The Hoffman Notch Wilderness fills most of the space between Hoffman Road in Schroon Lake and Boreas Road, which connects North Hudson to Newcomb. There's miles of hiking along the marked trails and many more for brave bushwhackers. A treasure of the Hoffman Notch Wilderness can be found after just a short hike and an easy bushwhack, however, and it's a wonderful sight for children and adults alike.
In the spring, herons nest in Big Pond. The trail to the pond starts on Hoffman Road, two miles west of Route 9 in Schroon Lake. The sign marking the start of the trail is at the back of the parking area and almost impossible to see from the road, so look for the teal-blue trailer home on the right and pull into the parking area just beyond it.
We hiked in on a mid-April morning. There was still plenty of snow on the trail. Rain the evening before had made the snow icy and very slippery in spots. This is not a place to go without boots during mud season.
We hiked less than a mile and found ourselves on a wooden bridge over the outlet of Big Pond. Actually, it's not Big Pond. Big Pond is further northwest and what we could see was a wide part of Rogers Brook which flows out of Big Pond and eventually ends in Schroon Lake. It's the right place to be, though.
Going over the bridge and hiking a bit further up the trail brought us to the large boulder we were looking for. From the boulder, we headed due west and picked our way through the small trees and brush, After a short distance we topped a ridge and the pond was in front of us.
There were geese on the pond, but they weren't what we were looking for. Following the shore to the north gave us a better view of the dead trees in the middle of the pond and the herons.
The herons nest in a group and each tree held multiple nests. Some herons were sitting on their nests while others perched on branches or, for a real treat to see, circled overhead. We moved further north for a closer view, but a boat would be needed for a really good look. I'm not sure how the herons feel about intruders, so perhaps it's better to stay on the shore.
We watched the herons for awhile, then returned to the trail. Before heading out we followed the trail deeper into Hoffman Notch for about a mile. The ice-covered snow made the going difficult at times, but also preserved deer tracks for us to see and follow. The storm had littered the snow with twigs, pine needles, leaves and pine cones like a natural mosaic. It was very cool deeper in the woods and we were glad we were wearing our winter coats.
To find the pond from the boulder, Tristan and I practiced our compass skills. A compass is an inexpensive and lightweight tool that can keep kids amused while they learn to navigate in the woods. We have been turned around a few times out there and the compass we always carry has helped us.
