Finally it was time to take the bad foot back to the Adirondacks and see how it fared. I had hoped to go down sooner but preparations for last weeks Army Run had some last minute adjustments and we had to take some time to fix them up which ate into my free time. Finally though I was free and none too soon either as the cool bug-free weather has arrived and the colours are starting to bloom. Mike and I had debated a weekend trip to hike Snowy and Blue but Sunday was looking like a big storm was going to roll in so we opted for the one day trip on Saturday instead hiking under blue skies. Somewhere along the lines Bryan got the green light to come along so we had a trio for this hike. Snowy and Blue are a bit of a long drive for a day trip so we tossed around thoughts of Whiteface from the south side or possibly Moose and McKenzie. As we drove down the Moose/McKenzie option seemed to have more going for it. First it was a slightly shorter hike (which I liked as my first hiking trip since early July) and add to that it had options. After the hike up McKenzie we could turn around and come back, or we could head over the top and down the other side. Another thought would be to continue along the ridgeline to Moose for a bigger loop. Add to that it was likely to be less popular with the crowds so we wouldn’t be fighting the leaf peeping mobs on this trail. Sounded like a perfect plan so we opted for that.
It took us a few minutes to find the pullout for the trailhead on the Whiteface Inn property. This trailhead isn’t a heavily advertised parking spot on otherwise private property and the non-descript pullout has room for only a couple of cars. Luckily we were the first to arrive on this morning! The register box a few feet up the trail confirmed we were in the right place so off we went. The grade was pretty easy to start. It follows the Jackrabbit XC ski trail before passing a leanto and then junctioning with the trail up McKenzie. From there things got decidedly steeper and we all fell into our own rhythm – the casual banter on the easier trail now a memory. Fortunately the steep trail had its payoff as we arrived at a good lookout on the first of several sub summits. Fall colours may not be at their peak but they are certainly on their way. For the next little while we strolled from one viewing point to the next across the ridgeline finally reaching the true summit which had a nice opening on each side giving views of Saranac Lake to the west and Lake Placid to the east. Good spot for a lunch break and maybe time to shoot a few pictures. After lunch we headed down the other side in hopes of great view of Whiteface which was just "around the corner" from our lunch spot… but the 4 star Whiteface view never materialized.
Just below the summit of McKenzie we were forced into a decision point. Do we head on to Moose or do we head down to the shores of Lake Placid. There was much debate and in the end we decided to head down making it a lighter hike and leaving more time to grab a bite on the way home. On the descent of the mountain we were using the “Shore Owners Association” trails. Presumably maintained by… you guessed it – the Shore owners. These trails were excellent. Perhaps they get a lot less foot traffic but for the most part they were soft and uneroded and strolled down along a stream to the lake shore. Once we reached the Lake things got a little more complex. The Shore Owners trail seemed to weave in and around the houses on the shore. Somewhere along the line we got off track and stumbled out onto the Shore Owners access road. Lots of "No Trespassing" signs on the entry ways to the individual properties we walked past but the trail we were on is open to the public and I don’t think walking on the road would cause anyone distress (I hope). At any rate we didn’t see anyone along here at all and in fact we didn’t see anyone hiking all day.
Rest stop at Bartlett pond on the descent
Post hike we detoured down to the public access of Lake Placid (looking for a Whiteface view which still didn’t materialize) and then headed off to the Deli in Saranac Lake for a bite of dinner before the drive home. All in all a great hike and my foot performed well. Occasional tweaks to remind me that the tendon is still a little sore but nothing too overwhelming. Now it’s time to plan some more hikes as the fall colours will be well in bloom in the next few weeks. Add to that I’m well behind in preparations for ski season so it’s time to get to work.
