2017-18 Dining Guide Web

61
Exceptional
Lodging in the
Adirondacks
264 Main St. North Creek, NY 12853
518.251.2451
Sure we’re located in the heart of all
Adirondack Mountain activities including skiing,
we really can’t blame it if you decide to stay inside.
A gloriously unique &
exceptionally well-appointed
glamping experience
located within the town of North Creek featuring~
Gas wood stoves, Private Jacuzzis, Great Room,WiFi,
Game tables,walk to restaurants & shops, 1 mile from
adirondackalpinelodge.com
New Glampshire
518.466.4035 | NewGlampshire.com
Crane Mountain
Crane Mountain is one of those hikes that’s on everybody’s list of
the best hikes in the Adirondacks. I’ve got at least a half dozen guidebooks
that include Crane, but my favorite description of Crane’s trails
is in my 25+ year old Discover the Southeastern Adirondacks guidebook
by Barbara McMartin, aka “the Rand McNally of the Adirondacks.”
McMartin enthusiastically dubs Crane the “Super Mountain”
of the southern Adirondacks for its variety of trails and bushwhacks,
its alpine pond and its expansive summit views.
I’ve hiked Crane a number of times over the years, but this is the
first time I’ve done it with our kids. Crane fits in well with my criteria
for a good family hike: its 4.5 mile round trip
and 1500 vertical feet of climbing are well within
our kids’ ability (they are ages 6 and 10), plus
there’s the added interest of the pond half way
up the mountain. And its location in the southern
Adirondacks makes the drive to the trailhead
relatively short.
We were lucky to hike Crane on the kind of
day when it would have been borderline criminal
not to hike. The air was crisp and clear, the
trees were clad in an almost fluorescent yellowgreen
of late spring, and the woods still sheltered
a variety of blooming wildflowers. A light breeze held most of
the bugs at bay.
We climbed the eastern trail to the pond from the trailhead on
Ski Hi Road (there’s also a western trail to the pond). Since the trail
forms a loop between the pond and the summit (here’s a map), it’s
possible to visit either the pond first or the summit first: we chose the
pond in order to break up the climbing.
Reach our advertisers at:
No matter how you slice it, it’s a stiff climb to the pond, 900 feet
of elevation gain in less than a mile. This could be an issue for some
kids (some adults too), but our kids like scrambling over rocks, and
since the climb came early in the hike they had lots of energy.
There’s another 600 vertical feet of climbing between the pond
and the summit. The trail ascends the western end of the summit
ridge, and there are excellent views from several lookouts before you
even get to the summit. The best views (even better than the summit
views in my opinion) are from the western-most viewpoint, about a
quarter mile shy of the actual summit. Here, Crane Mountain Pond
sparkles in the sun hundreds of feet below with a backdrop of peaks
that includes Gore, Snowy, Mount Blue, Hadley Mountain and the
High Peaks.
The summit views are almost as good,
although Crane Mountain Pond isn’t visible.
Crane Mountain once had a fire tower on its
summit, now only the anchor bolts remain.
Uncharacteristically, the kids seemed content
to hang out on the summit for a while,
eating lunch and taking in the view.
Continuing on the loop trail, the route
drops steeply down the eastern end of the
summit ridge, using an impressively tall ladder
in the steepest section. Since it’s a pretty direct shot down the
mountain, it seemed like we were back at the trailhead in no time.
Including our stops at the pond and the summit we took a little over
4 hours on the round trip.
With a warm-up hike under our belts now and school ending in
just a few more weeks, hopefully some more family hikes lie just
around the corner. I know I’ve got a few hikes on my hit list for the
summer.
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