NPT Trail Conditions Report: Lake Placid to Long Lake

[ndru]

Hiked the Lake Placid to Long Lake section of the NPT over 5 days last week. Sad to say much of it is in rough shape.


Lake Placid to Wanika Falls = Good (by ADK standards). Just the usual overgrowth, a few mud pits, random blowdown. Easily passable.


Wanika Wall to Moose Pond = This is a hot mess right now. Just tons of blowdown. Some of it fresh, with no easy workaround. Slow going.


Moose Pond to Duck Hole = This was bad 5 years ago when I first went through, now it feels almost abandoned. Vast stretches of deep mud, tons of blowdown, intertwined herd paths and workarounds, missing markers in some sections. One really bad batch of fresh blowdown by the bridge over Roaring Brook just north of Duck Hole. A pretty powerful storm w high winds roared through the night we were in Duck Hole that took out 3 trees next to that lean-to alone. Was cool to watch from inside the lean-to though! So the trail is probably worse now than it even was when we came through earlier in the day. It took us nearly 4 hours to go those 4 miles. I generally average 2 miles/hour with a full pack on ADK trails, so this cut my pace in half!


Duck Hole to Shattuck Clearing = Weirdly the best portion of this entire hike, despite being the most remote. A little overgrowth, minimum mud pits/blowdown. Just the usual stuff. The entire length of the NPT along the Cold River is easily cruise-able.


Shattuck to Long Lake = This section has probably degraded the most since I last went through in 2021. I recalled it being super easy 5 years ago, but now it's an obstacle course of blowdown and mud pits. Re-routes and unmarked side trails abound. Tons of missing trail markers and missing/busted signs. It's not as bad as Moose Pond to Duck Hole, but it never used to be this bad either. It was the only portion of the entire hike that I lost the trail on, and it happened more than once. Which seems strange, being the closest to civilization. I know Long Lake has been hit with some severe storms these past couple of years, so that easily explains the conditions, but there doesn't seem to be much being done about it either.


Anyway, just wanted to drop some recent trail info on here in case anyone is still reading and planning a trip!

[DuctTape]

I am considering bringing a ladder to the section I maintain for posting markers so the urchins can't steal them.

Thanks for the report.

[ndru]

I am considering bringing a ladder to the section I maintain for posting markers so the urchins can't steal them.

Thanks for the report.

I did notice that some of the very few trail markers along the Long Lake section were placed very, very high up on the trees. It was obvious why.

Thanks for the lean-to maintenance. I think we stayed in 3 of yours on this trip!

[TCD]

The condition of this trail as reported is a real shame. Shame on Albany!

We through hiked south to north in 2007. The trail was in pretty bad shape then, with many of the same problems. (Interestingly, the areas in the best shape were the stretches in the then private paper company lands.) It sounds like things have gotten worse in 19 years.

This trail should be a crown jewel! It's our historic, famous through trail. The state should prioritize making this beautiful and nice for visitors (like real land managers do in other states). Instead Albany has kids spending years breaking rocks on Cascade.

[ndru]

The condition of this trail as reported is a real shame. Shame on Albany!

We through hiked south to north in 2007. The trail was in pretty bad shape then, with many of the same problems. (Interestingly, the areas in the best shape were the stretches in the then private paper company lands.) It sounds like things have gotten worse in 19 years.

This trail should be a crown jewel! It's our historic, famous through trail. The state should prioritize making this beautiful and nice for visitors (like real land managers do in other states). Instead Albany has kids spending years breaking rocks on Cascade.

It is a damn shame. The state pours millions into advertising the Adirondacks, but can't even maintain the trails at current usage, let alone handling *new* tourists.

I know there's alot of volunteer trail maintenance organizations out there, but they can only do so much and aren't allowed to some of the heavier work (bog bridges, water bars, digging, moving rocks, etc, etc.). Which is the only thing that will really fix this trail.

You're right TCD , the NPT should really be our crown jewel. It's sad, but I'm also not going to stop hiking it. And in a few years, I'll be retired, and probably out there doing some rogue maintenance 😎

[TCD]

Rogue maintenance is helpful! The "official" groups always decry it; "only they are smart enough to do things right" you know. But my experience is that official maintenance is not always done well. With more of us doing good rogue maintenance, at least the trails will not fall into disrepair as quickly as they do now. Albany has largely abandoned trail maintenance over the last 30 years or so. Someone has to do some work!

[ndru]

Rogue maintenance is helpful! The "official" groups always decry it; "only they are smart enough to do things right" you know. But my experience is that official maintenance is not always done well. With more of us doing good rogue maintenance, at least the trails will not fall into disrepair as quickly as they do now. Albany has largely abandoned trail maintenance over the last 30 years or so. Someone has to do some work!

Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[BillyGr]

Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And it's certainly better to have those hands be ones attached to someone who knows what needs to be done rather than a random person