SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
BACKPACKER.COM 15PLAY WITH FIRE.
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS, NY
Watch fall’s fi ery hues color the forest all around you from the
Rondaxe Fire Tower atop Bald Mountain (also called Rondaxe
Mountain). Gaining 500 feet in just under a mile, the climb to the
2,350-foot summit off ers midway rewards in views over the Fulton
Chain of Lakes. From the top, soak in the vibrant hues of sugar
maples, American beech, and yellow birch trees (peak foliage
tends to occur in early- to mid-October). Look northeast for vistas of
the High Peaks Wilderness, including 5,344-foot Mt. Marcy, the state’s
tallest. Return the way you came for a 1.9-mile out-and-back. Plan a
sunrise hike to beat the crowds that fl ock to this peak in autumn, and to see
a diff erent sort of fl ame over the morning fog. CONTACT adk.org1
JOHNATHAN AMPERSAND ESPER / WILDERNESSCAPES PHOTOGRAPHY