Hadley Mountain, Saratoga County, NY

Hadley Mountain (2675 ft) is a small mountain in northern Saratoga County, NY. The 1.8-mile trail to its summit and fire tower climbs 1525 ft from the trailhead, making for a short stiff climb. The first mile is especially relentless, climbing over 1000 ft of that total with few breaks.

Somewhat on the spur of the moment, I climbed Hadley today on a well-packed trail, taking about 1:15 to the summit. Along the way, there are wonderful views to the south toward Great Sacandaga Lake from some rock ledges.

Just below the summit is the former fire observer’s cabin, its sheltered front porch a common refuge on windier days.

Today, there was very little wind and a brilliant blue sky. Views to the north toward the Adirondack High Peaks were outstanding.

On the summit, I did my part for the Summit Cheeseburger Project. On the drive up, I remembered to stop in Corinth at a Stewart’s Shop and picked up a cheeseburger. On the summit, with temps in the 20s, it was barely lukewarm, but it served the purpose. Hadley is only the third of 3,397 New York summits to be logged as completed.

The trip back to the car took less than 45 minutes. It’s amazing how much easier a rocky rooty trail can be in the winter when it’s smoothly packed snow.

Rich aka adk46r2783