Jenn and Colleen had attempted this hike once before but got a tad lost and wandered around the Tongue Mountain range for a few more miles than anticipated. This time we made sure to follow the trail markers. The trail head is located off of Rt 9N at Clay Meadows. It was very easy to find but there wasn't very much parking. We arrived around 9:30am to be the second car there. The trail begins by going over a long foot bridge through a swampy marsh.
The beginning of the hike is a great warm up for the steeper parts that come along the way. At one point there is a "Y" in the trail. One trail follows the shoreline of Lake George out to Tongue Mtn Pt. It's about a 4 mile flat hike. I actually went fishing off that point over July 4th weekend. It looked like a great place to hang out for the day. There were a few people behind us that were discussing which way to go, so Jenn and Colleen kindly told them about the different trails.
My camera battery was dead, but I think I enjoyed the scenery more because I wasn't trying to capture everything on film. There were a few squirrels and chippies, but mainly there were these cute little orange salamanders. There were all sorts of mushrooms too. My favorite were the Indianpipes (monotropa uniflora). They are white, almost translucent in color, and are thin.
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| Monotropa Uniflora |
As we continued our hike to the top there was one last "Y" in the trail. You could continue on to other peaks of Tongue Mountain, or go to 5th Peak. When the weather is cooler I would love to hike the whole range and camp along the way. Make a weekend out of it.
The ascent wasn't particularly challenging but at a few spots we were exhausted and very sweaty. It was a very humid day and when we returned to the car it was reading 90*. We made a few water stops before getting to the top. There was a lean-to, empty, and only one other small group there.
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| Northwest view |
You can see forever. To the northwest were the High Peaks, and to the south you could see the lower basin of Lake George. The humidity made it difficult to see the high peaks but we could still enjoy the view. We took a lot of pictures, with the aid of Jenn's gorillapod. That this is amazing. It grips and hooks around trees, rocks, anything!
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| Joby Gorillapod |
We enjoyed some snacks and water at the top. The feeling of taking off your shoes to let your feet breathe, is the best part for me. Sounds lame but feeling the rocks on your feet and the air is great. The sun was warm and encouraged us to go swimming, but that was not an option. The descent was quiet. There is a patch of trees that just look out of place, considering the other surroundings and that we have hiked the same area from a different point. It was very much like a tree farm. Beautiful the way the sun came streaming in through the branches.
What I like best about hiking is getting a chance to enjoy a day to yourself. Hiking with friends is great too, you get a time to share those quiet moments with. Someone to shoot the shit with on the way up and down. Before you know it, whether you are alone or with friends, you are at the top laughing and goofing off.
*Thanks to Jenn for the pictures.
