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| Elk Pass |
At home, we always look forward to the shoulder seasons. Every spring and fall, the big oak and maple trees around our yard emit the mellifluous song of the migrating white-throated sparrows. Once you know it, their sound is unmistakable - "Old Sam, Peabody Peabody Peabody." People north of the border think the birds are saying "My sweet Canada, Canada, Canada." Either way, it's a nice sound.
I'd heard that they spend summers in a high-elevation habitat in the Adirondacks called Elk Pass. So during a recent visit, I decided to make a day hike up to check them out. And maybe also hit a 4,000 footer or two to add to my 46er list.
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| The Gate House on Lake Road Trail |
I arrived at the trail early, as per custom, but found the going incredibly slow due to the near 100 percent humidity and 90+ degree temperatures. From the hiking parking lot at St. Huberts, the route cuts through a private country club to the Lake Road Trail, which rises at a moderate grade until the turn off for the trail to Elk Pass. The trail follows Gill Brook much of the way, providing a reliable water source and a pleasant ambient babble.
Elk Pass proved to be a really stunning and lonely place - a pair of ponds nestled amid the crags of surrounding high peaks that doesn't get near the foot traffic of Avalanche Pass. And, sure enough, as soon as I arrived, the songs of the white-throated sparrows welcomed me to their summer home.
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| The kingdom of the "Whistlers of the North." |
I tried pushing on to Nippletop, one of two neighboring 46ers, but after a false start, decided against it. Elk Pass is a worthy destination in itself.
Destination: Elk Pass
Elevation: 3,335 feet (Gain: 1,550 feet)
Distance: 11 miles round trip
Route: Up and back, Lake Road Trail (25) to Mount Colvin Trail (40) to Elk Pass
Conditions: Sunny, hot and humid, 90 degrees F
