Keene Valley, NY was probably hit worse than anywhere else by Hurricane Irene. That is still quite obvious as you drive Route 73 in the high peaks area and glance at the streams and rivers along the way.
Today we hiked Snow Mountain, a short hike with great views. We followed the Deer Brook Flume trail, although a sign said the trail was impassable due to washouts. There was quite a bit of debris everywhere, but the trail is passable, and the scenery is fantastic. High rock walls line the flume, and this time of year ice decorates the rock with amazing formations.
The flume marks the first third of the hike. Debris is everywhere, but observing what mother nature can do, was part of the fun. After the flume, the trail follows what looks to be the remains of an old logging road until the trails hooks right and begins the steep push to the summit.
This was another mostly cloudy day, but the sun managed to poke itself out a couple times while we were standing on the summit. Nice!
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| One of the ice flows in the Deer Brook flume |
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| Mike seaching for pieces of the trail sign (knocked down by a fallen tree) |
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| Rooster Comb in the distance |
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| From left to right, Round, Noonmark and Dix Mountains (partially obscured by clouds) |
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| The necessary summit picture |
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| Noonmark Mountain |
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| A spot of light through a dark cloud mass |
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| We had a few moments on the summit when the sun would find a way to poke through the clouds |
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| Dix Mountain in the clouds |
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| Leesa on the summit |
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| It was passable, but caution is needed on stream crossings |
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| Debris from Hurricane Irene |
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| A few places like this were tricky to climb up and over |
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| Another vertical face covered with an ice flow |
Hike Statistics:
Hike Distance: 2.9 miles
Total Vertical Gain: 1375'
Hike Time: 3.5 hours
Summit Elevation: 2362'
Trailhead Elevation: 1107'
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| Our route shown in blue |
We did Deer Brook Flume & Snow Mtn as a family hike this past summer with our young kids. It's a great family hike because it combines the interesting water features with a beautiful summit. I hope the Flume trail can be re-opened soon because it is a real gem, underutilized.
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