Because I love hiking challenges, and because I once got Josh to agree to do the Fire Tower Challenge with me, we were able to squeeze Blue Mountain into our weekend while camping at Mason Lake.
I was really excited for this one. I’ve driven by Blue Mountain countless times, and its massive presence always seems to call to me. It stands out among the surrounding peaks, and I couldn’t wait to finally hike it.
Hike Report
8/28/2019
The day was a little gloomy, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time. It usually takes Josh and me a little while to find our rhythm when hiking together, and today was no different. We signed in at the trailhead and started making our way up the mountain.
Whenever we hike with Darby, I worry a bit. She has a lot of energy and isn’t always everyone’s favorite hiking companion. She’s also not the greatest on a leash. More than anything, she just wants to be free in the woods, which I understand, considering she’s much more accustomed to running alongside us while biking. Thankfully, she seems to get a little better every time we take her hiking, so hopefully one day she’ll be completely comfortable with it.
Blue Mountain starts off fairly gradually. The climb is moderate for about the first half of the trail, but eventually the real ascent begins. Ironically, that’s also when the trail becomes the most interesting. The enormous rock slabs you climb over are incredible, and the steepness of some sections feels almost surreal. It was easily my favorite part of the hike. More than once, we commented that the wide, open trail would probably make an amazing snowboarding run in the winter.
When we reached the summit, the views were somewhat limited. Part of that was due to the cloudy weather, and part of it was because Blue Mountain doesn’t have an open summit. Josh climbed the fire tower while I stayed below with Darby.
We took some time to rest, enjoy a few snacks, and check on the cut on Darby’s leg that we’d been monitoring. Earlier in the weekend, while running around our friends’ campsite, she had managed to get a small cut from a saw that had been left unattended on the ground. Thankfully, it seemed to be healing well.
After snacks, a few family photos, and some time to enjoy the summit, we started back down the mountain. We made pretty quick work of the descent. Neither of us had slept particularly well at camp—which seems to be a recurring theme whenever we camp—so we were both feeling a little tired by that point.
Trip Stats
- Distance: 5.9 miles
- Total Time: 3.5 hours
- Elevation Gain/Loss: +1,626 ft. / -1,621 ft.
- Weather: Cloudy, warm
- GPS System: Gaia GPS (image below from OnX Backcountry)
Rating
7/10
The views ended up being a bit of a letdown, but honestly, that didn’t matter as much as I expected. The rock slabs, the forest, and the overall character of the trail made the climb worthwhile. Blue Mountain may not have delivered the sweeping summit views I was hoping for that day, but the journey up was memorable enough to earn its place among my favorite Adirondack hikes.
Happy Hiking!
