Region: Adirondacks
Level: Difficult
I hiked Mount Colvin with my mom in late May in the early/middle timeline of black fly season in the ADKs. A great hike with plenty of black fly bites and muddy ankles to show for it.
Colvin summit looking down on lower Ausable lake
Spring hikes in the Adirondacks always come with the downside of having to fight off the black flies at every step of the hike but the mix of mud, snow, budding vegetation and still relatively mild temperatures make for an adventurous and pretty scenery.
Mount Colvin is number 39 on the 46er list, at 4,057 feet. In terms of getting there, we drove from Lake Placid down Route 73 and parked in the St. Hubert’s parking lot in the Ausable Club, a private golf club and resort in the Keene Valley area. Drive through the club and follow the road down to the St. Hubert’s Parking lot. Usually it’s quite packed on the weekends. From there, hike up the gravel road and make your way towards the back end of the club, there are signs that show AMR trail entry. We made the mistake of not seeing the main entry to the Colvin trail and ended up hiking a mile or so past it and entered at a seperate trailhead that included the pathway to get on the Colvin track. All good in the end but just keep your eyes peeled and enter the Colvin trailhead soon after signing in at AMR entry as opposed to doing what we did. Though i will say, we saw some nice creeks and small waterfalls along the way.
Overall I think all high peaks are difficult for the average hiker. Colvin isn’t the toughest and one that a decent hiker can rip through in 3-4 hours, but there are still your fair share of scrambles and decent climbs. Always tough in the late winter/early and late spring months due to the mud and snow, but a great hike nonetheless. We ended up doing maybe 10 miles according to my fitbit, but i’ve seen a range of 7-12 depending on your route. Because of time, we didn’t hit Blake or Nippletop, but if you get up early and put in a full day you can knock out these other two peaks at the same time. Highly suggest doing this if you’re trying to get your volume of peaks up on each go at it.
Enjoy your hike, bring the proper gear and plan accordingly! The Adirondacks will never disappoint!
