Mt Van Hoevenberg

Mt Van Hoevenberg

We ventured up another mountain today. This one was a little shorter than the last one we tried to climb. The trail was a little shorter, also—only 2.2 miles one way.

A large beaver pond

There are many trails to choose from within a short distance of our campground. We chose this trail to the top of Mt. Van Hoevenberg in honor of the man who started it all. Henry Van Hoevenberg was a lover of the great outdoors and he dedicated his life to helping provide opportunities for others to enjoy nature in this area. He was the first to map out a trail to the summit of Mt. Marcy in the 1880s. That trail which bears his name is the one we hiked on our trek to the top and it is the most popular route to Marcy’s summit because it is the shortest. Van Hoevenberg was also the builder of the original Adirondack Lodge (now spelt Loj) which was destroyed by a forest fire in 1903. He also founded the Adirondack Camp and Trail Club in 1910 to provide hiking opportunities to the early visitors coming to the Lake Placid area. Although the practice of marked trails with shelters coursing through the wilderness was not the brainstorm of Van Hoevenberg, he is credited with getting it started in this area.

Gene did a little work while we were there

So today, in his honor, we climbed the mountain that bears his name. Except for the really wet stretch around the beaver pond, the trail was mostly dry and in good condition. It was a very enjoyable hike to the summit and a rock ledge provided a great lunch spot.

View from our lunch rock