Adirondack Hiking: December 2019

Where: Peaked Mountain, From 13th Lake, Siamese Ponds Wilderness

Length: 7.5 miles (round trip).

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult - Steep and exposed sections near the top are difficult when the trail is icy.

Access: From Route 28, in North River, follow the Thirteenth Lake Road for 3.3 miles to Beach Road. Follow Beach Road for .6 miles to the Thirteenth Lake parking area. NOTE: The Halloween 2019 storm washed out a bridge on the Thirteenth Lake Road, a half mile short of Beach Road. As of Dec. 1st, the road remains closed. It's possible to park near the road closure, cross the stream on foot, walk to Beach Road, and the Thirteenth Lake parking area. This adds a mile to the route (each way). It's also possible to detour around the washout and come back to Beach Road from the other direction. Consult a map of the area for this alternate route.

My brother and I were looking for a place to hike near Indian Lake and I suggested Peaked Mountain. I had climbed Peaked Mountain once before, but that was more than 25 years ago and the details were long forgotten. Which was lucky, because the final stretch is steep and exposed, and we might have selected something easier if I had remembered. And what a shame that would have been. It turned out to be one of the most spectacular days I've enjoyed in a lifetime of Adirondack hiking.

Trees on north and west facing slopes were coated with rime ice above 2500 feet.

The trail to Peaked Mountain offers attractive scenery right from the start. The first mile follows the west shore of Thirteenth Lake with interesting rock formations and nice views of the lake. And this section passes several small stands of Oak trees (White Oak, I think). In general, Oaks are rare in the central Adirondacks, but, the boulder-strewn slopes along the lake create a micro-climate by reflecting the sun and warming the sandy soil. Oaks thrive in this type of habitat to the east and south and, by some chance, having arrived here, they have survived.

After about a mile the trail turns to the northwest, passing up the valley cut by Peaked Mountain Brook. The trail crosses the brook at least a half dozen times as you make your way up the valley towards Peaked Mountain Pond. We found the water to be running high at the first crossings and elected to bushwhack upstream into a large beaver meadow. There was an easy crossing there, but this detour was slow and tedious. On the way back out, with less concern about keeping our feet dry, and more concern about being late for dinner, we rock-hopped the crossing and it was not so bad.

The rugged profile of Bullhead Mountain. Peaked Mountain lies just north of Bullhead Mountain in the heart of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness.

At just under 3000 feet, Peaked Mountain is not big, but, the upper sections of the trail are very steep. With ice coating the trail above 2500 feet, micro-spikes were essential.

If you have been out hiking this fall (2019) you may have noticed the heavy Beech mast. Beech trees (and other many species) produce seeds every two to six years. This pulse of seeds is intended to overwhelm the many critters that eat Beech nuts, so that at a few nuts make it through to propagate the species. We've seen the ground covered with Beech Nuts over a wide area this fall: near Long Lake, south of Blue Mountain Lake, and now along the trail to Peaked Mountain. The Beech mast this year appears to be extensive and heavy. This will probably lead to an increase in rodent populations next summer with the potential for an increase in the tick population as well. It's all one big interconnected system.

The route crosses of Peaked Mountain Pond Brook several times. The upper crossings are easily made by rock-hopping (as seen above), but, at the first crossing the stream is wider and deeper. This would not typically be a problem, but the water was high and the rocks were covered with a sheen of ice. Even my brother, who against all good sense refuses to carry a hiking pole, grabbed a stick to aid getting across.

From Peaked Mountain, looking back down the valley. Thirteenth Lake in the distance.

Peaked Mountain seen from below. The rocky, southeast facing slope, seen here was nearly free of snow and ice. However, the trail goes up the far side, which was coated with thick ice.