pictured above: headed off the summit
On Saturday, April 9th, we hiked Hurricane Mountain from the Gulf Brook lean-to.
We woke up that morning after a great night of sleep, and started the fire. Andrew McDonald, Jake Weber, Josh Beuschlein, and I were well-rested and ready to hit the mountain. We had bagels with cream cheese for breakfast and enjoyed some actual coffee. Our plan for the day was to completely pack up camp, stash our gear, and climb the 1.6 miles to the summit.
At the very beginning of the trail we had to cross a stream that had started to swell due to the warmer weather and snow melt. Jake and Josh crossed fine, but as Andrew went across a different section, his hiking stick broke in half and his foot went right in the stream. I got across and Andrew reassured us that his foot was completely dry and he would be fine to continue.
The trail down low, in the morning, was covered in a dusting of snow and the trail wove in and out of trees in a beautiful open forest. Every so often we could hear the sound of a grouse beating its wings on a tree, trying to lure in a mate. The sun was shining bright and our spirits were high as we continued up the mountain. As soon as we got to the first climb we realized it was going to be slow going. The trail for the last three-quarters of a mile was completely covered in thick, hard ice. We carefully navigated this section until we rounded the corner and the trees began to thin.
Because we hiked without hauling gear, it felt like our hike was over almost before it even began. Once on the summit we soaked in the views. On the one side was the entire Champlain valley, and on the other was all of the High Peaks.
This was a great trip to end the actual season of winter, as I don’t think there will be too much snow in the mountains for too much longer. Our group got along great and we had an awesome night camping as well as an awesome day hiking Hurricane. I look forward to getting back into this area and exploring the quieter areas of the Adirondack Park.
Gulf Brook lean-to
Hurricane Mountain fire tower
group summit shot
The High Peaks of the Adirondacks
My name is Bob Visicaro and I am an Integrated Studies major in the topics of Recreation and Fisheries and Wildlife Science. I am a 26-year-old freshmen from Saratoga Springs NY.