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Little Giants
Posted on April 13th, 2010 17 comments Add a comment >>
The traihead to Rattlesnake Mountain
Every mountain has its own personality. Steep or jagged, wooded or bald, wet or dry, each climb is unique. A lot can be said for climbing the biggest mountain you can find and adding its name to the list of peaks on your conquered landscape.
But I’d like to talk about the little guys out there. Recently my wife, Andrea, and I climbed two smaller mountains: Rattlesnake Mountain in Willsboro and Silver Lake Mountain just outside of Hawkeye. We may not have racked up the miles on these hikes, but they were every bit as enjoyable as any mountain twice their size.
The trails up both of these peaks are less than 2 miles, and often hikers see these as beginner climbs or family hikes. Don’t get me wrong, they are great for that, but they shouldn’t be overlooked by the experienced hiker. They may be short, but what they lack in length and height, they make up for with something special: diverse wildlife and great summits for exploring. On both of these little peaks we found tremendous views, families of hawks, and their large, relatively flat wooded summits made me feel like a kid again.
Willsboro Bay and Lake Champlain from Rattlesnake Mountain
Rattlesnake is a privately owned mountain, which welcomes hikers, just a few miles down Route 22 from Northway exit 33. This little climb may be short, but it offers a commanding view of Willsboro Bay, Lake Champlain, Burlington, and the Green Mountains in Vermont. The hike begins with a peaceful walk up an old logging road, where it makes a sharp right turn and begins ascending to the actual trailhead. Here, the real trails up the mountain begin. This mountain offers a variety of routes to a variety of peaks, all of which are poorly marked but easily spotted. Whether you want to meander up a rocky switchback or scramble up large boulders with excellent views of Lincoln pond and Poke-O-Moonshine at your back, the choice is yours.
The Rattlesnake rock garden
As enjoyable as that is, the fun for me doesn’t begin until I reach the top. Immediately to the right of the trail is a large “balanced rock,” which is more or less the trickiest thing to climb on the whole mountain. Not only is it a blast to scramble up, but it’s a great place to relax, catch your breath, eat lunch, meditate or just soak up the sun. But this is just the beginning of the summit, and I would argue that there is just as much to explore on the top of the mountain as there is trail to there. Between my two summit markers, the balanced rock to the south and the WCPV radio tower to the north, there is at least half a mile of summit to enjoy with a panoramic view Willsboro Bay and Lake Champlain, complete with a family of red-tailed hawks and a large garden of rock statues built by the mountain’s visitors. Andrea and I have climbed Rattlesnake Mountain three or four times, and each trip we spend more time exploring the top than we do hiking. Be warned, there is a long and lovely trail down the backside of this mountain, but if you plan on hiking up the front and down the back, prepare yourself for a 10 mile walk back to your car. I know this from experience.
Silver Lake Mountain, near Hawkeye, is another short but mighty peak nestled in the Adirondacks. At just under two miles, this little giant packs a punch. Its gentle grade in the beginning leads to a steep ascent to the top, which early this spring was coated in a foot of granular, icy snow, and was treacherous to say the least.Short as it is, the steep bald scramble to the summit should satisfy the experienced hiker looking for a challenge, for which they will be generously rewarded with a panoramic view and families of hawks to observe. But that’s not all.
The summit of Silver Lake Mountain also offers nearly two more miles of bushwhacking and exploring for those inclined. At the top, you’ll find a myriad of dead-end trails that cover the densely wooded crescent shaped mountain. Its many bluffs overlooking Mud Pond offer adventure, exploring, and majestic views of Taylor Pond, Silver Lake, and Catamount and Whiteface Mountains.
Small as they are, I love these little peaks. What they lack in stature, they make up for with adventure, excitement, and just plain old fun. Next time you find yourself at the top of a high-peak, don’t forget to look down. Maybe next time you can humble your ego, and take a little hike.
The complete view from Silver Lake Mountain
17 responses to “Little Giants”
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Nick,
I agree completely! I have climbed Silver Lake Mountain a dozen times and I seem to find another reason to love it every time. Have you ever climbed Jay? It’s one of my favorites, and I think you would love it. Plenty of exploring to be done, and a different view awaits around every corner. -
Nick, excellent post. Great photos, too. Thanks for sharing them. I have been up Silver Lake Mt. a few times but not Rattlesnake. It’s definitely on my to-do list now.
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Thanks for the words and pictures, Nick –
I have seen both peaks from higher peaks, but never climbed them.
Now we will.Nick Chowske
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Bill M May 18th, 2010 at 19:22
Hey Nick, Great Post.We bought a place on Willsboro Point a few years ago and we look at Rattlesnake from our backyard.Two summers ago we noticed the small parking area for Rattlesnake and on a whim decided to park and see how far we could get.The trail was a little confusing because we were never there before.After one wrong turn, I figured out which way to go. My wife was worried about bears and me getting us lost- lol -but we went on.She didnt have the best boots on and decided she didnt want to go all the way to the top-didnt trust me
Anyway I left her at a nice safe spot and started to the top on my own.After some begging and pleading on her part,I stopped before I made it and we started back down.Then we heard some voices comong up the trail we were going down.A local woman and a visiting teacher from
Germany.He spoke with a thick accent and she was so full of local information.For some reason my wife felt “safe” with them because they had been to the top prior. I’m so glad we made it to the top.Its really amazing up there.The views are great.What was really nice for us is that we could actually see our house from the top.Our neighbors have a big red house with a red roof that sticks out like a saw thumb.We took so many pictures ,if I figure out how to post them i will-lol. take care -happy adventures, Billy -
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Name: Nick Chowske
Bio: Nick Chowske is a photojournalism major who loves hiking in the Adirondacks and taking photos of nature.
SJK April 13th, 2010 at 19:19