Burnt Mountain, near Long Lake, is a hidden gem. Sure, that's a worn cliche, but what else can you say about a rarely visited summit with great views and interesting terrain? Over the past few years I've climbed Burnt Mountain several times, and, so far, I've had the mountain all to myself. And, this is no death march, available only to the super fit, the route covers just three miles (one way) with 800 feet of ascent, placing it squarely in the moderate difficulty category.
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| Kempshall Mountain, east of Long Lake, rises in the foreground with the Seward Range (left), and Panther and Santanoni (right), in the distance. |
If you are knowledgeable about Adirondack hiking you might wonder why you have not heard of this mountain. Well, there is one slight catch. The first two miles of the route follow a well-used section of the Northville Lake Placid Trail, but, the final mile is without trail. In other words, there's bushwhacking involved. As Adirondack off-trail hiking goes, this route is relatively easy. Even so, the final stretch is steep, and it's best to plan your route ahead of time to avoid cliffs on the southeast facing slope, and the worst of the dense thickets that provide summit's final line of defense.
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| On the southeast slope of Burnt Mountain, late December 2018. The southeast side offers a way up that bypasses the worst of the Spruce thickets, but you'll need to work your way around small cliffs and up steep slabs. In summer, these open rocks offer a pleasant route to the top, but, in winter, they present a separate set of challenges. |
The route to Burnt Mountain starts at the Northville Lake Placid Trail (NLPT) trailhead on Route 28N, a mile east of Long Lake Village (good parking is available). Follow the NLPT southbound, towards Lake Durant. This section of the NLPT winds through an extensive, and ecologically interesting, spruce bog, with log bridges to keep your feet dry. At 1.2 miles, the trail intersects a woods road where you will turn left. This (rarely used) road provides access to a small reservoir on Sandy Creek, part of the Long Lake water supply. This is also an area where timber salvage operations were conducted following the great blowdown of November 1950. Following the storm, an exception was granted to the constitutional prohibition on the removal of timber from Forest Preserve lands. Roads were built and downed trees were removed and sold. This section of the NLPT, and other trails in this area, follow roads created at that time.
Follow the NLPT markers for half a mile to the place where the trail turns off to the right, and heads south towards the crossing of the Fishing Brook Range, the highest point on the NLPT. For Burnt Mountain, continue straight ahead following the road. Two tenths of a mile further on, you reach a crossing of Sandy Creek. There's no bridge, but, the stream is easily crossed on rocks, or, by wading, if the water is high. Continuing past the stream a small ridge emerges along the left (north) side of the road. This is where the fun begins. You can leave the road at any point along this section, but I recommend that you look for a spot where large hemlocks have shaded the forest floor, opening up an easy pathway to the top of the rise.
As the crow flies it's just under a mile to the top of Burnt Mountain from the stream crossing. Using a map and compass, or Google Maps on your phone, set off on a heading that is slightly south of east. Burnt Mountain sits at the end of a ridge that comes down from the higher terrain to the south, and the best way up is from the notch in this ridge. The notch is on the south side of the Burnt Mountain summit. You can follow along the crest of the rise you climbed when leaving the road, or, you can continue over the rise and take a more direct route through the hardwoods towards the notch. The crest of the rise is drier, and more open, but it adds a little bit of distance and you'll need to cross a couple of gullies that can be avoided by the more direct approach.
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| The summit of Burnt Mountain in late December 2018. On a visit in October of 2018, my brother and I stepped out of the dense cover, near this spot, to see a Fisher standing in the open, just a few yards away. Fishers are not exactly rare, but a clear view, in this setting, was a rare treat. |
As you approach the notch, the climb becomes steeper and the terrain funnels into a narrow gap in the ridge. A small stream flows down from the notch and, as you approach the top of the slope, the stream course provides the easiest path through the rock slabs that close in from both sides. From the height of land in the notch, the summit of Burnt Mountain is on your left, barely a quarter mile away.
I generally leave the notch soon after reaching the height of land, about 50 yards from where the terrain levels. If you turn towards the summit too soon you'll run into boulders and slabs that make for rough(er) going. Too far into the notch and you'll run into a band of cliffs that you'll have to work your way around. But any approach the final stretch is steep and the summit is well protected by a dense Spruce thicket. However you do it, you'll soon encounter small open areas, followed by larger, open, rock slabs, and then the top.
The views from the summit are worth the effort. The view to the north is wide open, dominated by Kempshall Mountain in the foreground, with the Seward Range, the Santanonis, and other peaks rising in the distance. Additional open views, covering the compass, can be had by poking around the summit area to find the best places. It's well worth searching around to find the open slabs that provide south facing views towards the nearby Fishing Brook Range. If compared with looking out at Gothics, and Great Range, from Pyramid Peak, the views from Burnt Mountain might fall a bit short. But, they are darned good, and the climb of Burnt Mountain comes with a sense of wildness and adventure that's hard to come by in the High Peaks.
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| Looking towards the southwest. The Northville Lake Placid Trail passes through the notch in the ridge (right side of the photo). That crossing of the Fishing Brook Range is the highest point on the NLPT at just over 3000 feet. |
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| Fishing Brook Mountain, its' summit shrouded by low clouds. The entire sweep of the Fishing Brook Range is visible from openings on the southeast slopes of Burnt mountain. Exploring the summit area adds to the adventure. |
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| More of the Fishing Brook Range, seen from an open area on the south side of Burnt Mountain. |
