Coney Mountain as seen to the south from Goodman Mountain's summit on Monday, Jan. 13. Staff photo -- Chris Gaige

While most of this column’s adventures are a bit closer to Lake Placid — many within walking distance of Main Street — this week’s column takes a jaunt to the west and visits the Tupper Lake Triad.

Located about 45 minutes from Lake Placid, these peaks are well worth the trek for those getting into hiking, new to winter hiking or looking for relatively easy peaks in general. The triad challenge consists of three peaks: Coney Mountain, Goodman Mountain and Mount Arab. Each offers rewarding views from their summits and are located within close driving distance to each other.

The trails are all of a similar distance, between approximately 2 and 3.2 miles total, and elevation gain, between approximately 550 and 750 vertical feet. Many hikers complete all three in a day or over a weekend.

Having completed these peaks several years ago and holding on to a vague recollection of their charm and relative ease, I decided to return and give them a try in true winter. While I had technically completed the peaks in winter 2022, the days I had hiked were during warm spells with little snowpack, rampant mud and a drab forest floor.

With a solid snowpack on the ground and temperatures not having broken above freezing for weeks leading up to the hike, I at least had the opportunity to experience the peaks in true winter.

The view looking south from the Mount Arab fire tower as seen on Monday, Jan. 23 was mostly obscured by clouds. On a clear day, many High Peaks and surrounding mountains and lakes are visible from the tower. Staff photo by Chris Gaige I

Even though I hiked on Monday, Jan. 13, an early read on the extended forecast suggests temperatures are going to stay below freezing. Without any thaws — which can expose mud, create ice and greatly change the characteristic of a hiking trail, especially in the Adirondacks — on the horizon, it is my hope that should you decide to take up the triad, you’ll encounter similar trail conditions to what is described below.

An obvious note, however, is that long-range forecasting, especially for this area, is fickle at best and it’s always, in my humble opinion, imperative to check the weather for yourself before heading out and plan accordingly.

Temperatures on my Tupper Lake Triad day were — for Adirondack standards in January — forgivingly balmy, with highs expected in the upper 20s, the warmest forecasted day of the week. I was able to wear a light jacket and sweatpants, although I had a heavier jacket in my backpack in case an emergency struck and I became stuck in place as a result. Thankfully, no such incident happened.

While I was hiking alone, I was comfortable doing so in this case. The trails were all relatively short, had no technically perilous segments — where the risk of injury would have been greater — and I had a fully-charged cellphone with service the entire way on all three peaks. To be clear, I am not advising the use of cellphones in this case as an excuse in itself to hike alone. For one thing, other cellphone carriers’ people may not have the same level of coverage, and a tower issue could lead to a temporary change in service, among a myriad of other things that could go wrong.

For footwear, I wore regular old Kamik winter boots. I use them regularly when hiking in the winter. Astonishingly, despite their weight and lack of support, compared to most specialized hiking boots, they never seem to bother my feet. Go figure.

The trailhead to Goodman Mountain is seen on Monday, Jan. 13. Staff photo by Chris Gaige

Like the cellphone reliance above, I am not necessarily endorsing this practice for others. My advice for winter footwear is to use something that is sufficiently warm — most summer hiking boots do not provide enough insulation — and comfortable. Footwear should be broken in and stress tested in advance so people know it meets those two above conditions before they hit the trails.

This avoids the perilous situation of running into foot problems in cold weather conditions far away from the trailhead, making for an, at best, agony-ridden slog back to the car and, in more severe cases, a situation that may require an emergency response. In my case, I knew my clunky boots would do just fine, and my hope is that you have a sound understanding of how your footwear will perform in advance.

For added and — in my opinion, necessary on inclined trails such as these — traction, I wore microspikes over my boots. Snowshoes would have worked as well, although I observed the trails to be well-packed from ample foot traffic and the aforementioned consistent weather conditions.

Wearing snowshoes becomes more important when the trail is less compacted, as they prevent hikers from “post-holing,” or creating deep indentations in the snow with their footprints as they sink down. These not only make the trail more annoying to navigate for subsequent hikers but can firm up over time and create rigid depressions that could twist ankles and lead to serious injuries.

Not to mention, hiking without snowshoes in loose deep snow can make movement much more laborious, if not next to impossible, for hikers. Conditions can also change drastically by elevation, meaning that even if trail conditions don’t demand snowshoes at the base, they may well be needed at mid-level or upper elevations closer to the summit. Many winter hikers use short ratchet straps or bungee cords to affix snowshoes onto their backpacks at the start of the hike in case they are needed later on.

The summit of Mount Arab, which includes a fire tower and cabin is seen on Monday, Jan. 13. Photo Type: Staff photo Photo Credit by Chris Gaige

While the Tupper Lake Triad is outside of the High Peaks Wilderness zone, snowshoes are actually legally required to be worn in that popular hiking area when the snow depth alongside the trail exceeds 8 inches, as is the case at press time. Failure to do so can result in state Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers issuing tickets to the hiker ultimately costing several hundred dollars in fines.

While I had a sneaking suspicion, I did not know for sure the Tupper Lake Triad trails were going to be as compact as they were on the day of my hike, so I had a pair of snowshoes in my car at the ready just in case. I first drove to Coney Mountain and, after looking at the beginning of the trail to confirm that the snowshoes would not be needed that day, strapped on my microspikes and set off for my first of the three peaks.

Coney Mountain

2.0 miles round-trip

550 feet elevation gain

The bald summit of Coney Mountain looking to the north on Monday, Jan. 13. Goodman Mountain, with a partial clearing near its summit, can be seen slightly right of center. Staff photo by Chris Gaige

60 to 90 minutes total

Coney Mountain is the southernmost of the triad peaks. From Lake Placid, head west from Lake Placid on state Route 86, and continue on to state Route 3 westbound in Saranac Lake toward Tupper Lake. Once in Tupper Lake, follow signs for Long Lake on state Route 30 southbound. The trailhead is about 10 miles south of Tupper Lake. Just before reaching it, you’ll pass by the trailhead for Goodman Mountain, the triad peaks next on my list.

The Coney Mountain trailhead is also on the left side of state Route 30 just before the Franklin-Hamilton county line and is marked by a DEC sign. If you enter the town of Long Lake, which is in Hamilton County, as marked by a fairly prominent road sign, you have gone too far.

The trail is generally flat for the first few tenths of a mile before beginning a steady moderate climb as it winds its way around the peak. Looking at a map of the trail, one can see how the trail essentially makes a 360-degree loop as it circles its way up the mountain, as opposed to shooting directly up its steep face.

The trail goes through a mixed woodland, consisting of deciduous trees that gradually become composed of more evergreens at higher elevations. Many of the trees looked like gumdrops, with a pristine white blanketing of snow covering them. The snow was deep enough to cover any rocks or roots that would normally present themselves along the trail. With the snow packed down enough to have a consistency resembling cement, it felt as if the red carpet had been laid from base to summit.

The trail got a bit steeper, but nothing unmanageable, just before the summit. Trees gave away to open rock covered by snow. I triumphantly made my way to the tallest point, and could see glimpses of nearby Goodman Mountain, my next destination.

Unfortunately, the clouds were unyielding, limiting much of the view. On a clear day, as is the case on the other two summits, expansive views are to be had. The notoriously cloudy early winter conditions in the Adirondacks had won out. While I expected this much from looking at the forecast, timing the hike around a clear day this time of the year is exceedingly difficult. As I write this article on Tuesday, Jan. 14, every day of the month so far has had at least some precipitation at the nearby Adirondack Regional Airport, where the National Weather Service maintains weather observation equipment. Tough odds for an unimpeded summit view, to say the least.

After taking some time to see what I could, I made my way back down the mountain. Feeling rather jubilant and knowing the trail conditions were smooth sailing, I took long footsteps and at times moved at a jogging pace. With deep snow banks whizzing by me on the side as I zoomed down the twisting and turning trail, it felt akin in a way to sliding down Mount Van Hoevenberg.

Before I knew it, I was back at the trailhead. I signed out at the register, switched out my boots for my driving sneakers and made my way over to Goodman Mountain.

Goodman Mountain

3.2 miles round-trip

600 feet elevation gain

90 to 120 minutes total

Leaving the Coney Mountain trailhead, take a right onto state Route 30 and head north back toward Tupper Lake. After only about 1 mile, the Goodman Mountain trailhead is on the left.

The mountain is named in honor of Andrew Goodman, a civil rights activist who was murdered by white supremacists in Mississippi while he was participating in the Freedom Summer of 1964, along with James Chaney and Michael Schwerner. Goodman had ties to Tupper Lake. His family, who were from New York City, would come to the area each summer to vacation. The mountain was renamed in his honor in 2002.

A sign at the trailhead offers more details on Goodman’s legacy, as well as other information about the wildlife around the mountain.

The trail begins by crossing over a stream on a sturdy and wide — by hiking trail standards — bridge. It continues at a gentle upward slope along a rehabilitated paved road. There were cross-country ski tracks along the route, as the trail is level and clear enough to support the activity.

The trail takes a sharp left, marked with a sign, off of the road, which continues ahead, at about 0.75 miles from the trailhead. Pay attention for the sign, as the turn-off may not otherwise be evident. The climb picks up a bit at this point, although is still generally light to moderate.

Evidence of wildlife was abundant. Numerous deer tracks crossed the hiking trail, and clearings in the snow were frequent, indicating a deer had been resting in that spot for an extended duration. Woodpeckers and chickadees could be heard calling each other from the trees.

Like Coney Mountain, the trail up Goodman winds its way around the peak, rather than making its way directly up the slope. While the trail was gentle most of the way, the incline picked up slightly as the trail approached the summit in the quarter mile or so. Partial views of Big Tupper Lake, through barren maple and oak branches could be seen. Like a vein just under the skin, a clearing could be seen in the middle of the lake near where the Bog River flows in. The water’s motion from the inlet was enough to keep the ice from fully forming, a cautious reminder that even as much of the lake has abundantly thick ice to support people’s weights, they should be incredibly familiar with any lake’s characteristics before venturing out onto the ice.

      Before I knew it, I was atop Goodman Mountain. Coney Mountain, just a couple miles to the south, was prominent, its bald white summit standing out from the omnipresent wooded terrain. While the summit was not as expansive as Coney’s prominent views to the south and west could be seen on a clearer day. Maybe next time.

      I made my way back down the mountain. My energy had been partially sapped from Coney at this point, and with Mount Arab still ahead of me, I took the descent a bit slower. I admired the wintry landscape around me, feeling profoundly grateful to experience such a blissful scene. Large snowflakes straight out of a Currier & Ives painting began to fall gracefully.

Back at the car and feeling a bit haggard from completing the two peaks back-to-back, I enjoyed a quick lunch break. The classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich revived my spirits and I headed off to Mount Arab.

Mount Arab

2.1 miles round-trip

750 feet elevation gain

60 to 90 minutes total

Leaving the Goodman Mountain trailhead, take a right onto state Route 30 and head toward Tupper Lake. There, pick up state Route 3 west toward Watertown for about 8 miles. Take a left onto Conifer Road. A sign for Mount Arab indicates the turn. Follow Conifer Road and take another left onto Mount Arab Road, about 1.75 miles. Follow Mount Arab Road for about another mile and the trailhead will be on the left, with a parking area on the right.

Mount Arab is a bit more of a climb than the other two peaks, with a steady moderate incline right from the beginning of the trailhead. The mountain has a fire tower at its summit, making it a popular draw.

Like the other two mountains, the trail was well packed, with enough snow covering it to hide any roots or rocks. The trail has several sets of stairs to help with the incline in spots, although that day, they were completely buried underneath the path. Thanks to my trusty microspikes, ascending the incline in those areas was no problem.

About halfway up the trail, the trail reaches the crest of a ridge. Light peers through the trees, offering a false allure of the summit. The trail takes a sharp left and continues along the ridge line. Fortunately, the grade eases and the upper half of the hike, in contrast to Coney and Goodman, is easier than the beginning.

The summit has a cabin — albeit, closed to the public — and a fire tower, which offers spectacular panoramic views from its top. Unfortunately, the windows atop the tower were covered in snow, obscuring any view from the tower itself, which offered a nice respite from the wind.

The stairs leading up to the tower, however, had the best views, with nearby Eagle Crag and Mount Arab lakes visible. The clouds and snow showers prevented much else from poking through on the horizon. On a clear day, many of the High Peaks and surrounding mountains can be seen.

I gingerly made my way down the fire tower stairs and began the downward trek. As I did on Coney Mountain, I zipped down Arab speedily and was back at the car before I knew it, knees still intact.

While a bit of a drive from Lake Placid, the Tupper Lake Triad offers a set of relatively modest hikes, each with spectacular views at their summits. Hopefully, should you decide to take up the challenge, you’ll have smooth trails and clear skies.

As a bonus, people who complete the challenge can register to receive a patch and have their name placed on the finisher’s roster. There are unique patches for summer and winter. There is also a paddling version of the triad for people to try their hand at once the ice has melted. For more information on all of this, visit tinyurl.com/mstdkruc.