Trail Built Just for NCT - Day 181

  Paul is very knowledgeable about the trails in the Adirondacks. When he was younger, he was an avid hiker. He also was on the Search & Rescue Squad for a number of years. Good thing I'm not easily spooked, because he likes to point at pretty much any mountain and tell a story of someone who made a stupid decision there and ended up either getting hurt or dying. But every piece of equipment he asked me about, I had. He was finally convinced that I was prepared.

They dropped me back at Oak Mountain in the morning, offering to take me to the end of the roadwalk. What? No way! I hike every piece, even the roadwalks. Sometimes, the roads are where you get the best views. This is East Mountain, I think. Not very big, but it's nice to have topography to look at.

Bright Chicken Mushroom (Sulpher Shelf). Very edible, but I wasn't in hunter-gatherer mode. Besides, I'm doing the backpacking without a stove, remember? Incidentally, that turned out to be an excellent decision.

Yet another rocky stream, but I love them all. This is just a little tributary to Wakely Brook. Now, let's go back to Paul's concerns. Mary assured me that there was trail that was built just for the North Country Trail along Wakely Brook to connect the Kunjamuk Trail to the Round Pond Trail, and that it was well-marked for the NCT. But Paul's back is aging (we are all getting older), and he hasn't been hiking much lately. He didn't know anything about the existence of this trail, and he was pretty skeptical. He doesn't like electronics, and wasn't too keen on the idea that I might have to bushwhack some more.

While I was still on Elm Lake Road, I met a man who is very familiar with the North Country Trail, and he said I'd find the new trail with no trouble- he hikes it quite often.

So... what's going to be the situation when I get to where the junction should be? There were blue Blazes and an emblem! The trail started out looking really good with clear treadway and decor.

Pink lady slipper orchids in bloom.

I'll bet you are expecting another horror story. Not this time. The only thing "wrong" was that the trail did not stay as clear. There was need for a lot of maintenance. There were quite a few trees down across the trail which slowed my progress.

One of the neatest places was a nearly sheer rock cliff beside me on the side of a small hill called Pine Peak. Can you see the rock face beyond the trees? It's always hard to capture things like this with the camera. You can also see a red DEC marker.

I accidentally found a really nice campsite. The trail made a sharp right turn, and I missed it. The NY DEC doesn't seem to believe in turn markers. So, I crossed a small stream and realized there were no more blazes. I started to go back, when I noticed that I was on a slighly elevated and nicely level area (with water right there). I was also at least 150 feet off the trail (which you are supposed to be). And it was 4:30. That's quite perfect. I stopped for the night.

This evening, I noted that the ratio of blackflies to mosquitoes was now favoring the mosquitoes. Never mind! I got the tent up, did my camp chores and crawled inside with a book. The relief of taking off the headnet each evening is exquisite.

Miles today: 14.3. Total miles so far: 2302.6.

See Oak Mountain Again