HOPKINS MOUNTAIN VIA THE MOSSY CASCADE

A SPRINGTIME HIKE

Hiking in the spring is a rite of passage that I look forward to each year. Our Adirondack winters are long and cold. Getting my hiking legs back each year is always a challenge no matter how hard I try to stay “in shape” over the winter. There is no machine that mankind has yet devised that simulates the physical challenges of hiking. My hiking partner, Biscuit, my 12 pound poodle who is my faithful companion is also out of shape after being inside so much during the winter. So, the two of us look forward to our adventures come spring.

A wonderful hike I consider a real treat in springtime is climbing Hopkins Mountain via the Mossy Cascade trail. Hopkins Mountain is named after Rev. Erastus Hopkins, a minister from Troy, New York. He also served several terms in the Massachusetts legislature while residing in Northampton, Massachusetts. According to the ADK High Peaks region guidebook, it was Rev. Hopkins who suggested to Adirondack guide Old Mountain Phelps the name “ Resagone ” (The King`s Great Saw) for the high peak now known as Sawteeth. The view from the Hopkin`s Mountain summit of Sawteeth is unique and spectacular and therefore you can understand how Reverend Hopkins was so inspired when you encounter the view.

The trailhead to Hopkins Mountain is very low profile and non descript. If you are driving into Keene Valley on Route 73 from the Northway look on the right just south of the steel bridge over the Ausable River. As for orienting as to where that bridge is, it is .4 miles north of the Ausable Club and 2 miles south of the sign to Johns Brook Valley in the village of Keene Valley. There is a small green sign with the white lettering “Hopkins and Giant via Mossy Cascade” right off Route 73. There is no parking area so just pull off the road and park on the shoulder. There is no trailhead register to sign into, so for safety concerns make sure someone knows where you are hiking. A good idea is to leave a name and emergency contact phone number in a visible area of your vehicle dashboard. This is basically the same information you would leave in a trail register for purposes of an emergency search.

The trail initially skirts private property and hunting camps so make sure to follow the trail markers carefully. At one half mile into the hike, after hiking on old logging roads, the trail becomes less logging road and more forest trail. It is at this point when you will hear the wondrous sounds of water rushing through the Mossy Cascade. You are now hiking alongside a delicate waterfall. Stop all along the way here to admire the sights and sounds. The springtime is the best time to view and listen to the various waterfalls along the cascade. The snowmelt from the mountains brings the cascade to full glory. Make sure to bring your camera. The photo opportunities are plentiful. The trail alongside the cascade is challenging. You are hiking along the rim of the cascade and there is a considerable drop off. Be sure to know where your feet are going.

Once past the cascade your climb begins to the summit. The total ascent from Route 73 is 2120 feet. The distance to the summit is 3.2 miles. Expect to exert significant energy in this hike. If this is early in the “being in hiking shape” season you will definitely know you are doing a climb. In actuality you are ascending and descending into various cols along the climb so expect to take a few breathers along the way.   At the 2.3 mile point you will see a sign indicating the Hopkins summit is .9 miles away. You are now in a ravine between Hopkins and Green mountains. The ravine is a drainage area for these two mountains and in the springtime can be very wet. Spring wildflowers abound here. Trillium, foamflower and the delicately wondrous pink lady slippers are here for the observant eye to enjoy. Finally, at the 3 mile point in the hike there will be a sign pointing to the Hopkins summit in .2 miles. A stiff   “up” over roots and boulders through a fern filled glen brings you to the bald summit. There is a “wow” factor when you arrive at the summit ridge. It is solid anorthosite rock. The view is spectacular. You will be awed at what you see. The views are unobstructed in all directions except for the northeast. There are 22 major peaks that are visible. You can look right down on the Ausable Lakes and Johns Brook valleys.

There are blueberry bushes on the summit and if you time your spring visit just right you will see an unusual evergreen display. The pine cones of the dwarf Norway pines (pinus resinosa) on the summit are a striking purple color. The purple color is so unusual, intense and surreal that if you photograph them and show the photos to friends they might think you have been spending way too much time digitally manipulating your images! Bring along a picnic lunch and enjoy the views. Don`t forget to leave exposures in your camera when photographing the Mossy Cascade at the beginning of your hike so you are able to take photos at the summit. There are some glacial erratics on the summit which provide a striking foreground for the high peaks vistas in the distance. I have had Biscuit pose right on an erratic of   which I have an unforgettable photo. The photo enlargement is framed and hanging in a special place in my home.

Your hike down to the car should take no more than an hour and a half. The inimitable symphonic sounds of the Mossy Cascade will accompany you all the way back to where you started, and keep you company on your drive home.

NOTE: For a more complete description of the trail, please see ADK's (guide to) ADIRONDACK TRAILS - High Peaks Region 13th Edition, pp 100-101.

Dr. Stuart Delman