Rocky Mountain (Adirondack Park)
Distance: 1.13 miles
Elevation: 456 feet
Time: 35 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Fulton Chain Trifecta, ADK Jr. 29er
The Hike
I took a quick drive to get to the shared trailhead for Rocky Mountain and Black Bear Mountain. This parking lot was less glamorous right on the main road, and it was also pretty filled up. The crankiness hit me again when I saw a family with three children starting the hike just before me, all in their pajamas, and the mother and middle child were barefoot. I realized that this trip was an exercise in self-regulation and getting over myself and my own crankiness at having to interact with a single human. Either way, I suited up and started the very short climb up to Rocky!
The trail gets right to the point right away - you climb right up. The trail was very wide and eroded in places, but always relatively straightforward. The first half is the steepest section, and then it mellows out as it approaches the view. Thankfully, the pajama-ed and barefooted family let me pass them, and many others passed me on their return trips too. I shared the summit area with a large hiking party of a few moms and their kids who were taking every permutation of a group photo imaginable. I sat to the side for a few minutes to drink some water, but eventually snuck behind them to get a photo of the great view before returning down the mountain. I was feeling a bit frustrated at what appeared to be obliviousness - they were giving off "this is our mountain now" energy, not caring that they were hogging the entire view. Maybe I was just extra cranky from the long drive?
The return trip, like Bald, was quick and straightforward. Not as fun as Bald, but still quick and to the point. I took a short pit stop back at my car to change my shirt and got ready for the final hike of the day - Black Bear Mountain!
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