Loon Lake Mountain Hike

On Friday, May 15th, Michael and I met up at the Wilmington Notch Campground, where we were staying for the weekend.  After setting up, getting dinner and catching up by a campfire, we turned in for the evening at about 11PM.

In the morning, we had breakfast and then got ready to drive up to Loon Lake Mountain.  We arrived at the trailhead at about 9:45AM after taking a wrong turn in Wilmington (a bridge was out and some of the route signs were confusing).  Anyway, we got ready and headed off.  It was fairly warm out already.  The skies were blue, but there were darker clouds passing occasionally.  The trail from the parking lot was not immediately marked but was a well-worn path.  Shortly down the trail, we encountered the trail register and continued on through the woods.  In no time we came out onto a logging road and followed this for a short distance, where the trail again entered the woods.  By 10AM we were already on a second logging road and we followed this one for quite a longer distance.  Luckily, the trail was well marked and at times we could see the mountain and its fire tower in the distance.  There were also a multitude of spring wild flowers in bloom along the way.  As the trail branched off of this road, it appreared that this was probably the old fire warden trail (there were old power/telephone poles along the trail).  There were a number of small wooden bridges, which crossed streams, but half of them were broken or had collapsed.  The grade was modest for awhile and then began to steepen.  The trail moderated for a bit as it passed through a birch glade and then steepen even more as it made it final push for the summit...passing through an area of significant blowdown.  There were limited views to the north just before reaching the northwestern flank of the summit.  Shortly after the trail leveled out, there was a view into the surrounding wilderness from a rock.  It had become mostly cloudy now with somewhat hazy views.  Walking a little further down the trail we finally emerged out onto the mostly open summit (3355') with its fire tower.  It was 11:45.  We explored the summit for a bit and then had our lunch.  The fire tower was not accessible and it had its bottom stairs removed to prevent people from trying (some of the landing planks were missing too).  Still there were good views in most directions, albeit hazy.  Even Mt. Whiteface could be seen in the distance.  While we were hanging out at the summit, the blackflies were bad!  Sitting still for awhile had them swarming around our heads.  By 12:15 we had had enough of the flies and decided to start moving again.  Surprisingly, as soon as we were in the woods again, there were very few.  On our descent we final encountered another hiker.  We chatted with him for a bit and then continued on (he had worked for the DEC and currently works for the Adirondack Park Authority).  As we were returning by the same route, it was mostly uneventful although we did encounter a fair-sized grass snake and we saw some structures we had missed on the way up (an old camp fireplace and a hunting blind).  We arrived back at our car at 2PM.

Before leaving the area, we drove the short distance to Grassy Pond to check out the newly installed boardwalk and its views.  I thought it would be more significant, but the boardwalk is probably less than 0.1 mile and it only headed out to the edge of the water.  Still it was very nice with Catamount Mountain (the lesser one) in the distance.  There was a couple there just enjoying the day.  We chatted with them for a while, before heading back.

We arrived back at camp by 3:20PM.  Before showering up and before going out to dinner, we took a walk into the gorge behind the campground.  There was an beautiful, unnamed waterfall with a 50 foot drop. The walk was short with about a 500 feet drop in elevation.  There was an outcropping type ledge with an excellent view down onto the raging falls.  Even though there are no trails, there was a herd path, which continued west along the Ausable River.  Further above the falls there were views up to part of the Whiteface ski area.

We returned to camp and later went to Lake Placid for dinner (Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood Brewery and Restaurant).  Upon returning to camp, we again had a campfire before calling it a day.

Despite the forecast, it turned out to be a pretty nice day.  Thanks to Michael for joining me.

Distance and elevation gain:  6 miles with 2400 feet in total gain.

New York's DEC recently (2013) opened a new trail to the summit of Loon Lake Mountain in the northern Adirondacks.  The trail rises more than 1,600 feet from the trailhead to the 3,355-foot summit of Loon Lake Mountain.  The open bedrock summit provides views of Lyon Mountain, Whiteface Mountain, the High Peaks Wilderness Area, Debar Mountain and other nearby summits.  The Loon Lake Fire Tower, perched on its summit, is a 35-foot tower that was originally erected in 1917.  It was rebuilt in 1928 after being blown over by hurricane force winds in the winter of 1927-28.  The fire tower is listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places.  Presently the fire tower is not open to the public.  Upon our return we can visit Grass Pond, with its newly constructed boardwalk.  This is a small marshy pond with views of Catamount (the lesser one).

Total Distance and Elevation Gain:  5.6-6.0 miles with approximately 1600 feet in elevation gain. 

Total Time:  5-6 hours depending on breaks and group's speed.  

Rain or harsh weather may postpone to another date or cancel, as appropriate. 

What to Wear/Bring:  Typical spring hiking gear should be appropriate:  convertible hiking pants, good sturdy hiking boots with thick socks, extra layer(s)/socks and a windbreaker/raingear (just in case, carry a fleece layer).  Also bring along lunch, snacks and plenty of water.  Optionally, pack bug repellent and sunscreen and anything else that you may require for a day hike.

Carpooling:  Contact other participants or the trip leader to arrange for a rideshare to the trailhead.  
Afterwards:  If there is sufficient interest, we will have drinks and/or dinner in the area (possibly in the hamlet of Loon Lake).

Optional Camping:  I will be camping in the area after the hike.  If anyone is interested, please contact me ahead of time.  There are a number of primitive roadside camp sites and campgrounds in the area...I will be happy to organize something.