I've been absent from the blog the past few weeks because I was off exploring another part of the country--the southwest--in an effort to take a break from the cold of winter. While away I did a number of hikes, so when I returned I was anxious to get out and keep those hiking muscles in use. Yesterday was the first chance I had to do an all-day hike, and was determined to do so despite the wind chill advisory that was in effect for yesterday, predicting wind chills to be below zero for most of the day. Less than ideal hiking conditions for sure, but the promise of a clear blue sky seemed to warrant bundling up, as I knew the view from any peak would be worth it. Some peaks should probably be avoided on a day with below-zero wind chills, such as peaks with bare summits (like the aptly named Hurricane) or peaks that rise above all of the surrounding peaks (like Algonquin), and one such peak that meets both criteria is Lyon Mountain, yet that didn't stop me from climbing it anyway.
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Looking down the old trail from the
junction with the new trail |
Lyon Mountain lies about 60 miles north of the high peaks region, in the far northeastern corner of the Adirondack Park. It looms over Chazy Lake 2000 feet below, which is where we started our hike. In warmer months one can drive into the trailhead from Chazy Lake Road, but in winter the access road is unplowed and adds another 2 miles round-trip to the 5-7 mile hike. There are two ways to ascend or descend the mountain. The old trail is a 2.5 mile direct route to the top, which is the typical layout for trails that were once used to reach a fire tower. This route becomes rather steep near the top, and in warmer seasons is wet, rocky, and rather unpleasant to traverse. Due to the terrible erosion on this trail the DEC constructed a new trail in 2008 that veers away from the old trail at the start, and in 3.5 miles reaches the top through a series of switchbacks that keep an easy to moderate grade the entire way. This is my preferred way to ascend the mountain in any season. Even though the trail is longer, and the switchbacks make you feel like you are making little progress to the top, the trail is very pleasant as it winds its way through beautiful mature forests and the mild grade allows you to keep a good pace. Right now snow conditions on this trail are just perfect for either snowshoes or cross-country skis, as there is about 2 feet of fluffy snow the entire way, and the popularity of this trail gave us tracks to follow most of the way. The only challenge we met in ascending the new trail was a few areas of drifting snow, which made for extra effort to break the trail and at times made the trail a little tricky to follow. The drifts never lasted more than a few dozen feet, though, so we managed to stay on the trail without issue.
After meandering along the new trail for 3.3 miles, moaning about how there didn't seem to be an end to the switchbacks, we finally came out to a clearing along the old trail and had our first view of the lake below and the Green Mountains to the east. The new trail crosses over the old trail here, but the trail across wasn't broken out and we knew we were only about .2 miles from the summit, so we took the old, steep trail from there. The last few hundred feet were a physical challenge after 4.5 miles of snowshoeing in fluffy snow, but it was at this point that the trees began to be covered in snow and ice, the beauty of which made every step worth it. The trail climbs steeply for a bit before leveling out and finally reaching the summit, where the sight of the fire tower encrusted with ice lured me the final few feet to the top. While the view from the summit was phenomenal, with a clear view to the east and and south, the below-zero wind chill conditions meant we couldn't enjoy it for long. We stayed at the top just long enough to snap some photos, yet as we headed down I became chilled for the first time that day and had to take some time to add some layers once we got out of the wind. Since it was already mid-afternoon we decided to take the shorter old trail back down the mountain, which was clearly more widely used than the trail we had ascended. The old trail was nicely packed by snowshoers, making for easy footing all the way down. I took some tumbles onto my butt a few times on the way down, but there was no hazard in falling as you just ended up sitting in soft, fluffy snow. There was a good foot of powder the entire length of the trail, which is wide the entire way down, making it perfect for backcountry skiers. There were a few tracks from skiers that day, and we passed another skier on our way down the trail. It certainly seemed like an easier way to get down the mountain, though even on foot the descent only took us an hour, compared to the nearly 3 hours it took us to go up.
Three hours seems like a pretty slow pace for a 4.5 mile hike, but considering the amount of trail breaking we encountered it really wasn't bad. One of the biggest challenges of hiking in such cold weather is to keep from getting soaked in sweat, which takes a slower pace and frequent wardrobe changes. I switched back and forth between two pairs of gloves numerous times to keep them from being soaked in sweat, having learned from past hikes that wet gloves will not keep me warm. In a perfect world I could wait for warmer weather to do such a hike, but Adirondack weather is such that the coldest days are also the clearest days, so I know that bitter cold is the price that must be paid to have a view in the middle of winter.
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| View from Lyon Mtn. in winter |
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| View from the fire tower in late autumn |
This was probably the fifth or sixth time I've climbed Lyon Mtn., as it was one of my favorite hikes when I lived near Plattsburgh. It has special significance to me because I volunteered on a trail crew one year to help restore the fire tower at the summit, making it one of the few fire towers in the Adirondacks that can still be ascended for a 360 degree view. I've now hiked this peak in all four seasons, and even though it's less than 200 feet shy of being a high peak, I think the view is better than most of the high peaks and warrants driving to the edge of the park to hike. It's a good trail in any season, I
would just recommend waiting for a less cold and windy day to climb it for the first time so that you can climb the tower and take in the entire view.
After meandering along the new trail for 3.3 miles, moaning about how there didn't seem to be an end to the switchbacks, we finally came out to a clearing along the old trail and had our first view of the lake below and the Green Mountains to the east. The new trail crosses over the old trail here, but the trail across wasn't broken out and we knew we were only about .2 miles from the summit, so we took the old, steep trail from there. The last few hundred feet were a physical challenge after 4.5 miles of snowshoeing in fluffy snow, but it was at this point that the trees began to be covered in snow and ice, the beauty of which made every step worth it. The trail climbs steeply for a bit before leveling out and finally reaching the summit, where the sight of the fire tower encrusted with ice lured me the final few feet to the top. While the view from the summit was phenomenal, with a clear view to the east and and south, the below-zero wind chill conditions meant we couldn't enjoy it for long. We stayed at the top just long enough to snap some photos, yet as we headed down I became chilled for the first time that day and had to take some time to add some layers once we got out of the wind. Since it was already mid-afternoon we decided to take the shorter old trail back down the mountain, which was clearly more widely used than the trail we had ascended. The old trail was nicely packed by snowshoers, making for easy footing all the way down. I took some tumbles onto my butt a few times on the way down, but there was no hazard in falling as you just ended up sitting in soft, fluffy snow. There was a good foot of powder the entire length of the trail, which is wide the entire way down, making it perfect for backcountry skiers. There were a few tracks from skiers that day, and we passed another skier on our way down the trail. It certainly seemed like an easier way to get down the mountain, though even on foot the descent only took us an hour, compared to the nearly 3 hours it took us to go up.
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