Date of Hike: 12/22/13
Scarface Trail: 6.8 miles (1,500 feet elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- Saturday night a minor ice storm came rolling through the High Peaks region and encased everything in ice. The roads were in surprisingly good shape but my car was frozen solid so I decided to play it safe and just stick around the Placid / Saranac area and do a quick afternoon hike.
- I decided to hike Scarface Mountain, which is just over 3,000 feet, and is one of the Saranac Lake 6er's. The trail description sounded interesting, it travels through a beautiful pine grove, crosses railroad tracks, and there's an old bridge to walk over along the way.
- The trail was a mix of ice, mud, and running water. Over the first mile and a half everything was blanketed in ice making for a picturesque scene.
- As I started up the real steep section I went off trail to a herd path to a nice outlook that had a really great undercast. There was some pink flagging here and there and eventually it lead me back to the trail just above the steep section. From here it was about a fifteen to twenty minute walk along the ridge to the summit. Believe it or not the temperature above 2,500 feet was about ten to fifteen degrees warmer than at 1,000 to 1,500 feet.
- The summit was wooded and I didn't stay too long. There was a couple there hanging out below the summit tree. There was a plastic box hanging from the summit tree but when I opened it there was nothing inside of it. Maybe it wasn't the true summit, I have no idea!
- I booked it back across the ridge and down the mountain back into the cold. It started raining / freezing rain as over the last two miles. As I was about to reach the car I saw a guy and his son, who, according to the trail register were finishing up there Saranac Lake 6er's. Congrats!!
Scarface Mountain Trailhead off Ray Brook Road
Railroad Crossing early on in the hike
TRAIN!
Pretty cool looking bridge over a shallow pond
?? Adirondack Crew, can't make out the first word
Scarface Mountain
Semi frozen channel cutting through the pond
Frozen branches
Nice walk through a pine grove
Trail takes a left off an old road
Scarface Trail
Scarface Brook
I took a herd path at the col to a mossy outlook and was rewarded with some great views!
Undercast in the Lake Placid Region
Beautiful Undercast in the High Peaks
Ice flow right before gaining the ridge
Saranac Lake Region
Scarface Summit
Trail goes right, there's and old road that goes left
Old foundation
Iced pine tree
Rickety old footbridge
Walking over the shallow pond, notice the frozen branches everywhere
One cool looking bridge!
Scarface Mountain
Old Railroad Tracks
Scarface Trail: 6.8 miles (1,500 feet elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- Saturday night a minor ice storm came rolling through the High Peaks region and encased everything in ice. The roads were in surprisingly good shape but my car was frozen solid so I decided to play it safe and just stick around the Placid / Saranac area and do a quick afternoon hike.
- I decided to hike Scarface Mountain, which is just over 3,000 feet, and is one of the Saranac Lake 6er's. The trail description sounded interesting, it travels through a beautiful pine grove, crosses railroad tracks, and there's an old bridge to walk over along the way.
- The trail was a mix of ice, mud, and running water. Over the first mile and a half everything was blanketed in ice making for a picturesque scene.
- As I started up the real steep section I went off trail to a herd path to a nice outlook that had a really great undercast. There was some pink flagging here and there and eventually it lead me back to the trail just above the steep section. From here it was about a fifteen to twenty minute walk along the ridge to the summit. Believe it or not the temperature above 2,500 feet was about ten to fifteen degrees warmer than at 1,000 to 1,500 feet.
- The summit was wooded and I didn't stay too long. There was a couple there hanging out below the summit tree. There was a plastic box hanging from the summit tree but when I opened it there was nothing inside of it. Maybe it wasn't the true summit, I have no idea!
- I booked it back across the ridge and down the mountain back into the cold. It started raining / freezing rain as over the last two miles. As I was about to reach the car I saw a guy and his son, who, according to the trail register were finishing up there Saranac Lake 6er's. Congrats!!
One of the pictures that was labeled Adirondack Crew, and the first word was indistinguishable, I believe it reads Camp....just saying!
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