Visit the Adirondacks

“Let me start off by saying that this was my first real experience in the Adirondacks. I've driven through a couple times and also did a short hike to a waterfall with my (now) wife years ago. Went into this short overnight backpacking trip with a lot of options not knowing what to expect. My wife and I have previously done a lot of day and overnight trips up in the White Mountains and Maine, but the Adirondacks are new to us. Is it going to be crowded on a Saturday afternoon? Will I find parking? What's the bug/wildlife situation like? How dry has it been? Needless to say, the short trip far exceeded all of our expectations. While pouring over maps, we decided our first choice is to stay at Siamese Ponds. We chose that because it wasn't too short of mileage, not a ton of elevation, and had several options for established camping sites (5). We also heard if you want to avoid crowds, avoid the High Peaks area. We planned to arrive at the trailhead at noon and pulled in at 11:55. To our surprise, there was not a single other car in the parking area. We figured either the heat kept people away, or the camping was going to suck. The sign at the trailhead indicated Siamese Ponds were 5.9 miles away. Perfect. Although it was hot out, it was tolerable. We started right away and the trail was moderately worn. At about 1.5 miles in, the trail became substantially overgrown in a sunnier area by the river. Although difficult to follow, it lasted a couple hundred feet or so and cleared back up. Somewhere around mile 4, there was a lean-to and legal camping spot. BEAUTIFUL.”

“Pat and I went on three great kayak trips. On two of them we crossed over from Blue Mountain Lake to Eagle Lake via the bridge in the photo below. Those two kayak adventures were glorious. Pat and I hiked quite a bit on this trip. For our first hike, we chose Castle Rock Trail in Blue Mountain Lake, a moderate, 3-mile loop trail offering an amazing view of Blue Mountain Lake as seen in the first photo above. With an elevation gain of 700 feet, the hike to the summit is generally a gentle slope except for one steep section just below the summit. Pat and I then decided to do the longer loop back to the trailhead that made the hike a 4.7 mile trek. Because it had been raining like crazy in the Adirondacks, the trail was muddy and the streams were rushing.”