By: Kathryn Woebber Behuniak
I’ve been hiking for so many years that I’ve forgotten the excitement and freshness of being new to the mountains. One good way to get that feeling back is to take a new hiker into the woods. Hubby and I had family visiting from Buffalo, where there aren’t too many mountains. Our 14-year-old nephew Jonathan had never climbed anywhere in the Adirondacks and our job as a responsible aunt and uncle was to introduce him to the mountains we love so much.
Goodnow Mountain’s Fire Tower
The day was overcast at the start, with leftover sprinkles from a soaking shower the night before. That meant the hike started out wet, but Jonathan didn’t seem to mind. He was wearing borrowed hiking boots and I was concerned the size might not be exact and he’d get a blister. Any small thing could turn someone off to hiking right from the start and I didn’t want that to be the case. But he wasn’t bothered by the borrowed boots either. In fact, he was taking to this whole hiking thing like the proverbial fish to water and I think we were actually holding him back. When he offered to carry my fully laden backpack, I turned it over to him in an instant, quickly learning that having a Sherpa is very nice, indeed! I made great time up the mountain without the weight of lunch, snacks, water and my camera. Better yet, the weight of the pack didn’t slow Jonathan down at all, and it gave him the full hiking experience!
Our group of three made it to the summit in about an hour. I’d hiked Goodnow many times before and this was a pretty quick trip by my standards. It must have been because I wasn’t carrying a pack, but it also could have been because I didn’t want a new hiker to show me up so I just had to keep up with the teenager! For a brief time, we had the top to ourselves. We knew a rather large group was on the way (because we passed them on the trail), so we took advantage of the solitude and climbed to the top of the fire tower before it got crowded.
In the 1900s, mountains with fire towers were the homes of fire wardens who usually lived in a cabin near or on the summit. The wardens would keep an eye out over the surrounding area for fires, oftentimes as a result of lightning strikes, and they would communicate with wardens in other nearby fire towers. The practice was abandoned later in the 20th century, but many of the steel fire towers remain. In this age of lists and challenges, such as becoming a 46er or a Saranac 6er, there is also the Fire Tower Challenge. Goodnow Mountain is one of the peaks on that list. Unlike some other tower topped summits, Goodnow’s tower and cab is fully accessible. Actually, there isn’t much of a view from Goodnow’s summit unless you climb at least the first two sections of ladders. On a windy day, reaching the tower’s cab can require calming some nerves if you have a real fear of heights. Fortunately, this was not a windy day.
Conquering Fear
Jonathan had told us before the hike that he was afraid of heights. We assured him that standing on the mostly enclosed, treed summit would not cause any anxiety. We also told him about the fire tower. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t want to climb it. Hubby, who shares his nephew’s fear of heights, coaxed Jonathan about halfway up – his usual stopping point. I was already in the cab. On his own, Jonathan decided to make a run at the tower. He did it – albeit nervously – and was able to enjoy the 360-degree views of the High Peaks, Goodnow Flow, Rich Lake, and the Town of Newcomb. Then he scurried back down. One of the great things about getting kids out on the trails is building confidence without pushing, and letting them realize they are capable of far more than they think. I think Jonathan was pretty proud of himself for conquering his fear and we were happy to help him along.
Remembering Earlier Hikes
As we made our way back down the mountain, I was reminded of the days when our kids were young and we were new at exploring different peaks. We started with very small walks in the woods and worked ourselves up from there. Severance Hill, just north of the Village of Schroon Lake, was one of the first hikes our family tried. When you’re introducing someone to hiking, you want it to be fun and interesting. The trail for Severance starts by walking through a large culvert pipe under the Adirondack Northway. What could be more cool than listening to cars roaring by overhead? And after just over a mile, you’re at the summit with magnificent views of Schroon Lake. Fun and interesting. The bonus for our kids, and the incentive to hike back down under their own steam, was the promise of an ice cream somewhere. In Newcomb, after Goodnow, that ice cream was at Scoops on the corner of Route 28N and Bissell’s Loop, at the Campsite Road.
Hiking with Jonathan, and seeing his willingness to explore, reminded me of why I hike. I remembered those nights before a big hike when I could barely sleep because I was so excited to get on the trail. It sounds crazy since we were usually getting up around 4 a.m. and the day ahead promised to be very long, but it was like the night before Christmas to me. I was going to be spending time with my family, doing something I loved. Sharing the woods with people you care about is a lot of fun. Sharing the hiking experience with someone who’s never done it before, and having him enjoy it just as much, feels awesome. And I’m pretty sure Jonathan enjoyed it, because afterwards he proclaimed, “I think I want to hike Mt. Marcy.” And so it begins for another new hiker.
Ready to hike your first peak? Whether you want to do a quick family-friendly loop or a longer, full-day adventure, the Schroon Lake Region has plenty of hikes to choose from!
