New York Hikes: Hopkins Mountain & Adirondack Camping

I got back yesterday from my first “real” hike in the Adirondacks!  My sister, brother and I drove up to the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York over the weekend.  It was also my first time camping since I got back from Japan. 

We left in the afternoon so we could set up camp before nightfall.  After the tent was set up I went off to scout for wood, and found a bundle for sale for $6.  My brother and I tried to carry it all back in one trip, but as we got closer to the site we realized we couldn’t see, and also weren't able to hold a flashlight and firewood at the same time.  I put down three pieces of wood and we walked to the site, set down the wood, and went back to where we had left the three pieces not even one minute before.  Unfortunately, they were stolen.  I became very disappointed and angry.  Perhaps my feelings were exacerbated because I had just come from Japan, a culture where you could probably leave your IPhone unattended on a table in a café all day and no one would take it (or sit at your table). 

The Hike.

The hike we tackled this time around was the little known hike up Hopkins Mountain, in Keene New York.  The trailhead was off of Route 73, and was marked by just a teeny little sign. 

It was a mostly easy hike, with little scrambling and a relatively flat, but long, approach to the base of the mountain.  We really had to hike in to get to this one.  It was interesting to see the difference in American trails versus Japanese ones.  For one, Japanese trails seem to be much more beginner friendly, as they are usually well marked with signs, and often have installed steps up the mountain in steeper areas. This trail was a lot more natural, with more climbing involved and using natural objects like stones and roots as footholds going up.

It was a little difficult to follow to trail markers at first.  We ended up at someone’s private camp by accident.  A good thing to know is that the trail veers left along an obvious hiking trail, not logging road, shortly after you pass a residence on the left.

The trail has you start off following a small creek, and leads you into the Mossy Cascade.  This is an area between two mountains which apparently has a lot of run off in the spring, leading to often muddy trails. When we went everything was pretty dry, but I could see some potential slipping hazards due to the large rocks you have to walk over as well as pine needles covering rock surfaces, so be careful when hiking in the rain.

Personally, this is one of the longest hikes I have done without landmarks to break it up a bit.  I was used to a lot more waterfalls in Japan, as well as random shrines or temples along the hike, so I found myself getting a bit antsy toward the end.  I doubt anyone else would have this problem.  There were some really cool plants and mushrooms along the way that peaked my interest,so I stopped to take some photos along the way. 

The view at the top was pretty amazing,.  As my first mountain view in America, it was rather impressive.  It was cool to look out and not see the towns and cities like I would in Japan, but forest covering the land as far as you could see. 

I highly recommend this hike!!

Location: Keene, NY (near Lake Placid)

How to Get There:  The trail is on Route 73.  For more information and directions, please visit http://www.adk.org/Hikes/Hopkins.aspx.