Region: Adirondacks
Level: Easy/Moderate
As a budding nature enthusiast, I’ve been growing fond of the picturesque landscapes that hiking provides. Because of this increased desire to engulf myself in Mother Nature, I wanted to experience a sunset on top of a mountain. However, there was one obstacle I would have to overcome and that’s hiking through the woods in the dark as I am a "yuge" softy. Hence, I knew I needed to find a shorter hike where I would be able to traverse down the mountain quick enough to not get caught peeing myself from Blair Witch Project-type fear. Hadley Mountain was perfect for this as we scaled the 1600ft ascent in 45mins.
There is a camp situated at the top where in the summer months a ranger sleeps there for 5 days a week. At the summit there is a fire tower at the top which was used to spot fires in the early days on adjacent mountain sides in hopes they could be contained before spreading. I tried to climb it but only got to the first level, please refer to my earlier mention of deep, previously hidden phobias.
The overall hike was fair and well-marked. Parts of the trail have natural rock formations that could easily be mistaken as sidewalks and could easily create a dangerous situation in wet conditions. As state earlier the majority of this hike is straight up, climbing 1600 feet in 1.8 miles is a decent workout.
Short post for a short, quick hike up in beautiful Adirondack Park! Won't be my last sunset hike for this summer. Get out and enjoy beautiful Mother Nature.
-Tyler
