Mount Adams (New York)

What. A. Gem.

Mount Adams in New York is a short 2.3-mile hike from the trailhead just past the MacIntyre Furnace on the way to Upper Works. It is about a mile in on the same route we took to Allen Mountain on our way to becoming 46ers.

And it also happens to have a usable fire tower, restored with dedication by some fellow 46ers and sporting some of the best views in all of the Adirondacks.

It reminds me of the (underrated) Wright Peak – Adams sits lower than all its neighbors but surrounded by them all and with terrific views everywhere. Seriously, you can clearly see back to the nearby Santanonis, to the more distant Sewards, across the MacIntyres, to Marcy and more. You can even (on a clear day) see little Street Mountain.

Today our late hike was an absolute gem, with dramatic clouds and “our mountain” – Mount Colden – the highlight of the view.

Thanks to a late start and a relaxed breakfast we got to the fire tower at the perfect time – about 3PM. It was hotter (and raining) on the way up, which at parts is steep, but cooler and sunny on the way down. We nursed our various injuries to make it both ways, happy with our effort and our time.