The Indian Pass
Article by Dave Kirkwood, Photos courtesy of Jerry Gnann and Wanda Knapik
The Indian Pass, elevation of 2,874 feet, is a rocky gap in the mass of mountain peaks over 4,000 feet known as the High Peaks Wilderness in the northeastern portion of New York’s Adirondack Park. The pass was likely part of a series of trails used by indigenous people of various tribes, including the Iroquois and Algonquians. The name itself suggests its historical significance to native populations but it also provided important access for early European explorers.
I had read about the present trail: “The Indian Pass hike in the Adirondack Park is a challenging but rewarding trek, known for its historical significance and rugged terrain. The hike, near Lake Placid, involves navigating past historical sites, under the cliffs of Wallface Mountain, and through boulder fields.” I had hoped to experience the route myself, but over the last few years, every time friends came to visit Saranac Lake, which is a short drive from the High Peaks, the emphasis was always on paddling and biking, allowing no time to hike the pass.
Fortunately, in June, just a couple of days after arriving at our home in the Adirondacks for the summer, I saw Indian Pass listed in Adirondack Mountain Club’s (ADK--, though the same acronym seems to apply to everything up here) offerings and immediately signed up to join the hike. It turned out to be one of the most arduous yet extremely gratifying hikes I have done in quite some time.
The mid-June day was unseasonably warm and humid, for the area, with highs in the nineties. The hike leader was Wanda Knapik with four other hikers, another Dave, Kari, Jerry, and myself. The out and back hike totaled close to thirteen miles with 1,530 feet of elevation gain and took us ten hours…that’s right, ten hours! (Whereas a "New York minute" is very short, a "Adirondack mile" is very long!) We began our trek at the parking area of Loj Lodge, an iconic jumping off point for High Peak “baggers”, operated by the ADK.
The hike started out innocently enough, with a stroll around peaceful Heart Lake. But soon after leaving civilization and entering the wilderness the trail turned into a muddy, sometimes stream-like, meander through dense forest. In a couple miles we began climbing while paralleling the beautifully cascading Indian Pass Brook, which the trail criss crossed several times on rather difficult stream crossings. Though marked sporadically with the standard Adirondack, metal disktrail blazes, the path was occasionally hard to follow, disappearing into brief, but tough, bushwhacks. As the angle of ascent increased, we entered a section of hand over foot boulder scrambling that seemed to go on for miles. It was great!
The heat and exertion of the difficult climbing was exhausting until we received a reprieve. The house sized boulders we negotiated at the top of the pass concealed cave-like crevices containing ice and snow, a remnant left behind by the brutal northern winters. (It turns out this is one of the only places in the park to harbor ice year-round.) It was like walking into a refrigerator, and all of us tried to linger as long as possible to enjoy the cooling air currents. But we had yet to reach our turning point at Summit Rock. At an elevation of 2,880 feet it seemed misnamed. The notoriety of the “rock” became evident as we emerged from the trees to a magnificent view of High Peak’s Wallface Mountain’s namesake cliffs, towering 800 feet into the sky directly above us.
After a much-appreciated lunch break at this breathtaking spot we began retracing our steps back through the pass. We stopped, below the boulder field, at a place known as Scott’s Clearing, where a massive stone wall traverses Indian Pass Creek. The long-abandoned structure dates to the nineteenth century logging days when it acted as a dam to contain the waters of the creek, controlling the flow to facilitate floating the timber to market. We cooled off briefly in the creek before continuing the remaining four-mile descent.
The afternoon’s increasing heat was compounded by the deer-flies that constantly buzzed around our heads, no doubt attracted by the ever-escalating flow of sweat. So, a side trip to Rocky Falls, an area of the creek with a lean-to overlooking beautiful cascades, was extremely welcome. We enjoyed a much needed, core temperature lowering, extended swim in the extremely cold waters of the large pool at the bottom of the falls. After our refreshing dip the remaining two miles back to the parking lot were less arduous, though we were all still glad when we reached our cars.
We are privileged here in the North Country (Adirondacks) to have such a myriad of world class hiking opportunities, virtually at our doorstep. Whether one is looking for a major trekking adventure or a simple stroll, the trails to dramatic scenery are abundant. If this sounds like the type of outdoor experience you would enjoy check, out the Adirondack Mountain Club (https://adk.org), for help planning a visit.
