Unnamed Spectacle Pond Ledges and Wolf Pond Ledges(Lake George Wild Forest-Adirondacks)

Headed up to the Southern Adirondacks to do a little off trail exploring in a quiet little corner of the Lake George Wild Forest just east of Brant Lake.  My destination would be a couple of small peaks and ledges as well as Spectacle Pond and Wolf Pond, a pair of relatively unknown small ponds that reside south of Route 8.

My early morning drive brought me past a very foggy Brant Lake, which I just had to stop and check out.

After checking out the lake views, I continued east on Route 8 to a scenic pull off along the south side of the road where I parked the car and headed out(Elevation 1250 feet).  From the pull off, I dropped steeply down the hillside through wet weeds before picking up a bit of a herd path which quickly lead me to Swede Pond Brook and some pretty cascades.

Followed a fisherman's path along the brook briefly before it faded out, with the sun doing its best to shine through the thick forest canopy.
 

More cascades on Swede Pond Brook.

After the fisherman's path disappeared, I began my true bushwhack heading SE towards Spectacle Ponds, which sat about a mile away.  Near the pond and not knowing what to expect-the last thing I thought I would find was a herd path that was in great condition- allowing for ease of access between the ponds.

I followed the path NE around Spectacle Pond's wetlands and then headed straight up towards the ledges I was aiming for.  The slopes were quite steep and I had to carefully pick a safe route up.

Once up near the tops of the ledges, I headed towards the edge, where I could see an opening.  Suddenly the slopes below me dropped off and a great view to the west unfolded. 

I circled around the steep ledges, contouring over to an even broader, open set of ledges.  These ledges sit practically right above Spectacle Pond and offer up some really nice views.  This shot takes in Spectacle Ponds below and a hint of Lake George in the distance.

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Spectacle Pond, directly below the ledges.

NW views towards the Three Brothers.

As I began heading south off the ledges, I stumbled upon yet another area of open ledges, with a more southerly view point, taking in Lake George as well as part of Spectacle Ponds.

A quick and uneventful descent brought down towards Spectacle Ponds, where I basically stayed on high ground between bodies of water heading west.  There was a bit more color down in the wetlands here, with some red maples jumping out at me.

Skirting around the southern part of Spectacle Ponds, which is basically a large wetland.

From a beaver dam crossing at its south end, soaking in serene views north across Spectacle Pond.

Once on the west side of Spectacle Pond, I was able to garner a nice view back towards the ledges that I had just been up on.

Leaving the pond's shore and back on the herd path, I headed SW, breezing right along, covering a little over a mile in less than 20 minutes. I soon arrived at the northeast end of Wolf Pond, which was much more like a sprawling marsh than a pond.

The herd path seemed to end at Wolf Pond, so I headed east towards another unnamed hill, which also appeared to have some steep slopes and possible ledge views.

A short but steep scramble brought me up to the summit of the small peak(Elevation 1765 feet).  Once up high, I headed towards an open south facing clearing..

..from a nice perch just below the ledges, I was able to find this incredible shot looking south towards Lake George and the Tongue Range.  This shot is similar to the one on Spectacle Pond Hill, but much closer.

From another opening near the summit, there is a nice west facing ledge with nice views.  Some early fall colors are definitely creeping into the nearby hillsides.

Followed the ledges northeast for a bit in search of a route down and was lucky to spot this view(zoomed) of the nearby ledges over Spectacle Pond that I had been on earlier.

After a steep but manageable descent off the ledges, it was a short bushwhack back to the herd path, which I utilized to cover ground back towards Spectacle Ponds.  Prior to arriving back at the ponds however, I left the path and bushwhacked NW over an unnamed bump heading more directly towards the car.  

Back near the road, I took a moment along Swede Pond Brook to wash some sweat and grime off before finally calling it a day.

One last steep push uphill brought me back to my for a grand total of 7.5 miles and 1600 feet of ascent.

Map below.    Blue X=Parking     Black circles=Ledges        Red=Hunter's path

Sugarloaf(Mount Greylock State Reservation-Berkshires)

Took advantage of a gorgeous late summer afternoon by doing a little off trail exploration to 2034 foot Sugarloaf, a small peak in the SW part of the Mount Greylock State Reservation.   It looked like there was decent public access to the peak so I headed over to Ingraham Road in the town of New Ashford and looked for state signs, but there were few if any at all.  I double checked my maps and found a spot that appeared to clearly reside on state land so I found room on the shoulder of the road(Elevation 1450 feet) and then headed east into the woods, quickly coming to a pretty area of cascading water on an unnamed drainage. 

The wooded slopes were pretty straightforward but steep in a couple of sections.  I was actually a bit impressed by the rock formations on a "smaller" peak such as this.

Up a bit higher, I crossed back over a small drainage as I continued my ascent.

At about 1800 feet there is a virtual wall of rock, that stretches north to south for quite a distance, rising up nearly 50 feet high.  This particular section was easily the most memorable part of this peak, as I looked for(and eventually found) a chute up.

Once above the cliffs, I followed the edge in search of views and was rewarded with a very nice west facing view towards Brodie Mountain and its wind turbines.

There are a couple of other okay views, but this peak would definitely have much more views to offer once the leaves drop.  SW views toward Brodie and Sheeps Heaven Mountains.

As I headed up through a steep section of woods, I saw a subtle bit of movement just a few yards away. As I turned to my left, I spotted a porcupine scurrying(the fastest he could) away.

A vernal pond and wet woods were found in the low spots just below the summit area.

I found the woods up high to be a real treat, with nice and open woods to wander through. 

There are three distinct high points with the highest being 2034 feet and marked with a small rock cairn.  Unfortunately the only photo I have of the summit cairn is blurry.

Once off the summit, I explored the open hardwoods soaking in the beautiful weather and enjoying through the trees views towards the nearby Greylock Range to the east.  I even crossed over a couple of old logging roads way up high.

A fairly quick descent down the steep west slopes dropped me back to my waiting car on peaceful Ingraham Road.  The wooded canopy along the road is starting to show some early tinges of fall, making for a highly scenic walk/ drive.

Hiked about 2 miles total(all bushwhack) with over 700 feet of total ascent.  A nice little obscure peak that I will certainly be back to visit once the leaves are all down.

Map below, with Sugarloaf circled in red.

 

Five Rivers Environmental Education Center(Delmar-Town of Bethlehem, Albany County)

Did a nice and easy walk at the 450+ acre Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, located off of Game Farm Road in Delmar on a hot and slightly humid late summer afternoon.  Although none of the hiking is challenging, there is much to see, and plenty of trails to explore here at the Center.  I first decided to check out the trails north of the Visitor Center, where winding, mowed paths pass by ponds and through open fields.  If you're paying enough attention you may even spot a snapping turtle!!

Although strong storms are in the forecast for the evening, the afternoon skies were filled with abundant sunshine and only scattered clouds.  I did a partial loop through the open meadows along the North Loop Trail, where a nice warm breeze and goldenrod filled the air.

Viewing decks and benches can be found at all of the ponds, such as Recharge Pond below.

Just off the main trail, from a short spur there is a duck blind, which provides very nice views of Wood Duck Marsh.

Back near the heart of the property, Goose Pond is covered in a thick coating of green algae, but is still a nice place to enjoy the natural setting.

After checking out the fields and ponds, I headed over to the Vloman Kill Trail in the western part of the property, where the setting is much more wooded and therefore shaded.  An easy to follow trail loops around the creek for a little over half a mile, before connecting back to the other trails.

Enjoyed a peaceful, but warm 2+ miles of easy strolling at Five Rivers before heading home.  Always a nice option for a walk, especially for those not looking for anything too challenging.
 

State Brook Mountain(Ferris Lake Wild Forest-Adirondacks)

Decided to head up into the SW Adirondacks after work this afternoon to do a little exploring on yet another delightfully cool late summer day.  2540 foot State Brook Mountain is a small peak that sits just north of Good Luck Cliffs and is pretty much unknown to most folks outside of the rock climbing community.  This is a well known destination to rock climbers, however, and can be reached by an unmarked but well cared for rock climbing herd path that leaves Route 10 almost due west of Trout Lake.  Finding the start of the herd path(Elevation 1683 feet) might be the toughest part of this hike, for once you're in the woods, it's pretty much smooth sailing.  I've actually seen marked DEC trails in worse shape than this herd path is in.

The path heads generally west/ southwest slowly gaining elevation along the way for just over a mile before arriving at the base of the impressive State Brook Cliffs.  These cliffs rise straight up nearly 100 feet and are quite a site to see.

Continued on a steep slope up and around the cliffs, arriving at the top of the ledges, with impressive north facing views.  Tomany Mountain(site of a former fire tower) is the nearby peak in the upper left corner.

 

From a slightly lower ledge, looking north, with the upper cliffs blocking part of the view.

From the climbing path, I bushwhacked up through some scratchy woods to the wooded summit.  Not much to see here.

From the summit, it appeared that there were some steep ledges on the east slopes of the summit as well, so I began poking my way around and through trees in hopes of finding some views. 

Found one clear view spot, with a nice look SE.  Footing was not very good here on the near vertical slopes, though, with duff traps everywhere. 

South facing view from the same vantage point.

I contoured my way around the south slopes just below the summit, in search of more views, but the trees were pretty thick in here, and footing was a bit tricky as well.  The best views I could get were somewhat screened west facing views.

There was just a tinge of fall color on some of the trees as well as the leaves on the ground, reminding all of us that in a few short weeks, the foliage will be on full display.

Dropped back down to the herd path and followed it back to the car for a nice and easy 3.8 mile RT and 1200 feet of total ascent.

Map below.  Blue P=Parking     Red Trail=Herd path     Black X's=Cliffs/ Ledges

 

Thacher Park-Indian Ladder & Escarpment Trails(Albany County)

Took advantage of a delightfully cool, autumn like afternoon by doing a nice and easy walk along the Indian Ladder and Escarpment trails at John Boyd Thacher Park.  Low humidity and a cool breeze was just was the doctor ordered as I set out along the edge of the Escarpment, following the Long Path for a bit and soaking in the never ending views.  This view from near the top of Mine Lot Falls, takes in the edge of the escarpment as well as the Albany skyline in the distance.

No matter how many times I have hiked here, it is always a delight.  The sheer size of the falls and limestone cliffs are truly hard to capture in photos.

 

After walking along the rim of the escarpment for a distance, I then dropped down to the Indian Ladder Trail, which I've hiked previously on numerous occasions but am still left in awe.

 

The Indian Ladder Trail may not be for the faint of heart, hugging the edge of sheer cliffs, with a steep drop off below.  This is probably the most gentle section of the trail, and I found it to be highly scenic.

Easily the most dramatic part of the trail, is the part below Mine Lot Creek Falls, which comes thundering down from above while covering hikers in a light mist.

Stunning, no matter what season, but especially following a rainfall like we had last night.

From under the cliffs and below the falls, I enjoyed this valley view for several minutes by myself. That's almost like an eternity on a summer day here.

Took my time and enjoyed a pleasant 2 mile walk at this highly scenic, but popular, section of Thacher Park.