Lake Placid, a charming village of 2,200 people in upstate New York, is perhaps best known for hosting two Winter Olympics, in 1932 and 1980. It will be forever remembered as the site of the “Miracle on Ice,” when an unknown group of American college kids and amateurs beat a seasoned Soviet Union hockey team to eventually win a gold medal.
Lake Placid is also the destination for hundreds of miles of beautiful hiking trails within the Adirondack Mountains. Take those trails, weave them within forests of blazing fall colors, and you’ve got a magical hiking experience with some of the best views and vantage points on the East Coast. That’s what our group of dedicated hikers decided to do one October week when the fall foliage was at peak viewing.
Although our destination was Lake Placid, we drove first from New Jersey to Kaaterskill Falls in the northern Catskills in New York. That slight detour took us on a hike through golden woods and a mountain of both stone and wood stairs to view the 260-foot falls. Although the trail to the falls and back is only 1.5 miles, we opted to do the longer Escarpment Trail first, hiking through muddy portions in some sections (I do not recommend hiking in the mud) and scrambling over boulders in other areas. All told, we trekked about 4 miles round trip before we ventured to the falls. There were more than 300 steps down to the base of the falls, but the strenuous walk to the base was well worth it, even if coming back up was an exercise in cardio conditioning that tested even the best of us.
After an overnight stay near the falls, we drove to Lake Placid the next morning. That’s where the magic of the changing foliage really took hold. Brilliant reds, golden yellows, and citrus orange hues blanketed the mountains surrounding the town. Each explosion of color took our breath away and reminded us of the majesty of nature and its calming effect on minds more accustomed to traffic, noise, and pollution.
Of all the hikes we took, the most memorable was the one up Mount Jo to its summit at 2,832 feet. On land owned by the Adirondack Mountain Club, this 2.4-mile loop is relatively short but is moderately challenging because of its steep elevation. The climb was well worth it, though, as the summit view was like a vibrant pastel painting. Before us were brilliant foliage, a topaz sky, and Heart Lake shimmering in the valley below. We stayed for a long time on the mountaintop, marveling over the view, taking pictures, and pondering how incredible it was to be there.
As we hiked down from Mount Jo along a more gently sloped trail, we ran into a group of fourth graders who were on their way to the summit. They were excited to be on the hike, this being their first trip up. Some of those kids were quite chatty and clearly happy to be on the trail. I thought how lucky they were to be living amid such beautiful scenery, able to take hikes as part of their classes and enjoy the nature they were blessed with. After talking with them and their chaperones for a few minutes, we continued down the trail. But the experience of the summit and the wide-eyed wonder of those kids reinforced how lucky we were to be hiking on the trails around Lake Placid.