Doing the Lake Placid 9er
Classic photo op at Balanced Rock on the way up Pitchoff
We bagged our Lake Placid 9er patches (Maddie included) in the summer of 2021. It’s an easy way to explore nearby hiking trails, all of which are dog-friendly. If you’re just starting this challenge or only have time for one or two hikes, here are a few of my favs.
Mount Jo
Elevation gain 692 feet. 2.6 miles roundtrip. One of my favorite hikes for visitors! Good trail maintenance, a fun ladder to climb, and beautiful views. I also love the back story — Henry Van Hoevenberg, the founder of the original Adirondack Lodge, named Mount Jo for his fiancee, Josephine Scofield, who disappeared in 1877 while visiting Niagara Falls. The peak overlooks a beautiful lake that he named Heart Lake. It’s also fun to swing by Heart Lake on your way up or down the mountain, and relax by the water. This is a good choice for families with kids along. However, it’s one of the few areas that requires paid parking, which is currently $10/day (ADK Mtn Club members get a discount). On the upside, you’ll be able to stop in the Adirondack Loj for great hiking advice, information and cool ADK merchandise that you won’t find everywhere else.
The view from Mount Jo looking down on Heart Lake
Hurricane Mountain
Elevation gain 1,528 feet. 6.8 miles roundtrip. This is obviously a bigger hike than Mount Jo, but it packs a big reward at the top with 360 degree views from the fire tower! It’s well marked, and there are often ADK Mountain Club guides on duty at the top pointing out landmarks, answering questions and giving advice. Plus you get to check off a box on two different challenges in one hike — Lake Placid 9er and ADK Fire Tower Challenge. I think there may be more than one trail option. We did the Northern Approach in AllTrails and I believe it’s slightly less elevation gain than the other approach.
Atop Big Crow Mountain
Pitchoff Mountain and Balanced Rock
Elevation gain 2,132 feet. 5.2 miles roundtrip. With more elevation gain in a shorter distance, this is comparatively harder than the other two. But stopping at Balanced Rock for a classic photo op is just a fun experience and breaks up the hike nicely. Just be careful if you’re going to jump the two rocks — it’s scarier than you might think, especially when it’s windy up there. Not sure I’d let young kids attempt it. Truth be told, I didn’t make the leap myself, but my hubby did. He’s braver than me! I’ll also point out that the parking is a challenge for this trailhead. The spots in the Cascade lot along the highway fill up early, and many have to park along the highway shoulder. Either way, you’ll likely have to run across the highway to get to the Pitchoff trailhead on the other side. Be careful, especially if you have kids or dogs with you.
Before you hit the trail, check out my list of our top 6 brown bag lunches to go.
Climbing a rock chimney up to the top of Catamount Mountain, said to be the most challenging of the Lake Placid 9er peaks
