LOCALadk Magazine

62 Spring 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Compared to the ADK's High Peaks to the west, C ATS trails are more approachable, often requiring 1 to 3 hours com- pared to the full day a peak might require, and without the degree of difficulty most High Peaks involve. " We sometimes refer to C ATS trails as the Low Peaks," Chris jokes. But easier doesn't mean C ATS trails lack big payoffs in spectacular views. The Wildway Overlook Trail offers a unique view of Lake Champlain and Vermont farms, with a bench at the top to sit and enjoy the view, while from the top of Coon Mountain, hikers can see the lake, the mountains of Vermont, and by turning around, the Adirondack Mountains in the west. Spring is a wonderful time for wildflowers on C ATS trails, as wildflowers are especially abundant in spring before lush tree canopies shade the forest floor. Hikers will see red and white trillium, pink lady's slipper, wild ginger, sharp-lobed hepatica, and blue cohosh with its blueberr y-like seeds in a cluster. The C ATS trail network attracts experienced 46ers in the spring owing to the lack of mud on the trails compared to the peaks. Indeed, a cadre of women 46ers of a certain age make regular treks from their base in Saranac Lake to hike C ATS trails in March and April because, as one confided in C ATS staff, "there's less mud, they're easier trails, and they help us get in shape. We're not as young as we used to be!" For spring hikes, Chris recommends hikers consider these eight spring hikes; the trail map identifier for each is given in parentheses. The Coon Mountain Trail is a moderate to difficult 2-mile hike that follows an old woods road to stone steps, with the aforementioned fabulous views. It's those stone steps that earn the "difficult" designation but they are, in fact, only ver y short parts of the trail. The trailhead is on Halds Rd, three-quarters of a mile west of Lakeshore Road, east of Whallonsburg. Poke- O -Moonshine Obser vers' Trail and Poke- O -Moon- shine Ranger Trail offer hikers a choice. The Obser vers' Trail is a 5-mile round trip through beautiful forests, longer than the 2.4-mile round trip of the Ranger Trail but much easier, rated easy to moderate, than the steeper and moderate to difficult Ranger Trail, which features some spectacular stone staircases. The Obser vers' Trail joins the Ranger Trail at the ruins of old ranger's cabin near the final climb to the summit with a fire tower and panoramic views of Lake Champlain to the east and the High Peaks to the west. The trailhead for the Obser vers' Trail is on NYS Rt. 9, four miles south of Exit 33 on I-87, and the trailhead for the Ranger Trail is 2.8-miles south of Exit 33 on I-87.

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