Kane Mountain and Big Crow:
Short Hikes with Little Climbs Offer Incentive to Get Out

by Barbara McMartin

At this time of the year it's prime time for hiking, so here are a couple of short hikes with little climbs to get you going. In the vicinity of Canada Lake, the hiking trails up Kane Mountain to the summit fire tower yield distant views in many directions. Towering above East Hill, east of Keene, Big Crow provides marvelous views after a steep but short climb. With an active group of residents maintaining the Kane Mountain tower site, this is one fire tower whose future is assured. There used to be a one-way loop over Big and Little Crow, but the access on East Road is currently posted. Let's hope the negotiations to acquire access here are as successful as the work of those preserving Kane's fire tower.

Kane Mountain in the Southern Adirondacks
Kane Mountain is near Canada Lake, three miles north of Caroga Lake, which is 12 miles northwest of Gloversville. It has three trails to the summit fire tower, which is manned from May through October.

On really clear days the view unfolds to include the mountains of the Silver Lake Wilderness interior, with Hamilton Mountain visible in the northeast. The view north along the mountains that rim the Sacandaga River Valley ends with the hills behind Piseco Lake and T Lake Mountain. The most spectacular vista is across the Mohawk Valley, southeast to the Helderbergs and south to the Catskills, where Black Head, Black Dome, and Thomas Cole stand out as a cluster of giant rounded peaks. There is no view from the wooded summit.

One trail starts from a painted boulder on Schoolhouse Road. There is room for three cares to park at the trailhead. The steep route, 0.5-mile long, follows the telephone lines up the mountain along a trail so rutted and eroded you could not miss it. The 580-foot climb can be made in half an hour.

A slightly longer, 0.8-mile, less steep trail begins at the parking area between Green Lake and the Fish Hatchery Pond. It winds generally west up the hill turning south across the summit to the tower. It is the easiest of the three routes and takes but half an hour for the climb.

A third route, the longest of all, about 1-mile, begins from the campground at Pine Lake, north of Kane Mountain. Because the campground is off limits in the summer, start on the marked ski trail to Green Lake. Follow it for 0.8-mile to the intersection with the tower trail. The latter swings south to climb rather steeply toward the ridge. The last segment generally follows the long axis ridge of the mountain to the tower. The route is through beautifully wooded country and deer are often seen here in summer.

Big Crow in the Northeastern Adirondacks
Towering above East Hill, east of Keene, are two rocky crags that provide marvelous views after a steep but short climb. The 3-mile hike up the 1,096 vertical rise takes about 2 hours one way.

To find the upper trailhead at Crow Mountain Clearing, head east on East Hill Road from NY Route 73 in Keene for 2.1 miles to O'Toole Road. You can reach this spot from NY Route 9N by taking Hurricane Road (which becomes East Hill Road in the north) north for 4 miles. Turn east up O'Toole Road for 1.1 miles until it ends in a grass old farm clearing with an apple tree. This is Crow Mountain Clearing and a guideboard indicates "Big Crow 1.05 kilometers (km), elevation 853 meters (m), Little Crow 1.71 km, elevation 774 m, Road 3.22 km."

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LONGER? You can put together several short hikes that are described in the Discover series to create a two, three, or four night backpacking trip: Nelson Falls, with side trip to Woodhull Mountain and Woodhull Lake – From Discover the Southwestern Adirondacks. Trail to Pigeon Lake side trips to West Mountain and Queer Lake – From Discover the West Central Adirondacks. Canoe drop-off at Garnet Lake, long, long walk south with Side trip to Mount Blue, camping at Lixard Pond, Baldwin Springs, Wilcox Lake, and come out to be picked up at Brownell's Camp – From Discover the Southeastern Adirondacks.

From Crow Mountain Clearing walk north through grass and bracken fern, past a sign marking the boundary of the Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area. A maroon ADK marker signals that you will not get lost. In five minutes there is a rocky and wet section and then the trails starts steeply uphill through a balsam forest, with white pine and poplar mixed in. Birds are plentiful and although the forest is too thick to see many, you will hear the calls of the hermit thrush and several species of warblers.

The marked trail rises steeply but views give you an excuse to pause for breath. Look back and enjoy the mass of Giant Mountain and the distant peaks of the Dix Range. In twenty minutes, at 0.5-mile you reach a fork; the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge trail is to the right and Big Crow is 0.2-mile to the left. It only takes a 30-minute walk from the clearing to reach the summit of Big Crow. With the exception of the Jay Range to the northeast, you have an open view all around. Dix Mountain is 200 degrees magnetic, Hurricane Mountain at 165 degrees; and with a map and compass you can pick out over twenty other major peaks from this 2,800-foot vantage point.

From the summit, go west toward Little Crow Mountain, which you see nearby. The trail, marked by cairns and paint blazes, drops off the bare rock, through scrub trees, around a rock ledge, and into the col between the two Crows. You climb through woods to the east summit of Little Crow and then continue across rock to the west summit.

You can return to your car by climbing back over Big Crow.

Barbara McMartin (adirbarb@telenet.net) is the author of many guides to the Adirondacks and several histories. For more information on other excursions in these regions, consult her Discover the Southern and Northeastern Adirondacks guidebooks (Lake View Press).

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