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Blueberry is Great - Trail to Porter not so much

On Monday September 13, 2004 I took a hike to Blueberry Mt. via the Keene airfield along route 73. ( From the high peaks sign in the center of Keene Valley, go north on Route 73 for 2.0 miles. A road opposite the Keene highway garage takes you to the trailhead. This is also the spot for the shuttle bus that takes you to the garden.

There is no register to sign in here which I did not like but proceded to move on to the trail. An easy grade at first, the trail winds around hills and moves through lumbered areas until a brook crossing at 1.2 miles. Steep and rocky for the next 0.5 miles you come to a view of Hurricane Mt. on a ledge at 1.7 miles. Rotating between flat and steep sections, the trail arrives (after a 1900 foot ascent) at a huge boulder at the summit of Blueberry Mt. (photo)

 

The views here are excellent and the solitude here tends to keep you hanging at the top for quite a long time. Peace and quiet and the beauty of the area are all that one needs to get his peace of mind back. (photo)

Continuing on, I found that what once was a beautiful climb to Blueberry was turning into a nightmare to Porter Mt. Severe blowdown and a lack of maintenance on this trail made me ask myself why I was doing this. A very steep and relentless climb for the first 0.7 miles, this trail was in bad need of care.

Arriving at the ridge, the trail (easy grades) continues on to the summit of Porter Mt. at 4.5 miles. Beautiful views of Cascade Mt. and the surrounding area made me forget what it took to get here in the first place. Leaving Porter Mt. around noon, I could not wait until I arrived back at Blueberry. I sat atop Blueberry for over an hour once again as its beauty and solitude brought me back once again to why I hike in the Adirondacks.

The trip to Blueberry while steep in spots is a must for anyone who likes solitude. The trip further to Porter Mt. in my eyes needs to be skipped. Try coming in from the Cascade Mt. trail to Porter as this is the better trail by far.

I will do Blueberry again in the future as this mountain offers plenty for any hiker. A combination of brooks, open areas, flat rock climbing, and beautiful foliage along the way gives you all there is to see in one trip.

NOTE: For a more complete description of the trail, please see ADK's (guide to) ADIRONDACK TRAILS - High Peaks Region 13th Edition, pp 58-59.

Happy hiking!
Rick McCorry