Scarface Mountain

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


1 comment:

  1. One of the pictures that was labeled Adirondack Crew, and the first word was indistinguishable, I believe it reads Camp....just saying!

    ReplyDelete