Destination
Winter summit of Mount Colden in the Adirondacks
As with many of our adventures, a spontaneous idea quickly transformed into an amazing experience. This particular time the idea landed us on top of Mount Colden in sub-freezing temperatures during the tail end of the winter season. The idea to bag a peak in the ADK came up while planning a sales trip to New York for my job with one of my colleagues who was pursuing the Adirondack 46ers. Hanging around for the weekend after our planned work events gave us the single overnighter we needed to bag a peak, play in the snow, and visit Lake Placid. My wife snagged a Friday evening flight and met me in Albany, NY for a late night gear check and pre-hike logistics. A hearty crew of seven met up early in the morning to drive north so we could leave the trail head by sun up.
Hitting the Trail
We hit the Adirondack LOJ for a trail report and insight from the rangers. On their advice we swapped our route to go up avalanche pass rather than descend it due to a fairly solid sheet of ice encapsulating the trail. We would be very grateful for this advice later that day. We set off with snow shoes on our backs and micro spikes at the ready. The first few miles of the Van Hoevenberg Trail are fairly flat forest trails with some wooden bridges and tall pines.
Hitch-up Matildas
About 4.2 miles in we came to Avalanche Lake which was frozen but not traversable on foot or snowshoe. After the required selfies on the frozen lake’s ice we caught back up with the trail for some solid rock scrambles along the shoreline. Frozen boulder hopping is fun but sketchy. I took a misstep and went almost knee-deep into the lake. Somehow I didn’t turn my boot into a bucket and kept my feet dry. (Kudos to my gaiters and waterproof hiking boots.)
Near the end of the boulders is a section nicknamed “Hitch-up Matildas.” Large wood beams have been driven into the side of a rock wall that protrude out over the water’s edge to allow hikers to cross over to solid ground. Below the beams the water is only about waist deep. Prior to the beams, guides would lead hikers through the water. The name comes from a story about a guide who was carrying a woman across this section and her sister continued to yell out, “Hitch-up Matilda!” to keep out of the water. I don’t know how true it is but it’s funny to think about.
Climbing Avalanche Pass
2 miles. 2,000 feet up. Stair stepper exercise? Maybe. What would normally be a good workout turns into a physical challenge when you add a couple inches of ice and snow to the mix. We threw the micro spikes on and started up. A few rock slides altered the trail and created ice slopes that turned into some adventurous crawling. The hike up in the bright white snow-covered landscape was incredibly beautiful. There were plenty of great spots to stop, turn around, and take in the views.
Summiting Mount Colden
As you near the top, you cross into the Alpine zone with lots of short pine, exposed rock, and low vegetation. It was a beautiful frozen wonderland on our visit. At this point, trail markers are painted on the ground, and were difficult to follow as the snow-covered the ground and he markers. A few icy rock scrambles on all fours and a well placed log ladder later we finally saw the summit. The views of the surrounding high peaks are amazing. We would’ve hung out a bit to take in the sights but the weather, including the temps in the teens and building wind, encouraged us to move more quickly.
The descent was fairly uneventful other than a few fun butt-slides in the snow. We hightailed it down to get back to the trail head right at the beginning of sunset. It gave us just enough time to get to Lake Placid to find some dinner and a beer.
Visiting Lake Placid
Just north of Mount Colden is a small mountain town nestled on the southern edge of Lake Placid. The town, named for the lake, is a fun touristy collection of local shops and restaurants. We enjoyed some lunch and visited a few of the shops before cruising around the lakeshore. We didn’t get to spend much time at Lake Placid as we had to head back to Albany to grab a flight home in the afternoon.
This was an awesome weekend adventure and I would love to check off another ADK summit in the future.
Hike Details
Elevation: 4,714 ft
Trail Length: 13.8 miles
Google Maps: Click Here for Map
Trail Map: Click Here for Map
ADK Website: https://www.adirondack.net/business/mount-colden-11078/
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