LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 35 Sprinting to the first stop of the day, my cousins and I moved quickly up the steep trail through open woods. We all knew what our first stop was on the trail; we'd done this too many times to count. Reaching a narrow cave, we weaved our way into the opening — at times afraid to climb up for a view — and enjoyed our snacks while the parents caught up with us. Those memories were made starting well over two decades ago now. Racing up to various viewpoints along the Poke-o-Moonshine Ranger Trail were my first memories of the Forest Preserve. I know many who share the same sentiment for this sentinel of the northeast Adirondacks, most likely because of its close proximity to Plattsburgh and the Northway. "Poko" is one of those "my mountain" mountains. Aside from where it is situated, I think the way this mountain got its reputation as the community's moun- tain comes from how varied its recreation opportuni- ties are. That's said often by folks about every peak, pond, and preserve in the Park, but I deeply believe there's something special about Poko. A hiker's haven Hiking here was my first peek at the opportunities that exist in this slice of the Taylor Pond Wild Forest. The old Ranger Trail that I grew up loving has since been partially abandoned, with multiple crews craft- ing a new route, a more sustainable path that weaves its way up towards the existing Observer's Trail, which comes from further south and offers a bit more distance to the endeavor. These two options make the mountain exceptionally appealing. You could do standard out-and-backs of either trail, catering to your love of longer walks or steeper saunters, or you could combine both trails for an interesting loop, road walk included. Speaking of road walk, did you know that a walk- ing culvert cuts under the Northway right across the road from Poke-o-Moonshine? Weird right? Well, over the last few years of getting into bushwhacking I've become quite familiar with these tall culverts that crisscross the Northway, as they are the jumping off point for numerous trailless adventures. This particu- lar one doesn't lead to stellar bald summits in the Dix Mountain Wilderness, which some of the more popular culverts do (never thought I'd write a sentence like that). However, what it lacks in 360 degree views, it makes up for in solitude, splendor, and some creative ways to enjoy a slim parcel of forest. You can take the culvert across, which is near the Poko parking areas, and bushwhack to overlooks of the Northway, winding down south through evergreen foothills, or you can search for the spectacular viewpoints to the east of Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains. This quant section of public land is just that, public, and should be enjoyed by all, even if some locals are tight-lipped about it! Hopping back to the Poko side of the Northway, the bushwhacking opportunities don't let up. Years ago, I found my bushwhacking training grounds in the four named summits within the oddly-shaped area of public land to the west of Poko. I fondly remember bailing on the trip twice, the first being during the winter with my father. We had gotten to the steeper section, looked beyond the point we were supposed to bail from the trail and start the bushwhack, and decided that today wasn't the day. I think the immediacy of the trees closing in on us turned me away at the time. Little did I know that the forest further beyond that point was friendly. I've since taken a few more trips back to this area, namely to Carl Mountain. It's got the perfect little cliff that overlooks the fire tower perched on Poko. Lounging for lunch on this little summit gives me chills, thinking of the memories that my cousins made meandering our way up the distant woods to jump for joy at the tower. "Poko is one of those 'my mountain' mountains." - Troy Tetrault

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