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Jul 15, 2024 — After a few days of feeling under the weather, which limited my ability to hike as much as I had planned, I was antsy and thrilled to feel better today. I tackled five of the Adirondack 46ers on this route: Dial Mountain, Nippletop, Mount Colvin, Blake Peak, and Sawteeth. These peaks are most easily accessed from the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR) parking lot. The annoyance, though, is that the approach requires hiking a lengthy dirt road, and I preferred to do that only once. This plan worked well for the first four 46ers, but Sawteeth is an outlier since it's a nubbin poking out on the south side of the adjacent Great Range, requiring significant effort at the end of the day, so I began knowing I could add it if I had the energy.
I had obtained a free day-use permit online a few days earlier to park at the AMR trailhead. When I arrived, someone checked my name against a printed list, more official of a process than I imagined it would be. I started on a paved road that passes through a golf course and some residences before reaching the AMR register kiosk. I signed in and continued along the dirt road until I spotted the HG Leach Trail on the left, labeled on a sign that also included "Dial and Nippletop." The trail ascended through a forest alongside a creek. At this low elevation, the typical steep and rocky Adirondack boulder scrambles hadn't begun yet. I made great time up to a viewpoint overlooking the ridgeline leading to Dial Mountain, though I had to lose some elevation from this viewpoint before starting the ascent to Dial Mountain.
As I gained elevation, the trail became mossier, and I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of boulders on the path, which are usually abundant and time-consuming. I summited Dial Mountain and continued to a false summit of Nippletop. The views were excellent for the last few hundred feet to the summit, and even better once I reached it, especially looking northwest toward the Great Range.
I backtracked to a junction with the Elk Pass Trail, which descended steeply over rugged boulders to Elk Pass below. On the way down I could see Mount Colvin's forested form ahead. A series of boardwalks took me around a small pond nestled at the saddle before I continued to another junction. This junction gave me the option to follow the Gill Brook Trail north and head back to the car, a popular loop for hikers looking to just summit Dial and Nippletop, but I was here for Mount Colvin and Blake Peak. The challenge with these two summits is that they are two peaks along a short ridgeline, and to reach the second, you have to hike back over the first. Since I was first summiting Mount Colvin first, I knew I'd have to eat the significant additional vertical gain to reascend it later.
The Colvin Trail was more typical for the Adirondacks, with lots of scrambling obstacles leading steeply to the summit. Notably, there was an avoidable Class 3 obstacle, a slab that offered good views, and just below the summit the trail climbed up a couple of short ladders and a large rock formation. I was impressed with the summit of Mount Colvin, especially the view down to Lower Ausable Lake, which might be my favorite in the Adirondacks. The Great Range, stretching out ahead, made it even more spectacular. I could also look back and see Nippletop across the valley.
Next, I descended from Mount Colvin toward the saddle with Blake Peak. There was an extended ladder section along the descent, as well as more steep boulders. The climb up to Blake Peak was similar, with sporadic views not too different from Mount Colvin. I had read that this traverse is generally disliked, but I enjoyed it. I suspect people mostly grumble about the need to reascend Mount Colvin and it puts a damper on the whole ordeal. The summit of Blake Peak was completely obscured by trees, and I hiked to a couple of potential high points since I wasn’t sure which one was the true summit.
After backtracking and rejoining the Gill Brook Trail, I realized I was completely out of water. This forced me to leave the trail and find a spot to refill at Gill Brook. Although this detour didn’t factor into the listed stats above, it gave me the chance to discover a narrow, lush section of canyon within the brook. This was a magical spot where I replenished my electrolytes and could decide to tackle Sawteeth instead of continuing along the Gill Brook Trail and back to the car early.
From the Gill Brook Trail, I turned left onto the Fish Hawk Cliffs Trail, which led to the iconic Fish Hawk Cliffs Lookout Point. This overlook provides stunning views of Lower Ausable Lake, nestled between Sawteeth, which rises abruptly to the north, and Mount Colvin to the south. From the cliffs, I took the Indian Head Trail down to the lake’s northern outlet, crossed a dam, and found the start of the Sawteeth Scenic Trail. Sawteeth can be accessed from other routes, but this one is the most strenuous. It had been on my radar for a while due to its steep, zigzagging ascent up the south face of Sawteeth via a contrived route, and who wouldn’t want to hike something simply named the "Scenic Trail"?
Initially, the trail hugged the north bank of Lower Ausable Lake, winding around its nooks and crannies, sometimes aided by small bridges, before beginning its ascent in earnest. While there were occasional lookouts over the lake, signs offered the option to hike to various viewpoints, including generically named Outlook #1 and Outlook #4, as well as a longer spur trail to Marble Point. I passed these by, eager to reach the summit, figuring there were plenty of views along the way. The trail makes its way steeply to the base of multiple cliff bands, then follows these until a weakness provides access to higher ground, the result being a zigzagging route up the mossy slope. Ladders assisted in some sections, with light scrambling and even a few spots with some exposure. I reached the Sawteeth - Southeast Peak, a minor bump before the true summit. Once I arrived at Sawteeth's high point, I was blown away by the views of the Gothics to the north, especially with the afternoon light hitting its slabs. This vantage also provided anup-close and personal view of the Great Range.
I descended the AW Weld Trail, which started steeply but soon became more gentle. Along the way, I passed a beautiful mossy creek crossing, and near the bottom of the trail, I stopped at the Rainbow Falls Lookout. Although the waterfall was partially obscured by trees, there is a short detour to see it from the base, but I was eager to get back for dinner. After crossing the dam at the north end of Lower Ausable Lake, I could have taken the East River Trail instead of the road for a more enjoyable hike back. However, with biting flies now out, I opted for the path of least resistance, keen to make quick progress to my car. I absolutely loved this longer outing in the Adirondack High Peaks and was even more thrilled that I don’t have to hike Lake Road out and back again just to get Sawteeth.
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