape for summer high peaks hiking. Phelps is a short hike compared to the rest of the 46. It is about…
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Spruce Mountain Firetower
When attending the last metabolism class of the semester (or ever) became optional yesterday, my good friend from school Krista and I decided to hike Spruce Mountain. Located just outside Saratoga in Corinth, it was a quick one hour drive from Troy. The trail itself was great-not too rocky and not too steep. It would be great for beginners! In about 36 minutes we were at the summit. Unfortunately there are no views unless you climb the tower. I think the tower itself is fairly new. There are windows inside that provide protection from the wind. It was a great little hike! Spruce Mountain Fire Tower Distance 2.8 mi RT…
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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…