Little Haystack Mountain (Onchiota)

In my last story, I discussed our experiences & reviewed the Buck Pond path at Buck Pond Campsite.
It was a very easy trail, but at about the middle point of the trail, we noticed a re-purposed DEC sign with "Haystack Mountain" written on it with a faded marker and an arrow pointing to our right.


Little Haystack Mountain Trail Marker - Onchiota

I turned to Kailee and said "What do you think I'm going to say?"
She rolled her eyes and sarcastically replied,
"You're going to say 'Let's do it'."

And, so we gave it a shot. The beginning of the trail isn't too hard at all. With it being peak leaf season, we were surrounded by a sea of yellow. We also noticed that it felt warmer on the side of the mountain than it did down at the campground (it was a really cold day).
In no time, the trail leads one between some large boulders. Under some of them were openings, but we weren't in the mood to try our hands at spelunking.


Surrounded by yellow!

Little Haystack Mountain doesn't have DEC markers to let you know you're still on the trail. However, the trail is marked by tape strung around trees by other hikers.

We eventually came upon a hill full of decent sized boulders. We didn't realize that if we kept pushing forward a little that we could take an easier path upwards. Rather, we climbed a few hundred feet up the boulders before rejoining the trail, (we did take the correct way down).

Climbing through the boulder field wasn't too difficult and we continued on our way upwards. Then, we hit a point where it seemed good to stop and rest. We had an outstanding view of Lake Kushaqua from that juncture. From my estimation, we were 70-75% of the way to the top.


View of Lake Kushaqua from Little Haystack Mtn.

That was also the spot where we called it quits. We hadn't planned on tackling a mountain when we set out on the Buck Pond path. We were ill-equipped to go further. I didn't have the right shoes on and we would've needed more supplies and probably a rope (since Kailee is only six).  That being said, we were happy with what we had accomplished and I was very proud of Kailee's effort.

We made our way down Little Haystack and continued on the Buck Pond path. Even though we didn't reach the summit, there's always a chance that we will someday in the future.


Little Haystack Mountain

Rant Time: Little Haystack Mountain is one of at least three Haystack Mountains in the Adirondacks. It shouldn't be confused with the High Peak "Mount Haystack" which is the 3rd tallest mountain in the State, or the other Haystack Mountain that's part of the "Saranac Lake 6'ers" which is about ten miles south of Little Haystack.

Could we come up with a better naming system? Instead of reusing names & causing confusion? Could we maybe number them?

-End Rant-

In closing, we had fun on this trail and it offers more challenging conditions than the Buck Pond Trail. It does hit a point where it's probably too much for younger kids. But, I don't think there's anything wrong with a family giving it the old elementary school try and turning back when it becomes too difficult. For teens & adults, we say "Give it a shot!"

How to get to Little Haystack Mtn: Take Route 3 to Gabriels-Onchiota Road and turn right on it. Drive six miles to Buck Pond Campground. The Buck Pond Trail starts right off the main campground road.

Buck Pond Path

Kailee and I spent the last (NYS DEC) camping weekend of the season at Buck Pond in Onchiota. The campsite is a fantastic place with gorgeous views in every direction, and the experience was enhanced by it being peak leaf-peeping season. I'll speak more about the campground at a later time and would like to focus the hiking portion of or weekend in this piece.

The trail at Buck Pond Campsite is really easy to find and it can be enjoyed by anyone! Whether you're on foot, bike, or wheelchair, you can handle this trail -and- every inch of it offers lovely views of Lake Kushaqua.

-Buck Pond Trail - Lake Kushaqua on the left.

The Buck Pond trail runs along the old D&H railroad line and is the smoothest, easiest trail that I think I've ever been on. If you follow the trail to the end, you'll hit the the road and it's time for you to turn back towards the campground... Or, you can push on and see Mud Pond and the start of the Saranac River.

We had some funny moments on this trail. I'm a fast walker and because the trail is so easy, I would end up about 30-40 yards ahead of Kailee. So, I would stop and yell "On your mark, get set... Go!" And, Kailee would run towards me with a big smile on her face.


-Lake Kushaqua as seen from the Buck Pond Trail (Old D&H Line).


The trail itself is about a mile long each way and there are minimal risks... But, it offers beautiful scenery every step of the way, and it's accessible to anyone!
This is extremely easy trail is aimed to be easy on the eyes and feet... And, in those regards, it delivers!

So, we're learning the trails. (Intro)

I took my daughter Kailee on her first camping adventures last year and she quickly developed a passion for the outdoors. Whether it be fishing, hiking, or animal spotting, she jumped at the opportunities that the Great Outdoors has to offer.

We've had a lot of fun exploring new places and would like to share our experiences and the things that we've learned while "taking a hike."

We've figured out a lot of things by hiking on the fly. There's a lot of incredible trails in New York, but it can still be hard to find information about many of these places (even in the internet age). I hope that our stories entertain and provide information that is beneficial to campers and hikers alike.
We look forward to learning the trails and if you have feedback that points us in the direction of new, fun directions -or if you have a fun outdoors story - then feel free to share your experiences in the comments!

-Justin "Schultzy" Schultz



-On top of the Sharp Bridge Cliffs 8-30-2016