Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

I am sure every has heard the expression once, if not a hundred times, “it was a long and cold winter”. With truth to every bit of that expression we can finally start enjoying warm weather activities. It may be a bit too cold to take a swim but just think of how glorious it is to take a walk in the woods, fly a kite in the fields, or take a hike in the mountains. Just think – the sun shining down on you, beautiful scenery all around, clean crisp mountain air and your family and friends by your side. What could be better? Being prepared is what could be better.

Spring is the best time to take to the outdoors in the mountains; there are no pesky black flies to bother you. And lucky for you, you live in one of the most amazing places on this planet. We have the Adirondacks to our southeast not but a one or two hour drive away.

The Adirondacks have something for everyone. You can hike the easiest of trails or tackle the High Peaks, you could go camping, canoeing, fishing, or just relax by one of the many lakes and ponds. Most of these activities take a little bit of planning and are just over an hour of travel. Many of these activities do not cost very much. Pack a good lunch for the day and you’re on your way to a great getaway for the day or for the weekend.

Lets take a look at what you would need to hike in the Adirondacks. If you are a seasoned hiker – gather some friends and family and get up and go. It’s much cooler in the mountains and the scenic ride does wonders for everyone. If you are planning on hiking for the first time you need to be prepared. There are three things you should take into consideration:

1. Your health and those you are taking with you. You need to be in reasonably good health to hike. Remember it’s not a race but an enjoyable trek into the woods and to the top of the mountain! Get a good night’s rest before setting out on your trip.

2. Wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes, bring an extra pair socks and dress in layers. In this type of spring weather a t-shirt, a sweatshirt and a jacket may be needed. If you have room in your backpack bring along a rain jacket or cheap rain poncho. The temperature may hit 70 degrees here but only a cool 55 degrees on top of the mountain. Take plenty of bottled water with you, you will drink more than normal and don’t count on drinking the water from streams or brooks – you just don’t know how clean they are. Many streams and brooks carry animal fecal matter, parasites and other little things that crawl. Soda is dehydrating and defeats the purpose of a healthy hike up a mountain.

Make sure to bring along a healthy snack and a lunch. Remember when hiking to stick to peanut butter and jam and the like. Sandwiches made with mayonnaise or similar spreads can spoil quickly while you are hiking. Many hikers prefer to nibble as you walk. Hard candies, nuts, raisin, sunflower seeds make great snacks as do energy bars or granola with M&M’s or semi-sweet chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate does not melt) are great because it will give you that added boost when (or if) you tire.

You’ll also want to bring a small inexpensive first aid kit. You can make one of your own and include band-aids for blisters, salves, and an ace bandage in case someone twists an ankle. Trails are clearly marked but you may want to bring along a compass, it would be a great way to teach young and old alike on how to use a compass. A few other things may make your first hiking trip more comfortable. Remember if your daypack is getting heavy on the way up – take turns carrying it. You may also want to bring along insect repellant, salt tablets, a hat, a watch, toilet tissue and a ditty bag. The motto in the Adirondacks and for any park is; IF YOU CARRY IT IN, PLEASE CARRY IT OUT.

3. Chose a mountain according to your ability. Starting with Gradual, Moderate, Moderately Steep, Steep and Very Steep; take into consideration everyone’s health and ability and that you want to make this a fun outing, one they will want to do again and again. All trails in the Adirondacks are marked and stay on the trail. This is very important, recovering someone lost in the woods is harrowing for the family and the cost of a “Search” may end up with you.

There are eight different hiking areas in the Adirondacks, the closest being North-Northeast Section and the Lake Placid and Saranac Lake Section. They both offer gradual to moderately steep trails for the beginner. They are within an hour to an hour and half away making this an easy day trip. If you have more time you may want to consider Cranberry Lake, Wanakena and West Section, Keene-Keene Valley Section, Minerva-Newcomb Section, Eagle Bay and Blue Mountain Section, Indian Lake and South Section, and Lake George and Southeast Section.

Azure Mountain takes about 1.5 hours to complete and the view is worth the effort. This mountain is considered “easy, with some steep spots”. Access is off Route 485, 4 miles from St. Regis Falls.

Debar Mountain takes about 4 hours and 30 minutes to hike. This mountain is considered “easy but with the last half mile steep as any in the Adirondacks. Once on top the last half-mile is well worth the effort. Access is through Route 30 at Meacham Lake Public Campsite.

St. Regis Mountain takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes. This mountain is considered generally moderate and rather steep for the last part. St. Regis Mountain stands alone and literally surrounded by hundreds of lakes and ponds. The view on top is spectacular. Access St. Regis Mountain from Keese Mills Road near the intersection of Route 30 and 192, near Paul Smiths College.

Once on the summit, you’ll notice vegetation is very scarce due to their weather conditions. The vegetation is also very fragile, please be considerate and do not trample fragile vegetation and stay on the rocks and trails.

Remember to sign in every member of your hiking groups and to sign out once you have made it down the mountain. This helps the park keep track of how many people use the trails and as a safety feature of keeping track of who has hiked and who hasn’t come back down the mountain.