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Adirondack Aerial & Ground Imagery Showcase Page, Ticonderoga, NY (2026)

06/02/2026

I have been taking on the NINETEEN Adirondack waterfalls of Hamilton County, NY, since last year (2025). This challenge spans a combination of roadside, hiking, and even some paddling adventures to reach these waterfalls for the big completion patch.

I have many waterfalls already completed, like Christine, Whiskey and Dug Mountain Brook Waterfalls in Speculator; Austin, Auger, Cold Brook, West Stoney Creek, East Jimmy Creek and Griffin Falls in Wells; Tenant & Groff Creek in Hope; Buttermilk Falls in Long Lake; and Squaw Brook Falls in Indian Lake NY.

The goal is to totally complete the challenge this year, and I am right on target for completion.

This waterfall is known as Ok Slip Falls and is the number FOURTEEN visited. I must add that this waterfall required hiking approximately 3.6 miles one way to reach it.

The driving directions are 7.5 mi. east of the intersection of Routes 30 and 28 in Indian Lake on the south side of Route 28. If you are traveling from the east, the parking area is located 4.4 mi. west after crossing the second railroad bed in North River along Route 28 as the highway leads away from the Hudson River. The trailhead is located on the north side of Route 28, west of the parking area. Hikers will walk along NY Route 28, which was a surprise to me, for 0.2 mi, and then you cross over the road to the actual trailhead and sign-in kiosk.

The hiking terrain was surprisingly easy to a point. The surface was the tropical forest loam soils with the usla tree roots, stream crossings and rocks along the way. The trail is well-maintained and marked with wood plank pathways over the west muddy and stream areas. I was also surprised that you do reach a PRIVATE open dirt road (OK Slip Road) at the 2.5-mile mark that services a boys' camp at OK Slip Pond.

Now, for the remaining 1.5 miles to the falls, it was still about the same terrain encountered until you reached the "End of Trail" sign. This spot is where the falls can be viewed from a distance via a rocky ledge overlook. There is a side trail that leads to the top of the falls, but I was not really interested in seeing it at the time.

Now, when I mentioned the term "easy to a point," I came to the point. Yes, the trail ends at the overlook as I mentioned. However, the adventure does NOT have to end right there. If you are crazy enough and have good stamina, there is a way to get up close and personal with OK Slip Falls.

Of course, that requires going down a nearly vertical pathway. I knew I could do this going down, but going back up was going to be BRUTAL!! I started down the pathway to where I saw some ropes tied to trees. The ropes do help, but YOU have to know how to use them properly, or you could get hurt or worse. It is basically a vertical drop to the bottom on one side with an approximate 20- to 30-foot cliff of rock on the other.

Now, once you do get down, it is easy street, and you get up close to these falls. There is a huge area of open water that you can swim or wade in during warmer months but not when I was there which was late APRIL. I splashed my face with some of the water and it hurt with COLD!

I will say that once climbing around the falls, the rocks are very slippery, so be aware of this; I almost lost footing a few times. I ventured on the opposite side of the falls, which is kind of grassy, and it was neat getting the cold water spray on me. That must be utterly fantastic in the heat of summer, depending on if there is even a waterfall pending drier conditions. I saw thick Ice still hanging around the falls, even for late April, and you will see that in the photos.

I spent quite a bit of time there, getting photos and dreading about going back up. That being said, I did make it up begrudgingly even with my legs near entropy back up to the overlook. It was not easy, but the ropes and some free-standing trees did help.

Once back up and drinking a full bottle of water, I did see other people thinking about heading down while resting at the overlook. I gave them my typical brutal honesty of the situation, and needless to say, I saw many of them catch back up to me after I left. I guess my words got heeded after all.

I took my time heading back with a total milage of 7.9 miles. Needless to say, this was the second waterfall hike in the cahllenge that was both long and with some tricky spots involved.,

Location: OK Slip Falls, Indian Lake, NY
Date: April 24, 2026

05/29/2026

These photos are from Thompson Pond Preserve located in Pine Plains, NY, just below Stissing Mountain. I took a trek up Stissing Mountain where you can see the pond from the fire tower (I shared photos both of and from the tower recently).

The trail is stewarded by the Nature Conservancy who maintains the trail for public use. There is plenty of parking at the trailhead with a map of the trail that goes all around the pond. I noticed that part of this trail before it becomes more wooded is comprised of a pea stone base for those that use wheelchairs from approximately half a mile.

As per Nature Conservancy, https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/eastern-thompson-pondstissing-mountain/

The pond has quite a bit of history, from its 15,000-year-old glacial geological past to being placed as a natural historic landmark by the US Department of the Interior in 1973.

I took the entire loop around the pond that starts as the BLUE trail, comprised of that pea stone base for wheelchair accessibility to the one area of the pond. After reaching part of the pond, the trail stops as pea stone and becomes the typical forest terrain of uneven loam surfaces of roots, rocks, streams and other wet/muddy areas.

The trail is well maintained with stone benches, wooden plank walkways over muddy areas, and even a wood observation deck. I could see the Stissing Fire Tower numerous times from spots along the trail, looming over Stissing Mountain. I even walked along an active farm with dairy cows; go figure.

I enjoyed this extra trek after hiking up Stissing Mountain to visit the fire tower. I got to see Thompson Pond from two different perspectives, which doesn't happen all the time. The entire mileage from start to finish was THREE miles.

Location: Thompson Pond Preserve, Pine Plains, NY
Date: April 6, 2026

05/24/2026

These photos are from the Cunningham Cross-Country and Hiking Trail from April 20, 2026, in Chestertown, NY. The trailhead is on the side off Cunningham Loop which is just off the Little Tannery Road.

The trail is part of the Chester Challenge and is well marked and maintained. Just follow the yellow arrow tags and signs to lead the way, as it is only 2 miles from start to finish.

This, like Chester Creek is a nice little trail that is short and sweet and basically a great walk in the woods with terrain that is mostly forest soil with some exposed tree roots and a few rocky areas along the way.

I noticed a few side trails not associated with Cunningham and did not take them at the time. However, these trails did have signage as to what they were called and I am sure had adequate markings like Cunningham and even Chester Creek.

Now, for the interesting part of this trail report. At approximately ONE mile into the hike/walk, a trail closure sign is encountered. The closure is right at a side loop trail (Cunningham Circle Trail) that you can take instead of taking the return back on the main trail. This loop does connect back into the Cunningham trail, leading you back to where you parked, of course.

I noticed that the section after the closure sign does eventually connect into the Chester Creek Trail in at least two sections as per trail mapping. However, that has all changed apparently now, and there is a sign that says where the new section of the Cunningham Trail will be rerouted in the not-too-distant future (see photos).

I took the Cunningham Circle/Loop Trail where the terrain was again forest soil with some exposed tree roots and little rocky areas along the way. However, I did encounter a small rocky stream that has a nice flow of running water at the time.

Note: I did have at least TWO ticks on me even with spray on clothing, so be aware of this and take all necessary precasutions.

Location: Cunningham Cross-Country/Hiking Trail, Chestertown, NY
Date: April 20, 2026

05/18/2026

NON- Adirondack fire tower here on this sharing page.
This fire tower, known as Stissing, is located in the Ferncliff Game Refuge and Forest Preserve in Pine Plains, NY.

As per the Friends of Stissing Landmarks—FOSL—website (https://stissingfiretower.org/), this ninety-foot tower is located near the summit of Stissing Mountain with Friends of Stissing Landmarks—FOSL—acting as its steward of both the trail and tower.

There are numerous trails to reach the fire tower. I took the yellow marker trail initially, where it then branches to either a steep but shorter trail ascent via Red Markers or a more gradual, longer ascent that is marked with blue markers. I opted for the red trail and grinned and bared the leg pain to make a quick ascent to the tower.

The terrain is mostly a mix of forest loam soil, rocks, tree roots and gravel paths. However, the entire trail system is well marked out and maintained by FOSL. I was very impressed by the trail work with rock stairs and even cut and removed trees from over the pathways.

Upon reaching near the summit area from this section of trail, I come to the ruins of where the former observer's cabin was located. A photo nailed to a tree shows what the residence used to look like from back in the day. All that remains is the sections of the stone foundation and the porch/entrance steps.

Once I reached the tower, I had it all to myself for practically an hour before I started down. The panoramic views of the Catskills, Thompson and Stissing Ponds, Twin Island Lake, Little Stissing Mountain, and so much more into states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Once back down, I then continued the trek back down via the gradual blue disk trail which had the same terrain as the red disk path. It was pretty much more of the same with the tree roots, bare rock slabs, gravel, rocks and forest loam soils. This trail is also well marked out and maintained by FOSL.

The total trek for this trail was roughly 2.2 miles. This was a great tower to visit and has a similar vibe to that of Wakley Mountain in Indian Lake, NY, except that cabin is still present, in my opinion.

Location: Stissing Fire Tower, Pine Plains, NY (Friends of Stissing Landmarks - FOSL)
Date: April 6, 2026

05/15/2026

I have been taking on the NINETEEN Adirondack waterfalls of Hamilton County, NY, since last year (2025). This challenge spans a combination of roadside, hiking, and even some paddling adventures to reach these waterfalls for the big completion patch.

I have many waterfalls already completed, like Christine, Whiskey and Dug Mountain Brook Waterfalls in Speculator; Austin, Auger, Cold Brook, West Stoney Creek, East Jimmy Creek and Griffin Falls in Wells; Tenant & Groff Creek in Hope; and Buttermilk Falls in Long Lake. These were all done in both the spring and summer of 2025.

The goal is to totally complete the challenge this year, and I am right on target for completion. So, without further ado. This waterfall is known as Squaw Brook Falls and is the number THIRTEEN visited. I must add that it didn't require any paddling or hiking to get to this spot, just a vehicle and a good eye.

The driving directions are not bad, and this is practically a roadside waterfall. As you drive on NYS Route 30 north from Speculator, you will continue past the Lewy Lake State Campground. You then continue on past where the Snowy Mountain Trail parking lot is located; after another roughly 3.3 miles, you come to a bridge and the falls are on the right. If you are coming from Indian Lake, head on Route 30 South for approximately 3.5 miles, and the bridge for the falls will be on the left.

The falls themselves are quite small compared to others I have visited. Also, I noticed no real "trail" but a small footpath on either side of the bridge. Do NOT venture on any land to the right of the bridge; that is all POSTED, as well as another area just past where the brook outlet is that goes into Indian Lake on the northern side.

Location: Squaw Brook Falls, Indian Lake, NY
Date: April 10, 2026

05/11/2026

Sometimes here I will be showcasing photos from other locations that are NON-Adirondack. I typically when travelling around areas in the state will always take photos and share my adventures, whether it is a NON-Adirondack Fire Tower, pond, lake or park.

These photos are of Lily Park located in Schoharie, NY, from April 6, 2026. This park is near the Old Stone Fort Museum and the 1980 Fox Creek Covered Bridge. It definitely is a nice place to take a breather and enjoy the scenery, especially the art exhibits, flower gardens, the creek and many historic colonial-period buildings adjacent to it, down the road and even just across from the park via Fort Road.

As per https://visitschohariecounty.com/listing/lily-park

"According to The Schoharie Promotional Association, it created a park in the Village of Schoharie known as the Lily Park. It is located on approximately three acres of village-owned land and is the entrance to the Village of Schoharie and is next to the Fox Creek Covered Bridge. The park hosts their famous Annual Lily Fest on the second Saturday in July to celebrate the Tiger Lilies when they are in full bloom."

As per https://www.tug44.org/covered.bridges/fox-creek-covered-bridge/

"The Fox Creek Covered Bridge, designed by Gerald Waldbillig, was built in 1982 as a 115-foot span over Fox Creek in Schoharie NY. The bridge is also known as "Town of Schoharie Bridge No. 1"."

"The Fox Creek Covered Bridge is not considered an authentic historic bridge, as it is actually built on an arch of modern reinforced concrete, visible at the bottom on the far side. The upper structure resembles the Town Lattice design, but the lattice is not structural and merely serves to hold the roof."

Location: Lily Park, Schoharie, NY
Date: April 6, 2026

05/09/2026

These Photos are from the Chester Creek Trail from April 20, 2026, in Chestertown NY.

The trail is part of the Chester Challenge and is well marked to follow. Just follow the yellow arrow tags and signs to lead the way, as it is only 1.5 miles from start to finish. Besides that, it’s a nice little trail that is short and sweet. The nature trail is basically a great walk in the woods with bridges that go over the creek and wood benches along the trail to stop and view the Chester Creek and Panther Mountain. The Cunningham Ski trail does intersect this trail, and you can combine it or do it separately (I separated the two).

Location: Chester Creek Trail, Chestertown, NY
Date: April 20, 2026

05/06/2026

Adirondack Springscapes from Cat Mountain near Bolton Landing, NY, from April 23, 2026.

There are a few different trails to get to Cat Mountain as I explained with Thomas, whose photos I shared recently. On this trek, I took the Red Trail which skirts around Edgecomb Pond. The pond and trail are located off Edgecomb Pond Road not far from Bolton Landing-Riverbank Road (County Route 11).

At the time, I was hiking around the pond; the trail was getting saturated from not only wave action from the pond but additionally other spring run-off to the pond itself. However, once I cleared that area, it was pretty much dry earth to walk on for the most part.

The trail itself to the open summit was mostly loamy topsoil, gravel (cobbles and pebbles), and many exposed roots. There were a few stream crossings along the way, and I also observed a pile of rocks, which I wasn't sure was a cairn or a possible archaeological construct. However, for the most part, it was well marked and maintained with both yellow and red markers to guide you.

Once you get to the summit, which is not totally 360-degree views but more 180 degrees, you get some great views of Gore Mountain, Trout Lake, Lake George (Dome and Lake george Islands), Northwest Bay, Shelving Rock Mountain and more.

The weather at the time was warm with a mix of blue sky and clouds, which gave very good clarity with little to no haze except in the northwest and westerly areas.

I did observe some interesting geology in the form of primarily quartz pegmatite veins intruding the host metamorphic gneiss bedrock both along the trail near the summit and at the summit itself.

I now have three mountains down for the Lake George Twelvester Challenge.

Location: Cat Mountain, Bolton Landing, NY
Date: April 23, 2026

05/01/2026

In my opinion, May 1st is always the get ready, get set, and go camping month!

Many state and private campgrounds begin getting the sites ready for campers, setting up the day use/beaches, and turning on the water to the showers and bathrooms.

I know this, as I used to work as a Park and Rec attendant for the NYS DEC Campgrounds & Day Use Areas back in the early and late 90s at places like Lake Eaton (Long Lake NY), Putnam Pond (Chilson NY), Paradox Lake (Severance, NY), and Eagle Point (Schroon Lake, NY). Now, I am the camper, having stayed at many of the campgrounds operated by both the NYS DEC and NYS NY State Parks.

I typically share photos of these campgrounds that I stay at during the summer months here, and it will continue in one form or another.

So, I figured I would share these photos from Hearthstone Point State Campground in Lake George, NY. I took photos of the beach, day-use area, campsites, etc. Hopefully, it gets many ready to get out and do some camping either at a public, private or even a backcountry campsite!

Location: Hearthstone Point State Campground, Lake George, NY
Date: August 16, 2025

04/28/2026

Adirondack Springscapes from Thomas Mountain near Bolton Landing, NY, from April 8, 2026.

Yes, at the time of that hike, there was maybe a half inch of fresh snow, but it was only in some parts. As the weather warmed up, the snow began to melt pretty much.

There are a few different trails to get to Thomas Mountain. I took the Richard Hayes Phillips Trail which also can be used to get to Cat Mountain. However, I didn't have time to traverse between the two, so I only decided to use it to get to Thomas.

The trail itself to the open overlook was mostly gravel with lots of pebbles and cobbles to traverse over. It was well marked and maintained with signage to guide you.

Once you get to the overlook, which is NOT the real summit of Thomas, you get some great views; see the southern basin of Lake George, with Long Island in the middle. . At one time, a cabin was located on the overlook but was removed by DEC due to graffiti, damage, and some hikers just being A-Holes.

I did observe some interesting geology in the form of igneous-derived granitic pegmatites intruding the host metamorphic gneiss bedrock.

Once I got the photos, I wanted to get to the summit of Thomas, and I was able to discover another trail just off the Richard Hayes Phillips Trail called the "Old Trail," which was marked with yellow discs. The trail was easy to follow at FIRST, but it got a bit messy due to tons of downed trees from some type of storm long ago (I assume).

I did finally get to the summit of Thomas after some hopping and ducking under trees. However, the only real view was from another overlook, oddly, that has almost the same view as the other overlook but has a few other mountains noticed to include Gore which can NOT be seen from the other overlook from my perspective at least.

I decided to go back the way I came, even though I could take the "Old Trail" down to where it connects to the Richard Hayes Phillips Trail. Once I got back, I now have two mountains down for the Lake George Twelvester Challenge.

Location: Thomas Mountain, Bolton Landing, NY
Date: April 8, 2026

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