Another Day, Another Two High Peaks
What up Road Trip Warriors!? I was able to tackle two more Adirondack High Peaks putting me at 30/46. Street and Nye Mountains were a quick rip from the Adirondack Loj. These two High Peaks can be tackled quickly due to the short distance of the hike. Here is everything you’ll need to know in prep of hiking these two mountains!
Summary of Street and Nye Hike
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: Roughly 9-10 miles round trip (I know the Internet says less, but the Internet lies)
- Street Elevation: 4,166′
- Nye Elevation: 3,895′
- Hiking Time: 6-7 hours
- Photo Opportunities: At the summit of Street Mountain there is a small opening just past the summit where you can get some decent shots. On your way to Nye Mountain there are some vistas that open up as well where you can capture some cool photos of the MacIntyre Range!
Trailhead
The trailhead for Street and Nye Mountains can be found at the Adirondack Loj. Follow Route 73 towards Lake Placid and Adirondack Loj Road will eventually be on your left. You will reach it well before reaching the ski jumps. Follow the road for about 3 miles and you will have reached the Loj. It now costs $15 to park for the day. Don’t forget to sign in at the wooden structure at the trailhead!
Starting The Hike
After parking at the Adirondack Loj, you’ll walk back towards the booth where you paid. You’ll initially follow a gravel path that will lead you along the shore of Heart Lake. You’ll hit a trail register and shortly after that you will turn right at the junction for the Old Nye Ski Trail and Mt. Jo via Rock Garden. Keep following the trail straight and it soon becomes an “unmaintained” trail. Don’t let that discourage you, the trail is very easy to follow, but there is a lot of blowdown (fallen trees, branches, etc).
Crossing Indian Pass Brook
As you continue trekking through the woods, you’ll eventually have to cross Indian Pass Brook. There is no bridge and if the water is running high it can be a pain to get across. I don’t have much advice here besides watch your step and stick to the dry boulders if possible.
Climbing to the Herd-Path Intersection
After crossing the brook the hike gradually gets steeper and then turns into an aggressive climb towards the herd-path intersection. Since this trail is unmaintained, there will be a lot of blowdown as you get higher in elevation. After a steep ascent you will reach the intersection of Street and Nye mountains. The names of the mountains are carved into a tree with arrows to direct you. See below.
Street Mountain
You will take a left at this intersection to head towards the summit of Street Mountain. I suggest taking this peak first as Nye is a much shorter distance from the junction. Street is less than a mile from the junction and the climb is gradual. There is a sign on the summit so it is hard to pass. The summit of Street Mountain is wooded, but if you venture around there are some openings with half-decent views.
Nye Mountain
To get to Nye Mountain you will have to head back to the junction. Nye will be on the right and is a shorter distance than Street Mountain was….probably a couple tenths of a mile. There are better views on the way to Nye Mountain, particularly of the MacIntyre Range. See below. Wright Mountain is on the far left, Algonquin Mountain is the center peak, and Iroquois Mountain is at the far right end.
Nye Mountain, like Street Mountain, is a wooded summit. All that is on the summit is a wooden sign signifying that you summited the peak!
Getting Back to Trailhead
Getting back to the trailhead is straightforward. As this is an out-and-back hike, you will follow the same trail down that you hiked up in.
Dog friendly
I would say that a dog wouldn’t have any issues climbing these two High Peaks with you. The trail requires no scrambling or steep rock faces. Although it gets steep in some sections of the climb, it is nothing that your fluff buddy couldn’t handle.
Fam-Friendly
These two High Peaks aren’t difficult by any means and if you want to bring the fam, I don’t see why they wouldn’t be capable of this hike. As you can see in the summary above, the distance isn’t too cumbersome and you get the opportunity to hike along Heart Lake, and get new views of the MacIntyre Range. I saw older individuals and very young individuals attempting this hike. The only downside are that the views aren’t as grand as other mountains in the area. If this hike is too long for you, try Mount Jo that is found along the same trailhead. Its only a couple miles round trip and you’ll get a bird’s eye view of Heart Lake.
Clothes/gear worn
- Timberland Hiking Boots
- Nike Compression shorts
- Athletic shorts
- Adidas Joggers
- Athletic T-shirt
- EMS Hiking socks (warmest pair they make)
Gear/Food Brought
- 2.5L of water
- Peanut butter granola bars, and peanut butter sandwiches
- Extra EMS hiking socks
- Bandana
- Extra shirts, compression shorts, and underarmour
- Wind/Rain Pants
- Emergency tents and blankets
- Knife
- Paracord and three carabiners
- Water-proof matches
- LifeStraw (water filtration, costs about $20)
- Trekking poles
- First-Aid Kit
- Garmin inReach (satellite device that has a GPS, can send texts, send SOS, and has many other helpful features)
RTW Note
Thank you if you took the time to check out this post on another hike in the Adirondacks. Street and Nye weren’t too rough and I’d recommend this hike to both experienced and beginner hikers. If you found post this helpful or liked it at all, slam that like button and give the old subscribe button some love! Toss a comment on this post or any others and I will be sure to get back to you. Stay safe and happy hiking!
-Ant
