Noonmark-Round Mtns Loop Hike

After spending the night with the bears at the Rainbow Woods Campground, I woke up and traveled to the trailhead in Keene Valley.  I arrived at the parking lot off of the Ausable Club Road at about 8:40AM.  Luckily I was a bit early, as the lot was already nearly full.  I squeezed in and got ready.  I waited until 9AM just in case someone had signed up for the trip.  It was just me, so I headed out.

It was a beautiful morning...sunny with some clouds and it was on the chilly side to start.  As I headed up the road to the trailhead (0.1 mile), I began to warm up.  The trail heads into the woods and quickly became rather aggressive as it climbs quickly above the cliffs behind Chapel Pond.  Along the way there were numerous openings, which provided limited views of Cathedral Rocks and northward to Giant Mountain.  By about the 9:50, I had reached an elevation where the views were opening up and at 10:20 I made it to the first of many open views towards Noonmark, the Dix Mountain Wilderness and the Great Range.  It was a pretty spectacular vantage point.  The trail continued a little further to the actual summit, which also provided views back to Giant.

After taking in the views I started looking for the trail that descended to the col between Noonmark and Round.  It took me about 5-10 minutes as the sign was small and faded...it was just before the summit and I had passed it without noticing it.  Anyway, I began the descent.  For much of the way down there were nice views through the trees of Dix and Noonmark Mountains.  This was a fairly short trail and I reached the valley floor by 11AM.  I took the trail to the east here, so I could go up the backside of Noonmark.  This was a fairly flat trail as it meandered through the woods.  Along the way it passed dried up ponds/streams and wet lands.  At 11:20 I reached the junction with the Noonmark trail.  This trail climbed fairly aggressively, but not quite as steep as the ascent up Round.  It was 1216 feet in about a mile.  Here I also started to run into other hikers finally, who were either descending the mountain or were climbing it from Round Pond.  I made it to the summit by about 12:10PM.  It was fairly crowded on this summit with many groups enjoying their lunches across the many ledges around the peak.  The views were fantastic, but darker clouds had rolled in over some of the peaks.  The peaks to the south were again most prominent but there were also views to Giant and limited views of Round Mountain, which I had traversed.  I stayed up here chatting with other hikers and enjoyed some lunch before starting the descent...which I did by 12:45PM.  This side was steeper, but much more open with views towards the Great Range.  As it headed into the woods there were a couple of spots where ladders were used and by 1:30 there were open ledges with views of Giant Mountain again.  I reached the valley trail again by 1:50 and took this back to Ausable Club Road, which was a fairly quick trip...I hit the road by 2PM and headed down the road to the trailhead parking lot at the base of the road.

This was a pretty spectacular loop hike for the amount of views, which each peak offered.  Afterwards I headed back to camp for a swim on the Schroon River.

Join me for this classic Adirondack loop that tags the open summits of Noonmark and Round Mountains.  We'll assemble at the parking lot on Ausable Club Road and walk the road for a short distance to the trailhead.  Here we'll first ascend up to the summit of Round Mountain with its prominent views of Giant Mountain to the north.  We'll then descend off the western side on our way to Noonmark Mountain (3556') and its spectacular views of the the surrounding wilderness...including the Great Range and the Dix Mountain Wilderness.  The trails are mostly modest in grade with only very short stretches, which may be steep. 

Total Distance and Elevation Gain:  7.0 miles with approximately 2805' feet in accumulative elevation gain. 

Total Time:  6 hours or more depending on breaks and group's speed. 

Rain or harsh weather will postpone until Sunday or another date, as appropriate. 

Camping Option:  Contact me, if you're interested in camping Friday and/or Saturday night.  I have a site reserved for the weekend at the Rainbow Woods Campground (Bear Weekend) in Schroon Lake and would be happy to share the site. 

What to Bring:  Typical summer hiking gear should be appropriate:  convertible hiking pants or shorts, good sturdy hiking boots with thick socks, extra layer(s) (as needed) and a windbreaker/raingear (just in case).  Also bring along lunch, snacks and plenty of water (at least 2-L).  Optionally, pack bug repellent and sunscreen and anything else that you may require for a day hike.  

Afterwards:  We should be completed with the hike by 3:00PM.  If there is sufficient interest, we can grab a light meal or just pie at the Noonmark Diner (for which they're famous).