Visited 2940 foot Mount Van Hoevenberg in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks on yet another picture perfect mid November day. The trail head is found by taking the Adirondack Loj Road south for 4 miles to Meadow Lane, then turning left and following Meadow Lane for .25 mile to the DEC trail sign on the left. A wide, level trail which resembles an old road begins just past the gate at the trail head.
Bright morning sun breaking through the forest canopy.
The trail soon leads to a large beaver swamp, where the original trail had to be rerouted to the left around it. The rerouted section of trail is very muddy, so a lot of rock hopping is needed to keep your feet dry.
The summit rocks of Van Hoevenberg can easily be seen across the swamp.
Muck and snow was worse as I continued to climb.
The trail soon begins to climb, where I encountered snow in the shaded areas.
After 2.1 miles, I arrived at the first of two long ledges. Tremendous views can be had here. A view north towards Lake Placid and the downhill ski jumps.
The views from Mount Van Hoevenberg are some of the best in all of the High Peaks. Here is an incredible panorama.
Mount Marcy's snow capped summit stands out amongst the High Peaks.
The High Peaks tower above South Meadow.
The second rock ledge provides very similar views, and the true summit is found several yards beyond this ledge.
After enjoying the magnificent views for a little while, I finally turned back, retracing my steps down off the mountain. There are broken views through the trees as the trail descends over 700 feet back to the car.
I slowed down as I walked back, really enjoying the sights and sounds of the quiet November woods.
Hiked 4.4 miles RT on a beautiful November day.
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