Shelving Rock
Hiking Date: April 25th, 2009: I’m a best biased when it comes to Shelving Rock. I’ve climbed this mountain between 2 and 4 times each year since I was 13 years old. I climb it so often mostly because its close to my home and its only 1.7 mile hike which makes it a quick hike.
Directions: From I-87, get off exit 20 onto Rt. 9/ Rt. 149. Follow Rt. 149 East just past the mall outlets. Follow Rt. 149 for a couple of miles. You’ll pass Bay St and the Ridge St. Once you pass Ridge about a half mile you will come to a road called Buttermilk Falls Road. Take a left onto it. Follow Buttermilk Falls road for many miles. It starts off as paved and then eventually goes to dirt. When you come to hogstown trailhead take the left and follow the winding road down toward Lake George. Maybe 5 miles you’ll cross a bridge and then come to the trailhead.
The Hike: Climbing Shelving Rock you will actually be walking on an old carriage trail. The trail zig-zags up the mountain and is well maintained. A small pond is about half way up which drys up toward the end of the Summer. Their is also a junction which leads back down to Lake George which is a very steep climb.
As you approach the top you’ll come to a small clearing, to get to the top you’ll take the left and walk the short distance to the top. Rather than going to the top, you’ll get a much better view if you go to the other side of the clearing and follow the paths down the mountain. About 1/10th or 1/20th mile down you’ll come to a view of Lake George that impresses me everytime I climb the mountain. I absolutely love the view. You have Buck Mountain to your left, Lake George in the middle (looking toward Log Bay, Dome Island and Bolton Landing) and you have the begginning of the Tongue Mountain Range to your right.
Conclusion: Out of all the mountains in the Adirondacks, I highly suggest climbing Shelving Rock. Its a simple climb with a fabulous view. Everyone should climb this mountain at least once.
Pictures:
[...] Hiking Date: July 3-4th 2009: My friend Holly and I debated hard and long on where our first backpacking trip should be this summer. Originally we were thinking about High Falls near Cranberry Lake but after doing some research we discovered that an outfitter was going to bring a group of hikers to the same place we were attending that same night. So we decided to go to Inman Pond and then catch the fireworks on Saturday night atop of Shelving Rock. [...]
[...] I have written about it twice already. If you would like to read those journal entries you can use this link and this link to see what I had to say. The purpose of this night hike was to take pictures of the [...]