The Trail through Klondike Notch - A Moderate Hike to JBL

On Friday September 17, 2004 I took a hike along the Klondike Notch trail. Located off the South Meadow road approximately 3 miles from the Adirondak Loj entrance off route 73 in Lake Placid, this trail offers a nice mix of easy and moderate grades as well as many brooks.

Parking was no problem at all as you do so at the end of South Meadow road, approximately one mile from the ADK LOJ road. I signed in and off I went.

Crossing a nice bridge, (photo) at the start you soon begin to feel just like you are walking in heaven. Easy grades and leaf covered trails made for a pleasant walk.

Crossing brooks and rock hopping your way to the Klondike lean-to. (roughly 2.6 miles in) A well kept lean-to and a great spot to camp. (photo)

You move along at a good clip now as the grades are pretty much easy to moderate until you hit the 3.6 mile mark. From here to JBL it is pretty much downhill, descending approximately 866 feet in elevation to JBL.

Arriving at JBL in about two hours and 15 minutes I sat and had lunch. Leaving around noon, I began the climb up to the 1.7 mile mark and the junction to Yard and Big Slide mountains. Keeping on now and back at a good pace, it was no time at all before the lean-to was reached once again.

Time to finish this great trail, I moved at a slower pace now and enjoyed the easy grades and viewed the foliage. Finishing in approximately two hours, it seemed like the trip went too fast, (10.6 miles round trip) and left me wanting for more.

Signing out at the register around 2 PM, I saw a family of four just about to go in. They asked me how it was and I just smiled and said, " A perfect hike on the perfect day."

NOTE: For a more complete description of the trail, please see ADK's (guide to) ADIRONDACK TRAILS - High Peaks Region 13th Edition, pp 52-53.

Enjoy...
Rick McCorry