Cooper Kiln Pond

I took the week off from work and went up to Lake Placid to do some hiking since I didn’t get much done over the summer, plus to try out different clothing to see what works for cold weather. Used my hotel points to stay at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Lake Placid.

First try was going to be Wilmington and Morgan mountains, near Whiteface, two of the Adirondack Highest Hundred. Got to the trailhead, only a few inches of snow on the ground.

Trailhead sign
Trail

The trail is deceptively flat, meaning it’s not much of a rise all the way to the pond. The plan was to go to Cooper Kiln Pond first, then Wilmington, then Morgan on the way back. Took my time, did not see anyone else around, or any wildlife on the way in. After about 2 and a half hours I reached the shore of Cooper Kiln and the leanto.

Leanto

Stopped for a bit and ate some lunch. The thermometer there said it was between 10-20 degrees out. Once done eating, started off for Wilmington. While walking along the shore line I broke through some ice hidden under the snow and ended up going a little more than ankle deep in some water. Since I had no spare socks with me, and being over 2.5 miles in the woods, I decided it was best to turn around. Amazingly, the combo of socks I was wearing seemed to work well, my feet never got frozen, and seemed to soak up the water. Got back to the car and then the hotel where I ended up doing laundry and planning out my trip for tomorrow.

Track

Specs

  • 5.73 miles
  • 1337 feet elev gain
  • 4 hours 20 minutes

 

To see all my photos from today, CLICK HERE