Hitchens Pond Overlook

Where: Hitchens Pond Overlook

Length: 7 miles (out and back)

Difficulty: Moderate. Less difficult than the length might imply because five miles of the total is along a nearly level gravel road.

Access: From Route 30, five miles south of Tupper Lake, Take Route 421 past Horseshoe Lake. Cross the railroad tracks and continue for two miles to gated gravel road on the left. There is plenty of parking along the road. Follow the road for 2.4 miles to Lows Upper Dam. Then, take the Overlook trail for 1.1 miles to the open rock of the overlook.

Hitchen's Pond Overlook is a true gem. It's a seven mile round trip, but five miles of that total is on a smooth, flat, gravel road and the climb up to the overlook is over a well built trail that climbs just a few hundred feet. This is a family friendly hike

Bog River, between the dams, in the foreground. Mount Morris, (the Big Tupper Ski Area is on the other side), near Tupper Lake, is the prominent peak left of center.

I had been to the overlook before, but, my wife and brother had the same reaction as they stepped out onto the large ledge, Wow!

Hitchens Pond. Blue Mountain in the distance and Owl's Head (west of Long Lake), left of center.

As you might expect, the view includes Hitchens Pond in the foreground with the Bog River stretching into the distance. The High Peaks are visible and Blue mountain rise above Owl's Head near Long Lake.

Along the trail into Lows Upper Dam.

In addition to the view, the road passes through an edge of the Hitchens Pond Bog. This is one of the largest bog complexes in the Adirondacks and the area contains all of the plants and nature you expect. On fall afternoon, the bog is a a worthy destination in its' own right.

Along the trail into Lows Upper Dam.

Southwest

Along the trail into Lows Upper Dam.

The John Pond Loop

Where: Siamese Ponds Wilderness, Near Indian Lake
Length: A five mile loop
Difficulty: easy to moderate

Less than a mile separates John Pond and Clear Pond, located near the western edge of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness. Both ponds can be reached by trail, and those trailheads are within sight of each other on the appropriately named Wilderness Lane (scroll down for directions).

Trail guides mention that a loop hike can be made by combining the two trails with an easy cross-country jaunt. But, bushwhacking is no longer necessary, a new marked trail completes the loop. The entire route, starting and ending on Wilderness Lane, covers five miles and is generally flat. In addition to visiting two ponds, the trail passes through attractive forests and you'll pass sites that hint at the area's rich and controversial history.

John Pond from the cliffs visible across the pond from the lean-to. The green color is not distorted. Many visitors have noted that John Pond is decidedly murky, showing a green or brown coloration depending on the season. There are plenty of murky waters in the Adirondacks, but John Pond takes the prize. I have not been able to find any explanation for this ponds less than appealing coloration. These cliffs are an easy bushwhack if you are familiar with ADK cross country travel, but care is needed. It is steep in places.

John Pond from near the lean-to.

Clear Pond, looking south, from near the place where the spur trail reaches the pond.

Clear Pond, the new connecting trail between John Pond and Clear Pond passes this spot, near the south end of the pond.

An appealing aspect of this route is that it passes though varied forests. 

A small settlement known as "Little Canada' once existed in the area around John Pond. The residents of Little Canada were primarily French Canadians who worked as loggers, but, by 1900, most had transitioned to farming the lands that surrounded their homesteads. By 1910 only a few families remained, and New York State, firm in the belief that the land was publicly owned, pressed them to vacate. The residents claimed that they had purchased plots from the Finch Pruyn Company while working for the company in the late 1800s. But, by then, Fitch Pruyn had sold the land to the Indian River Company which turned around and sold a large tract, covering much of Township 15, to New York State. No evidence to support the resident's claim could be found and, in 1914, a court decision cleared the title and the remaining residents were evicted.

The 1900 edition of the New York State Forest Commission Maps showed the disputed land as recently purchased. And, the 1909 edition shows the area as owned by New York State. This is significant because areas where the title was not settled were represented differently on the map. So, by 1909, the Forest Commission believed that the State had clear title to the land (the Forest Commission was the entity managed Forest Preserve Lands at that time).

This sequence of events was unfortunate, if not tragic, and the controversy reemerged in more recent times when the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) included the area around John Pond in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness. At the time of that designation a four wheel drive road existed all the way to John Pond. That road serves as the basis for the modern day trail. DEC, however, considered the road to be abandoned and, in keeping with Wilderness guidelines, moved to block access by motorized traffic. The Town of Indian Lake objected, but there was a catch. Only the first mile of the 2.4 mile route is in the town of Indian Lake, the rest is in the town of Johnsburg in Warren County.

This is where a second tragedy plays a role in the saga. The graves of two children who had died in the diphtheria epidemic of 1897 were located along the route and claims were made that the road should remain open to allow motorized access to this site. This access would have allowed ATVs to reach what local residents had deemed a cemetery. Despite this claim, the road was closed and, today, the well marked graves (marked in modern times, to support the cemetery contention) add a sad point of interest along the trail. This story has been retold by others, and the basis for much of the information that I am retelling is found here.

A point along the John Pond Connector Trail that runs from near John Pond, south to the Kings Flow-Puffer Pond Trail. The area just south of the intersection was planted with Norway Spruce in the 1930s. These plantation trees produce a canopy that is unlike any natural Adirondack forest. But, it is an interesting and attractive stand nonetheless.

The history of this area also evident in the forests themselves. A number of White Pines present along John Pond Trail have the split trunks associated with Pine Weevil damage. Pine Weevils are particular, and this characteristic is commonly seen where White Pine has filled in along the edges of openings where livestock were grazed. Stands of Norway Spruce, almost certainly planted by the CCC during the depression years, are also seen. Stand exists south and east of John Pond, and same aged stands of Red Pine along the east shore of John Pond also appear to have been planted.

Norway Spruce were planted in locations around the Adirondacks by the CCC. These stands are easily identified by noting the large slender cones (3 to 4 inches in length) that litter the ground in large numbers. If the trees dropping the cones have short needles (to differentiate them from White Pines), then they are Norway Spruce. 

Along the trail.

Along the trail.

Directions: Head south on Route 30 from the junction of routes 30 and 28 in Indian Lake. Half a mile south of the intersection, turn right onto Big Brook Road. Follow Big Brook Road for 3.5 miles to Starbuck Road. Turn left onto Startbuck Road. Starbuck Road morphs into Lakeview Drive and you follow the combination for one mile. This brings you to a T intersection with Wilderness Lane. Turn right and park along the road, or in the parking area at at the end (in the winter you'll have to leave this clear for the snowplow turn around). The trail to Clear Pond leaves the road near this intersection and the John Pond trail leaves from the parking area. There are signs at both locations.

Bog River Trail: A Quiet Alternative To Coney Mountain

If you drive Route 30, between Long Lake and Tupper Lake you know where the Coney Mountain trailhead is located. On many summer days the small parking area fills up and cars will be parked along the road. If it is a weekend, and the weather is nice, there may be dozens of cars. The trail covers just over one mile, and the views from the top are impressive, making Coney Mountain one of the most popular hikes in the Tupper Lake area. What you won't typically find on Coney Mountain is solitude.

A rare moment of solitude on Coney Mountain. All it took was a 7:00 AM start, and a steady rain. Even in the rain the view from Coney is impressive, with open vistas all the way round. This view is looking southeast towards Long Lake. What appears to be a single range of peaks (in the center of the photo) is actually Rock Pond Mountain (left) on the near side of Long Lake and Kempshall Mountain on the far (east) side of the Lake. On a clear day the high peaks are visible in the distance.

A second trailhead, for Goodman Mountain, is located just a mile closer to Tupper Lake. Like Coney Mountain, the hike up Goodman is relatively easy and there are good views from the top. This too is a very popular hike. I previously wrote about the Goodman Mountain trail here.

From Goodman Mountain, with Coney Mountain in the foreground and Blue Mountain in the distance. This was in April of 2016, before the leaf-out.

But, a third hiking option is available nearby, and this trail is very different. This is the unmarked trail leading through the forest west of Route 30 to the confluence of Round Lake Stream and the Bog River. This alternative offers a quiet walk, through an attractive forest, to a nice picnicking spot along the river. This trail best is best enjoyed with a naturalists' eye.

Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) are numerous along the banks of the Bog River. These late summer bloomers are unmistakable, few wildflowers produce coloration of this intensity.

The Bog River trail is short (1.1 miles), and mostly level, but in some ways it is a more challenging endeavor than the heavily traveled mountain trails nearby. For starters, you'll need to poke around a bit to find the unmarked trailhead (scroll to the end for directions). And, while the route is easy to follow, this trail is not as well marked and maintained as its' neighbors. Finally, once the river comes into view you'll need to keep an eye out for a good place to sit and enjoy the solitude. The trail runs parallel to the river for a ways, but it stays above it where it is drier.

The Bog River just below the confluence with Round Lake Stream. 

One good spot for a picnic is located about a mile from the trailhead. Watch for an open area next to the river, where rocks jut out into the water. It's possible to scramble down the slope to the river's edge at any point, but the terrain is rough, so it's worth watching for this opening and locating the faint trail that leads down to it. The opening is about 100 yards downstream from the confluence, where a short side trail leads to the water's edge. If you reach that side trail, you have passed the picnicking spot. Past the confluence the trail continues for an additional two miles to Round Lake. If you plan to go further, expect the trail to get rougher and harder to follow. In summary, from the unmarked trailhead to the river's edge, you'll need to pay attention to your surroundings, and be willing to poke around a bit if the route is unclear.

Other than the river itself, there are no views along this trail, and this might not be a great choice in spring or early summer (unless you bring your bug spray). But, later in the year, and given some time to slow down and look around, this hike offers a totally different experience. One that can be enjoyed for its' own merits.

Looking downstream, towards Tupper Lake, less than two miles away.

This stretch of the river is popular with canoeists who put in at Bog River Falls, just above Tupper Lake. The first couple of miles can be easily paddled up-stream. Above the confluence, rapids and beaver dams make further progress much more difficult. 

Trailhead Directions: From the junction of Rte. 30 and Rte 421, about five miles south of Tupper Lake, look for a grown-in gravel pull-off below the road level about halfway between the road junction and the Goodman Mountain Parking area. The pullout is on the west side of the road. There is room for several cars, but this is obscured by weeds. The trail leaves the right side of the parking (with route 30 at your back) and the path is obscured by weeds for the first 50 yards. Push through the weeds and, as you enter the forest, the trail becomes clear. A short distance in, a ski trail comes in on the right. Stay left at this junction.