Rand Mountain(Wilcox Lake Wild Forest-Adirondacks)

Decided to hike 1784 foot Rand Mountain, a small trail-less peak in the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest on a sultry late spring day.  Parked at the trailhead for Tenant Creek Falls off of gravel Mudcreek Road and wasn't surprised at all to see three other cars there when I arrived.  It was pretty safe to assume that the other cars were there to check out the falls or even cool off in Tenant Creek, but I had a much different plan in mind.  Almost directly from the parking lot, just beyond the trail register, I headed up the slopes of Rand Mountain, heading SE.  Starting at an elevation of approximately 1060 feet, the woods were pretty open and easy going.

After a steadily steep but short ascent I was quickly rewarded by finding the open cliffs just below the summit.

 The ledges are quite nice, with fine views SW over the valley of East Stony Creek. 

A very fine perch, with a soft breeze to cool me off on a humid day.  Saw a few raptors taking flight from these ledges too, circling the valley.

Just above the viewpoint, I hit the fully wooded 1784 foot summit.  Not much to see here.

 

I left the summit and headed NE, dropping down a drainage towards the marked trail and the first falls on Tenant Creek. 

 Following my descent, I hit the trail just above the first falls.  Within moments I arrived, and was greeted by two other groups hanging out, soaking in the view.  I decided to use the refreshing water to cool off, soaking my head for just a moment.

A large, fallen tree sits right at the base of the falls, taking away some of its beauty.  Still an incredible spot, nonetheless.

After considering going on to the other falls, the high humidity turned me around here. An uneventful trail hike brought me back to the car.  Once back at the lot, I decided to cross the road and drop down to gorgeous East Stony Creek. 

A truly beautiful area in a rugged little corner of the southern Adks.  Hiked just over 3 miles RT, with 800 feet of ascent.

Rough plot of today's hike.  Red=Bushwhack    Blue=Trail