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Adirondack cliff jumping
Posted on September 3rd, 2010 2 comments Add a comment >>
Bluff Island on Lower Saranac Lake. Photo by Susan Bibeau.
Bluff Island is a well-known landmark on Lower Saranac Lake. It’s easily reached by a short paddle from the Route 3 bridge west of the village of Saranac Lake. Head north through First Pond and enter a channel. As you emerge from the channel, you’ll see Bluff Island straight ahead, less than a mile from the highway.
The south side of the island features a seventy-foot cliff that rises straight up from the water. Occasionally, rock climbers scale the precipice. The guidebook Adirondack Rock says of Bluff: “it’s one-star climbing in a five-star location.”
Bluff Island is probably better known for cliff jumping. In fact, the silent-movie serial The Perils of Pauline included a scene in which the heroine leaped off the cliff on horseback.
Most people don’t jump from the top of the cliff. Once you get up there, you realize that seventy feet is a long way down. You could get hurt. And people have.
Nevertheless, daredevils continue to take the plunge. Chris Knight, a reporter with the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, recently shot this video of his friend leaping from the top. We recommend that you enjoy the jump strictly as a vicarious pleasure.
2 responses to “Adirondack cliff jumping”
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Bluff Island is an awesome spot for deep water soloing (climbing unroped over deep water). It’s actually the only one I know of in the Park. Anyone comfortable climbing in the 5.7 – 5.9 range can find a host of climbs on the cliff – there are at least 10 “routes” that can be climbed right out of the water. The cliff can be traversed back and forth at about mid-height as well for a great workout. The obvious broken dike and crack system in the center offers the easiest (and cleanest) route to the top.
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TimothyD11 September 3rd, 2010 at 18:43
I LOVE cliff jumping – and the height doesn’t bother me – what scares the HELL out of me – unless it’s an illusion – is having to clear the cliff down below. If you MUST run and jump, and you trip or something, or your momentum is slowed in any way you may not make it to the water.
If it was a STRAIGHT drop to the water the height wouldn’t bother me!
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Name: Phil
Bio: Phil Brown has been editing the Adirondack Explorer since 1999. When he isn’t at his desk, he’s usually out hiking, paddling, skiing, or doing something else important. You can follow his adventures and his musings on the Adirondacks in the Explorer and on this blog.
36 Church St. Saranac Lake, NY 12983
(518) 891-9352
Josh September 7th, 2010 at 10:33