Kempshall Mountain

The trail to this summit appears to be unmaintained or maintained in very poor shape, but that does not stop Woodstrider from giving it the old school try.

I saw the trail on the USGS map and it starts right at Long Lake and follows the south side of a lively stream for about half the trail distance until it crosses a number of feeder streams and and finally crosses one last stream at about 2200'. To this point the footpath was not hard to follow and except for several trees down across the trail easy to see, even with the freshly fallen leaves. Above this last stream crossing (the other side marked with a blue plastic disc which I think someone relocated from the NLP trail) it becomes very sketchy in places.

From the last stream crossing to the summit it is over a thousand feet of vertical gain all along a trail that has at some spots been wiped out by fallen trees. Go-arounds have developed at these spots that have become the trail and there is a certain amount of zig-zagging. This is the sketchiest section of the the trail. If you try it I would advise you go slow and always keep an eye to where the true trail used to lay so you do not go astray- unless you like an unexpected bushwhack through the dog-hair spruce.

As you near the summit the trail becomes a wider tunnel through the trees experience and you will pass a spring (this may be an old well to supple water for the fire warden or the out house pit- I am not sure. Have to find a map of the summit from when it had a look-out tower and cabin- maybe some one knows and will post the info).

The cabin, look-out tower and any other buildings that once were have been razed, removed or otherwise destroyed. There are no open views. I saw no one the entire time. I went because it's what I like to do and I was looking for the DS and two DRs on top. I enjoyed the experience.

To climb this mountain you should be experienced and comfortable with wilderness paths and even off-trail travel through thick forest growth. I noticed only 5 round tail blazes the entire way- and two were on fallen trees lying on the ground. Carry a compass and USGS map. I take two- one is a hard copy and one is stored in my camera ( I take a picture of the map).

I would return there again, and I would bring a small saw to help clear the trail at the worst of the snags.

It's been quite a few years, but as I recall nearby Blueberry Mtn (a short bushwhack leaving the old trail about half-way to Kempshall) has summit ledges with nice views to the south and east.

The trail to Kempshall sounds pretty much in the same condition as John Swanson and I experienced when we visited in 1997. There must be some periodic care or use by hikers, or else the trail would be totally obliterated, like T-Lake Mountain. Too bad the fire tower is gone. Without it, there are no views and hence no reason to keep the trail maintained.

Well, there are many reasons to go climb a mountain and to explore an abandoned trail. I knew that this trail had been abandoned. I believe an effort was made to remove the trail marker discs. But it is definitely still used- and efforts by persons unknown to try to at least indicate the way. And I will probably return some year and I will probably cut a few branches. Would have on Oct. one if I hadn't forgotten the darn thing at home.

As I recall, John Swanson does not need any trail in any condition to go bag a peak. Dennis C. if hiked with him you must be a wild-a-- bushwhacker, too. And you must have done this mountain as part of his 3K of the NE project.

woodstrider said:

Well, there are many reasons to go climb a mountain and to explore an abandoned trail. As I recall, John Swanson does not need any trail in any condition to go bag a peak. Dennis C. if hiked with him you must be a wild-a-- bushwhacker, too. And you must have done this mountain as part of his 3K of the NE project.

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Memories of Kempshall will always be special. John and I finished the NY 3000s together on that peak. Is there still a good sized clearing on the summit? It's a great mountain, and worthy of requesting a DEC approval for an elevated platform to be constructed on the summit. The trail would certainly be maintained then. But if the mountain has been re-designated as "wilderness", then forget it.

Dennis C. said:

Memories of Kempshall will always be special. John and I finished the NY 3000s together on that peak.

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So did you finish at the tower site, or the other bump?

Can't answer for Dennis, but unless he was heading to the second bump for a view, just over 0.1mi beyond, the second bump is a few feet shorter in elevation than the tower site.

As I recall, we did some scrappy bushwhacking from the former tower summit clearing to check for a higher bump.

teleskier said:

It's been quite a few years, but as I recall nearby Blueberry Mtn (a short bushwhack leaving the old trail about half-way to Kempshall) has summit ledges with nice views to the south and east.

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Yes, it does. It has also been quite a few years. I recall a similar route, but don't remember the details.

Ledges are quite visible in the standard air photos
http://acme.com/mapper/?ll=44.02087,-74.35422&z=15&t=N&marker0=43.97269,-74.42043,long lake\, ny

Some images from my trip to Kempshall

The best shot is of a DR found on the summit. Couldn't find the stationThe clearing on the summitA rare trail markerA b beautiful fall day- perfect for a trip to the Northwoods. Played all day 10 mile RT hike and got back to camp late

When I took the "closed" trail up Kempshall in 1993, it was in fine shape up to the stream crossing in the Blueberry/Kempshall col, but it disappeared into thick conifers shortly thereafter. Returning in 2011 with dritter, though, we found the trail well-used and the tread way obvious, although there were a few detours around blowdown. A few transplanted trail markers were tacked to trees as well. What had brought the trail back to life? Geocachers, apparently. We found one of their boxes on the ground, off to the side of the cleared former tower area. I recall finding some tarnished quarters inside. We continued on to the second bump, just in case, but it seemed no higher than the tower area. Wished I'd been up there before the tower came down... with that peak's prominence and location, the views must have been superb.

I hiked Kempshall in 1968 with a group of Boy Scouts doing a canoe trip. We camped at a leanto on Long Lake near the base of Kempshall. I remember a fun hike and a good view from the fire tower. Many years later when I hiked Emmons, I could see a different perspective of Kempshall and Long Lake. Great wilderness area.