Fay, Blueberry and Carson Mountains(Taylor Pond Wild Forest-Adirondacks)

Sitting just east of the Jay Mountain Wilderness in the town of Lewis is a small cluster of trail-less peaks that can be reached via a relatively easy bushwhack.  I had heard that there are good views from these peaks, so I decided to give it a go on a gorgeous late summer day.  Access is from the very end of Seventy Road, which is a seasonal road and a bit rough in spots.  I parked my car at the end of the road, where a Fay Mountain Tract DEC sign can be found.  Elevation here was about 1430 feet.  I began by heading east on an obvious woods road, which soon became more of a foot path.

After less than 1/4 of a mile, I left the woods road and began my bushwhack straight up the steep slopes of Mount Fay.  I easily negotiated some cliffs on the short but strenuous ascent.  Very soon I emerged at the first set of ledges just west of the summit.  The views were were truly outstanding!!

To the NW, the open rock atop Bluff Mountain sure looks inviting.  Unfortunately it's not a public peak though.

Due west from the wide open ledges are the mountains in the Jay Mountain Wilderness, that rise up on the other side of Seventy Road.  In the foreground are (left to right) Slip, Bald and Seventy Mountains.  Just beyond them are US and Death Mountains.

There are actually several layers of open view spots, but as I made my way up I hit a large swath of open meadows interspersed with open rock.  Late summer wildflowers covered the ground making for a ideal scene just below the summit.

Lake Champlain was visible in the distant SE from the open meadows.

Looking up at the 2306 foot summit of Mount Fay.  The summit sits in a clearing but far back from the ledges. 

It was truly hard to pull myself away from the wide open views.  Here is a look south towards some of the eastern High Peaks region in the distance. 

From a set of ledges looking east,  just below the summit, I spotted nearby Carson Mountain and Carson Ledges with Lake Champlain beyond. 

After finally leaving the summit of Mount Fay, I dropped sown to a small col before an easy climb up brought me to the scratchy spruce covered summit of Blueberry Mountain, which is really just a bump on the ridge.  Just prior to descending Blueberry, I caught a nice view of Carson, my next peak.

After a quick but very steep drop off Blueberry, it was an equally quick and steep climb back up Carson.  Arriving at the 2103 foot summit of Carson.

Just a few steps past the summit, is an extraordinary view point to the east/ southeast.

The views weren't quite as open as Fay, but still spectacular.  Here is a view east/ NE across Willsboro, Lake Champlain and towards the Green Mountains of Vermont.

To the east sits the small peak called Carson Ledges which is unfortunately private.  The views, however, stretch far and wide from this ledge as well. 

I wandered the steep south slopes of Carson and caught a nice look back across to Little Fay and Fay Mountains, with Slip Mountain just beyond. 

From the ledges, I dropped back down into the saddle of Carson and Blueberry, where I was left with a choice.  Instead of climbing back over the peaks I had just been on, I instead opted to skirt the north slopes of Blueberry and Fay on my return hike to the car.  This proved to be a pretty straightforward route through mostly open woods.  Hiked about 4 miles RT with 1400 feet of ascent on a pleasantly cool day.