Mt. Jo and Rocky Falls at the Adirondack Loj/Heart Lake Program Center (Adirondack Mountain Club)
11 March 2021
Today our goal was mainly to hike Mt. Jo and if time allowed, reach Rocky Falls. Fortunately we got to do both! The weather was warm today giving us a little taste of the spring that is soon to come. When we started up the trail to Mt. Jo it was hard packed with snow and a little slick so we opted for micro spikes. It was actually a good thing we did as there were some steep icy spots that I’m sure I would not have been able to navigate in snow shoes. We took the “short trail” on the way up. It is indeed short but steep (less than a mile) but once at the top the views of the surrounding mountains are amazing.
After taking a short break to enjoy the sun and peel a layer of clothing off (yes it was that warm!), we made our way back down. We took the “long trail” down and even though it wasn’t as steep we were struggling with our footing because the snow was getting so soft. We changed over to snow shoes for our journey over to Rocky Falls, via Indian Pass. It was a few miles from Mt. Jo but no steep inclines or declines. The deep snow was getting so mushy on the trail, we couldn’t help but sink in every couple of steps, which definitely slowed us down.
Once we reached the edge of Indian Pass Brook, we were able to go out onto the still frozen water.
We then followed the path that is marked “lean-to” with an arrow. We stayed on the path that follows along the river (another separate herd path to the left goes uphill to the lean-to) to get closer to the falls. While the falls were totally frozen, the snow and ice were pillowy soft. A thin band of frozen pool beneath the falls was visible. (This blue water pool is very inviting in hot summer!). You could see some tracks left from people walking and skiing up the brook when it was frozen.
Before heading back to the parking lot we went by the lean-to and discovered a privy. Can’t use it though, it’s currently at a 45 degree angle! The trek back was a trudge-fest through mashed potatoes. We did our best to not leave any post-holes but even in snowshoes, it was impossible. We made one side stop to check out the the views of Heart Lake and I’m so glad we did as it was beautiful.
What you don’t know about me and only a few (well 2 to be exact, Mike, my husband, and Anne) do know is that when I’m a passenger in a car for a long car ride I have a tendency to fall asleep. I just can’t help it. Today on our way back I was “resting my eyes” when Anne let out a little gasp and said look at that! Outside there was this beautiful rainbow. It was barely even raining and there was just enough sun to create it across the sky. It was a great way to end a great day!
~Christy
Hike Details:
| Location: | Adirindack Loj/Heart Lake Program Center, 1002 Adirondack Loj Rd., Lake Placid NY 12946 |
| Directions: | from I-87N, take Exit 30 for US-9 toward NY-73/Keene Valley/Keene. Turn left onto US-9 then keep left on NY-73. Follow NY-73 for 24 miles then turn left onto Adirondack Loj Rd. Follow for 4.7 miles to the gate and parking lots. *NOTE: there is a parking fee- for non ADK members it was $15 for a day pass. |
| Challenges: | Lake Placid 9er, ADK Snow Falls, ADK Fifty Falls, Waterfalls of NYS: 100+ |
| Difficulty: | Moderate: Mount Jo Loop is short and steep. Indian Pass to Rocky Falls is easy-moderate due to length. |
| Distance: | 7 miles combined. Mt Jo Loop on it’s own is 1.8 miles. Indian Pass to Rocky Falls on it’s own 5.6 miles. |
| Elevation Gain: | Mt. Jo: 692 ft Rocky Falls: 423 ft |
| Moving Time: | 4 hrs 10 min |