Knob Lock Mountain - Giant Mountain Wilderness - 1/4/2020

It's been quite a while since I've put up a blog post, but I'll get this new year started right.  Today was promising to be a rainy day in the Lake George area, but a couple inches of snow was forecast further north.  Rev and I were anxious to get out of the rain and into the snow, so we headed north to Elizabethtown to pay a 3rd visit to Knob Lock Mountain in the Giant Mountain Wilderness.

For those that aren't familiar with Knob Lock, it lies almost due south of Hurricane Mountain, perhaps a couple miles.  Route 9N divides the valley between the two mountains.  Knob Lock is on the south side of Route 9N.  The summit views are fantastic on a clear day. 

You can park in the parking lot that is used for hikers taking the trail to Owl Head Lookout.  That's where we started our adventure for the day.  It was snowing lightly and visibility was poor but snow is better than rain.

We went a short distance on the hiking trail, then veered west towards the ridge line that leads to Knob Lock.  

A 1st look at Owl Head Lookout

I hadn't thought to wear my winter hiking pants since the temperature was in the low 30's, but it would have been a good idea.  As I got on the ridge and began pushing my way through the snowy pines and spruce, my pants quickly soaked as they not water proof or even water resistant.  I didn't have any real concern due to the shortness of this hike.  I remained warm since I was moving. 

  

This looks like more than a deer scrape.  Perhaps a moose, but is is low to the ground.

There was some visibility while climbing.  The snowfall alternated between light and moderate and at times I could see the nearby hills.

Nice spot here...

Rev started the day in her tattered orange coat, but at some point on the way down it was lost in the woods in the thick brush. 

Seems like every clearing had a glacial erratic.

Visibility unfortunately got worse as we continued to climb.  The snow was picking up.  On the ledges it was a little slick with just a couple inches of snow on top of ice.  We made sure to stay out of harms way. 

Heading for the summit (in the background)

As expected, the summit was socked in due the continuing snow.  No summit view on this day.  Rev didn't mind, she was having a great time.  I didn't mind either.  Kind of peaceful.

... and the view was gone...

I had some hot chocolate, which always tastes good to me in the snow.  A sandwich and treats for Rev and we were on our way down.  I didn't want to stop for long in wet clothes.

  

The summit

I decided to drop off the ridge early on the way down and take a more direct line.  I'm not sure it saved me any time.  It was thicker than the ascent route and I did a lot of clawing... even though I was going downhill.  Once back in the hardwoods, things improved greatly!

The woods down low off the ridge are bushwhack friendly.

Pretty snow on all the tree limbs.

All in all, I enjoyed the adventure.  A winter bushwhack is not for everyone, but it's for me.  Rev didn't mind either.

Trip Stats
Total Distance:  4.8 miles
Total Time:  4 hours
Total Vertical Gain:  ~2000'

The route

The route on the Nat Geo map

Knob Lock Mountain - Giant Mountain Wilderness - 10/9/16

This year, as always on Columbus Day, we headed for the hills.  The quiet hills were what we were after.  All the high peaks and all the popular trails would be crawling with people.  We were hoping for a sunny day and a chance to catch the peak of the fall life season in the north country on a quiet peak with views.  Knob Lock Mountain came to my mind.

Knob Lock (also known as Elizabethtown #1) is  a fine peak with a fantastic rock summit and it is relatively unknown.  There is no trail or even well defined herd path to the summit.  I had visited this place on 2/1/14 on a cloudy day with snow squalls.  I had done that trip alone with my dog Rev.

This time, Leesa and Rev were both going with me and we parked at the Owl Head Lookout/Giant Mountain parking lot and only one other car was there at 8:15 in the morning.

     

An early look back to Owl Head Lookout 

We took off on the trail towards Owl Head Lookout (a wonderful destination on it's own) but after a half mile or so we veered off the trail to the right to locate the eastern spine of Knob Lock.  It's not hard to locate.  We were climbing the ridge after 0.4 miles from leaving the trail.

I brought Leesa on this bushwhack because my recollection was that the woods were not that dense. It turned out to be a little thicker than she would have liked.  I thought the bushwhack was through  moderately dense growth at the worst, but she thought it was thick.  I told her that if it was too thick for her taste, we would turn back.  She pressed on.  It did alternate between moderately thick and open rock.  That probably helped her.

We had an early view of Owl Head Lookout and soon we could see the Elizabethtown valley down below.      

Views starting to open up as we gained the ridge

I forgot my camera so the pictures here are from my cell phone.  It was a bit overcast and the phone didn't pick up the color too well.  The colors were more impressive than the pictures indicate. 

The summit is in sight

Looking towards Elizabethtown.  Route 9N is down below.

Leesa appreciated the views that appeared often as we climbed higher.   The best part of all was the open summit we had to ourselves!  I expected as much, but it's always nice to find.  We looked across the valley to Hurricane Mountain and we could see at least 30 cars parked on the north side of the road at the trailhead.  There were probably more parked on the south side.  Who knows; there may have been a hundred people on Hurricane.  We had a summit almost as nice to ourselves.   It was an extremely busy holiday hiking weekend, but our plan paid off.  I will take a bushwhack over a trail any day for the solitude that is awarded and for the exploration that a bushwhack provides. 

  

Looking south to Green Mountain from the summit of Knob Lock

Rev - On the summit

It was a little windy and chilly on the summit so we didn't stay quite as long as we might have otherwise.  We did enjoy a lunch in a sheltered spot out of the wind before heading back.  We swung a little further northward to avoid a dense area in the col prior to the summit.  We were successful, but then we reclimbed to the ridge to enjoy the views again on the way down.

   

Looking NW

Part of the nice rocky summit.

Hurricane Mountain in the distance with Route 9N down below.

When we regained the trail, we saw 3 groups of hikers just in the short distance back to the car.  Upon reaching the parking lot, we found an overflowing lot with cars parked out on the shoulder of Route 9N.  Most the these hikers were probably hiking to Owl Head Lookout, with a view others headed to High Bank or Giant Mountain.  Driving home on Route 73 we were amazed the the overflowing parking lots everywhere.  It just confirmed for us that we made the right hiking decision on this day. We were content!

 

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  6.2 miles

Hike Time:  5 hours

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 2100'

The approximate route

The route on the NG topo map

Knob Lock Mountain - Giant Mountain Wilderness - 2/1/14

This hike had been on my list for a couple of years.  Knob Lock Mountain (3192') lies in the northern end of the Giant Mountain Wilderness and has an open rock summit with 360 degree views.  The mountain is also known as Elizabethtown # 1 on the topo maps.  There is no trail leading to it, but it is a relatively short bushwhack of only a couple miles each way.

 

I knew I'd have a late start today, and this hike fit the bill.  There is still almost no snow in the northern Adirondacks, so bushwhack hikes are still quite easy if you pick your routes carefully.  The best way to access Knob Lock is from the eastern ridge.  It offers lots of open rock and the dense treed areas are small.

 

I started by parking at the northern end of the Giant Mountain trail on Route 9N.  This trail also leads to Owl's Head lookout, which offers great views.  I wanted to follow the Giant Trail south 1 mile and then turn west just before Slide Brook to begin climbing the eastern ridge.

 

Well I forgot how quickly I walk on trails, and had gone 1.3 miles before I even clicked in my head that I had gone too far.  I turned into the woods and angled back towards the eastern ridge.  I could see it through the hardwood forest.  After an hour and 15 minutes from the car, I gained the ridge.      

 

 

Gaining the eastern ridge

 

I had views east towards Elizabethtown as soon as I had climbed a short way on the ridge.  I could also see the Owl Head Lookout.

   

Owl Head Lookout 

The walking was easy.  The stretches of open rock were covered with soft snow and almost no ice.

 

Looking south

 

Generally easy walking up the east ridge

 



 

 

Panorama looking south.  Green Mountain on the right

 

Green Mountain to the south

 

After 2 hours, I was on the top of the east ridge and had a view of Knob Lock itself.  The open rock summit sure looked appealing.

 

A first look at the summit of Knob Lock Mountain 

 

When I left the east ridge, the terrain drops slightly into a col with a huge glacial erratic.  I then found the going to be tougher.  There were some thick patches of spruce that I waded through.  I was now working my way towards the NE ridge.  This approach was gentler and more open than heading straight west.   The bushwhacking was moderate the remainder of the way to the summit.  My course was obvious and I plodded along.  My hound dog Rev was having no problem with any of this. 

 

Another look and Knob Lock.  Note the NE ridge has some open areas. 

 

Zoom of Hurricane Mountain to the north

 

 

Looking east towards Elizabethtown

 

It had been partly sunny while I was on the eastern ridge, but as forecast, it was getting increasingly cloudy as I neared the true summit.  Snow was on it's way in.  I reached the summit at 2 PM and flurries were quickly starting to blow in.

Looking south to Green Mountain

 

Another panorama to the south.  This one from the summit of Knob Lock Mountain

 

 

The summit of Knob Lock!

  

Looking North to Hurricane Mountain.  Route 9N down below.

  

 

 

 

 

The summit truly does have a 360 degree view and it's quite fantastic.  I took pictures in all directions and stopped to have some food.  I didn't linger too long since it was late and the snow was starting.  I decided to continue westward.  I knew there was a nice waterfall in the drainage to the west/nw and I wanted to locate it.  It would probably be frozen, but once I located it, I could come back in the summer.

 

I clawed my way through some pretty thick sections in making my way to the drainage.  I finally got there and then just followed the drainage downhill as it led north.  The waterfall was indeed frozen but it looks like this area would really be worth checking out during the spring or summer.

 

From the waterfall, it was just 15 minutes back to Route 9N.  The drainage intersects the road just east of the Hurricane Mountain trailhead.  Back at the road, I just walked the road 2 miles east back to the car.  The entire loop took 5 hours, including my stops.  I'll be sure to head back in the opposite direction to see the waterfall in summer.

    

Frozen waterfall 

 

Hike Stats:

 

Hike Distance:  7 miles (including road walk)

Hike Time:  5 hours

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 2000'

 

  

My route.  The dots indicate the waterfall locations. (Click image to enlarge)