Day 4 of March 2024 Trip to Adirondacks, Hurricane Mountain

The fourth day of my March 2024 trip to the Adirondacks. I checked out Hurricane Mountain on the eastern outskirts of Adirondack Mountains, with views into Vermont.

Johns Brook Valley


Johns Brook Valley

This was my last day of outdoor activities in the Adirondacks. Weather forecast indicated chances of rain in the afternoon. Given I wasn’t fond of the mud situation days earlier, I decided to take on a relatively short hike, and for that I picked “Hurricane Mountain”.

Hurricane Mountain Hike

I took the “southern approach” towards Hurricane Mountain for easier access. The trailhead of this hike was on the crest of New York State Route 9N. There were spaces for a few cars to parallel-park on the northern side of the road, together with a small overflow lot on the southern side. I arrived just before 9am and spaces were widely available.

Here’s GPS tracking:

Knob Lock Mountain

 Tripod Mountain
Knob Lock Mountain (left) and Tripod Mountain (right)

0.7km from trailhead, there was a small overlook of a few mountains across the valley to the south. NY 9N made its way across in the valley below.

Unlike my hikes in the Adirondacks the previous days, where the trail monotonically transitioned from dirt/rock to snow/ice as the elevation went up, things were different along Hurricane Mountain Trail. For the first 0.7km, the trail climbed to a small overlook (above). This part was on dirt, among conifers, and largely snow-free (p1-2 below). The next 1.4km of trail was largely flat, icy, and with the aid of planks, crossed a few swamps (p4-7 below).

  • Trail
    Trail
  • Trail
    Trail
  • Spruce Hill Brook
    Spruce Hill Brook
    A handy place to take on/off crampons and use the water for some cleaning.
  • Trail
    Trail
  • Trail
    Trail
  • Trail
    Trail
  • Trail on Boardwalk
    Trail on Boardwalk
  • Trail
  • Trail
  • Spruce Hill Brook
  • Trail
  • Trail
  • Trail
  • Trail on Boardwalk

Click here to display photos of the trail.
Trail


Trail

Trail


Trail

Spruce Hill Brook


Spruce Hill Brook
A handy place to take on/off crampons and use the water for some cleaning.

Trail


Trail

Trail


Trail

Trail


Trail

Trail on Boardwalk


Trail on Boardwalk


  • Frozen Swamp
    Frozen Swamp
  • Frozen Swamp
    Frozen Swamp
  • Swamp
    Swamp
  • Water Crossing
    Water Crossing
  • Frozen Swamp
  • Frozen Swamp
  • Swamp
  • Water Crossing

Click here to display photos of the swamps along the trail.
Frozen Swamp


Frozen Swamp
Frozen Swamp

Swamp


Swamp

Water Crossing


Water Crossing


After a final water crossing (p4 above), the trail continued its climb. Portions of the trail from here on was muddy (p1-2 below), likely due to the absence of large bodies of water (swamps), so snow/ice covers had melted. (The dominance of deciduous trees with their fallen leaves probably contributed to the mud situation.) Later at higher elevations, snow reemerged into view.

  • Trail
    Trail
  • Muddy Trail
    Muddy Trail
  • Trail
    Trail
  • Trail
    Trail
  • Steep Trail
    Steep Trail
    Looking back down at the steepest/most technical bit.
  • Trail
    Trail
  • Trail
  • Muddy Trail
  • Trail
  • Trail
  • Steep Trail
  • Trail

Click here to display photos of the trail.
Trail


Trail

Muddy Trail


Muddy Trail

Trail


Trail

Trail


Trail

Steep Trail


Steep Trail
Looking back down at the steepest/most technical bit.

Trail


Trail


After joining the “northern approach” of Hurricane Mountain, there was one steep section of the trail (p5 above) requiring some caution. It’s nowhere as technical as Wright Peak / Big Slide Mountain for the previous two days.

Fallen Tree


Fallen Tree

Some comments online mentioned “quite a few blowdowns to navigate around”, which was true. This was the most significant obstacle blocking the trail, requiring minimal bushwacking on the way around.

At 11:30am, 2.5 hours after leaving my car, I made it to the summit of Hurricane Mountain. By that, I meant the top of the restored fire tower.

Fire Tower on Hurricane Mountain


Fire Tower on Hurricane Mountain

Windy but spectacular views on top. A minor issue was that the fence wires were broken at certain places, requiring caution.

The summit of Hurricane Mountain offered 180-degree views to the south, but the fire tower extended that to 360-degree. That’s when I made the somewhat disappointing discovery that the heart of Adirondack Mountains was still behind clouds. As a result, for my 4 days of outdoor exploration in the Adirondacks, not even once did I see Mount Marcy, which was the highest peak in the state of New York.
On the flip side, the fire tower offered views of Lake Champlain to the east, behind patches of clouds and backed by mountains in Vermont. In particular, Mount Mansfield, the highest peak of Vermont which was 79km (49.2 mi) away, was visible. Maybe I should interpret that as the state of Vermont welcoming me.

  • Johns Brook Valley
    Johns Brook Valley
  • Adirondack Mountains to the West
    Adirondack Mountains to the West
  • Fields to the North
    Fields to the North
  • Lake Champlain
    Lake Champlain
  • Giant Mountain Wilderness
    Giant Mountain Wilderness
  • Johns Brook Valley
  • Adirondack Mountains to the West
  • Fields to the North
  • Lake Champlain
  • Giant Mountain Wilderness

Click here to display photos from the summit of Hurricane Mountain.
Johns Brook Valley


Johns Brook Valley

Adirondack Mountains to the West


Adirondack Mountains to the West

Fields to the North


Fields to the North

Lake Champlain


Lake Champlain

Giant Mountain Wilderness


Giant Mountain Wilderness


  • Whiteface Mountain
    Whiteface Mountain
    With its ski tracks.
  • Big Slide Mountain
    Big Slide Mountain
    Big Slide Mountain is the highest visible peak in this photo, with its sheer southern cliff. I summitted Big Slide Mountain the previous day. Algonquin Peak was a taller peak behind Big Slide Mountain in this photo, concealed by clouds.
  • Porter and Cascade Mountain
    Porter and Cascade Mountain
    I summitted Cascade Mountain three days ago.
  • Jay and Saddleback Mountain
    Jay and Saddleback Mountain
  • Lower Wolfjaw Mountain
    Lower Wolfjaw Mountain
  • Valley
    Valley
    A V-shaped gap in between mountains, near Indian Head.
  • Lake Champlain
    Lake Champlain
    Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in the state of Vermont, in the center of this photo above clouds.
  • Whiteface Mountain
  • Big Slide Mountain
  • Porter and Cascade Mountain
  • Jay and Saddleback Mountain
  • Lower Wolfjaw Mountain
  • Valley
  • Lake Champlain

Click here to display photos from the summit of Hurricane Mountain.
Whiteface Mountain


Whiteface Mountain
With its ski tracks.

Big Slide Mountain


Big Slide Mountain

Big Slide Mountain is the highest visible peak in this photo, with its sheer southern cliff. I summitted Big Slide Mountain the previous day. Algonquin Peak was a taller peak behind Big Slide Mountain in this photo, concealed by clouds.

Porter and Cascade Mountain


Porter and Cascade Mountain
I summitted Cascade Mountain three days ago.

Jay and Saddleback Mountain


Jay and Saddleback Mountain

Lower Wolfjaw Mountain


Lower Wolfjaw Mountain

Valley


Valley
A V-shaped gap in between mountains, near Indian Head.

Lake Champlain


Lake Champlain

Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in the state of Vermont, in the center of this photo above clouds.


Mountains to the North from Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower


Mountains to the West from Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower
Mountains from Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower
to the north (top) and west (bottom)

Anyway, I could only enjoy so many views before having to get off the fire tower to find shelter from the winds, which were strong heralding the impending rain. In the end, after some snacks, I started my descent at 12:05pm.

Mountains to the South from Hurricane Mountain Summit


Mountains to the South from Hurricane Mountain Summit

The descent was largely uneventful (apart from some more unpleasant experience with mud). In the end, I got back to my car at 2:45pm.

Cascade Lakes

On my way back, I made a stop along the shore of Lower Cascade Lake. This was an elongated lake, sandwiched between Cascade Mountain and Pitchoff Mountain. The deep valley shape of the surrounding landscape gave it somewhat of a fjord feeling.

Below were the photos taken 3 days ago, after my hike to Cascade Peak.

  • Lower Cascade Lake
    Lower Cascade Lake
  • Lower Cascade Lake
    Lower Cascade Lake
  • Lower Cascade Lake
    Lower Cascade Lake
  • Ice Patterns on Lower Cascade Lake
    Ice Patterns on Lower Cascade Lake
  • Lower Cascade Lake
  • Lower Cascade Lake
  • Lower Cascade Lake
  • Ice Patterns on Lower Cascade Lake

Click here to display photos from the summit of Hurricane Mountain.
Lower Cascade Lake


Lower Cascade Lake

Lower Cascade Lake


Lower Cascade Lake
Lower Cascade Lake

Ice Patterns on Lower Cascade Lake


Ice Patterns on Lower Cascade Lake


To better appreciate the valley shape, this time I launched my drone for an aerial tour.

  • Lower Cascade Lake
    Lower Cascade Lake
  • Cascade Lakes
    Cascade Lakes
  • Lower Cascade Lake
    Lower Cascade Lake
  • Cascade Lakes
    Cascade Lakes
  • Pitchoff Mountain
    Pitchoff Mountain
  • Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake
    Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake
    Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake
  • Lower Cascade Lake
  • Cascade Lakes
  • Lower Cascade Lake
  • Cascade Lakes
  • Pitchoff Mountain
  • Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake

Click here to display photos of the Cascade Lakes.
Lower Cascade Lake


Lower Cascade Lake

Cascade Lakes


Cascade Lakes

Lower Cascade Lake


Lower Cascade Lake

Cascade Lakes


Cascade Lakes

Pitchoff Mountain


Pitchoff Mountain

Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake

 Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake
Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake
Patterns of Frozen Ice on Lower Cascade Lake


And here’s a video:

2 minutes and 1 second, covering both westbound and eastbound directions, 2160p60fps, H265 only, 15Mbps for a total file size of 243MB.

Luckily, the rain waited until I had landed my drone to arrive. After that, I headed back to the lodge in Saranac Lake for a final time, concluding the day.

Cross Country Ski Event at Mt Van Hoevenberg

Fast forward to the next day (March 6), as I woke up to a drizzly sky.
I planned this trip with the flexibility to spend one more day hiking in the Adirondacks. Given my unpleasant experience with mud at most of the trails in the Adirondacks and the bad weather for the day, I decided to head back home, but not before checking out US Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Association (USCSA)’s cross-country skiing competition at Mt Van Hoevenberg.
The morning of March 6 featured short distance sprint races of cross-country skiing, formatted in three stages of qualifying, semi-final and final. The drizzle made the snow surface slushy, which turned out to be a challenge for most of the participants. (It also meant for most of the time, I was holding an umbrella in one hand and my camera in the other, not the most elegant/nimble configuration.)
Below were some highlights of the photos that I captured. Photos in the following slideshows of USCSA skiing competition shall be in public domain.

  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition

  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition

Click here to display photos of the slideshow

Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition

  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition
  • Cross Country Skiing Competition

Click here to display photos of the slideshow

Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


Cross Country Skiing Competition


END

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Day 4 of March 2024 Trip to Adirondacks, Hurricane Mountain by Huang's Site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *