DSettahr
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I'd been itching to spend a night in the woods, as work and being sick have prevented me from doing so in over a month. Despite having spent a total of 51 nights outside this summer during my internship with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (I only slept inside 5 times!), after a few weeks inside I was starting to miss it again.
And so, having found myself with a free Monday evening and not needing to be at work until 7 pm the following day, I decided to take advantage of my free weeknight and go check out a lean-to I'd never been to before. I'd had my eye on Murphy Lake for over 5 years now, ever since I'd purchased my first ADK Hiking Guide (the Southern Region, since it was closest to Albany, where I lived at the time) and first started getting into hiking and backpacking. And so, having not yet ever gotten around to finally visiting the place, I decided on Murphy Lake as my destination for the evening.
I decided to hike in from the south so that I could also visit Bennett and Middle Lakes. After arriving at the trailhead at 5 pm, I quickly flipped through the trailhead register, noticed that there were quite a few entries, signed myself in, and began hiking. The trail into Murphy Lake follows an old road most of the way. The ADK Guidebook says that the road is over 100 years old, and even possibly follows a route that was used by Native Americans prior to European settlers attempts at farming the region. It certainly is a bit of a glimpse into the past... stone walls along the road, large old cut stumps scattered through the woods, and the foundation of a root cellar server as reminders of a pastoral history that is long gone.
The road itself, which is a snowmobile trail in the winter, alternates from being in excellent shape to needing some serious repair. The worst sections were the uphill climbs, both near the start of the trail, and between Bennett and Middle Lakes. Here, the road climbs directly up the hills, and washouts and gullies have left behind large cobblestones and rocks that could easily result in a twisted ankle. Some of the worst sections in the beginning of the trail have either footpaths or full blow re-routes around them, but these aren't always marked or easy to see. In contrast, on the gentler slopes, the road is a pleasant and flat walk through the woods with ample leaf and pine needle litter beneath your feet to cushion your steps. Additionally, it seemed fairly overgrown for a snowmobile path. The ADK Guidebook says it doesn't get much use as such... good thing, as I can't imagine those on snowmobiles enjoy constantly getting thwacked by head-level branches.
I almost missed Bennett Lake, and the hiker who walks with his head down and his attention in front would be well advised to correct his methods if he wants to find it. The trail never comes close to the shore, but rather stays several hundred feet back in the woods. The lake is visible through the trees, but I can imagine that it's not easy to spot during the height of summer with all the leaves in full array. Rather than detouring down to the shore to check it out, I elected to continue towards Murphy Lake, wanting to reach the lean-to before dark. I decided that I would further investigate the lake the next day, on my return journey.
Beyond Bennett Lake, the trail begins to climb again. I soon reached a junction without any markings. The old road, it seemed, continued straight ahead up into a gully and looked to be in terrible disrepair. To the right, a path continued up the hill without any markings but seeming, by the wear and tear of the vegetation, to carry most of the traffic. Without any signs, I was at a momentary loss as to which path to take, but soon selected the one to the right. As it turned out, the decision was not a momentous one, as the path I chose was simply another reroute around the washed out gully, and rejoined the road at the top of the hill a few hundred feet farther on.
After some more uphill climbing, I reached Middle Lake, which I first spotted through the trees. The road at first stayed well back from the shore, and I thought it would end up being a repeat of of Bennett Lake, but at the very northern end of the lake, the road dipped down to the shoreline, giving me a quick look at Middle Lake before I continued on.
Murphy Lake was only a few minutes beyond Middle Lake, and I reached the lean-to on the east shore just as it got dark enough to need a headlamp to see. A few hundred feet from the lean-to, I would've sworn that I smelled smoke from either a campfire or a pipe, and was fully expecting to find company when I rounded the side the lean-to only to find it empty with the fire pit full of cold damp ashes. Funny how our mind can play tricks on us like that.
With the quickly spreading darkness, I elected to save the explorations for morning and concentrated instead on getting set up for the evening. I pulled out my sleeping pad and sleeping bag, and sat down to read the lean-to log book for a bit before starting to cook dinner. My suspicions had been aroused that Murphy Lake might be a popular destination when I saw the trail head register, and the log book only confirmed it. Numerous entries graced the pages of the book, many from overnighters but a with a few entries from day hikers as well. It seems like Murphy Lake is quite a popular first-time backpacking trip destination for those with younger kids. Other entries mentioned bushwhacks up nearby peaks to excellent views and blueberries (unfortunately, the clouds never afforded me a view of these peaks before I left). I also saw a few entries from forum regulars, ductape and justin in particular.
After making dinner, and reading a book for a bit, I turned my light off and turned in for the night. It seemed like I'd only been asleep for a few minutes when I awoke in the morning to the sound of raindrops, and the sight of mist, fog, and gray skies. I lay in my sleeping bag for a while, waiting for it to get lighter out, and eventually realized that it wasn't getting any brighter... the dreary light outside was the best I was going to get that morning.
I made myself some breakfast (cold pop tarts and a banana!) and began to pack up. Before leaving, however, I set off to spend a few minutes exploring Murphy Lake. The lean-to is located on a knoll on the west shore, shaded by large coniferous trees. Down by the shore are some large bedrock outcrops and erratics that I imagine must be nice to sit against on a warm sunny afternoon and read a good book. I followed the trail north a little bit, and soon found three additional campsites within a five minute walk of the lean-to, two of which were quite nice. It was pretty apparent that the lean-to log book wasn't lying- Murphy Lake is indeed a popular destination.
Returning to the lean-to, I grabbed my pack and began my journey back to the car. Since I'd surpassed both lakes quickly the previous afternoon in order to arrive at the lean-to before dark, I decided to spend some time checking out both destinations, especially since entries in the lean-to log book raved about the nice campsites there. It wasn't difficult to find campsites on Middle Lake. An entry in the log book at Murphy Lake had mentioned numerous sites, and the author certainly wasn't kidding! I think I found at least 5 or 6 on the west shore, and I could easily see some across the lake as well as out on one of the islands. A smaller island, near the south shore, had obviously been the victim of a fire. Hopefully it was natural, but I have a feeling is was probably set by a careless camper.
In one campsite, near the southwest shore of Middle Lake, I made an interesting discovery: an old cement fireplace, the kind that you typically see in front of a lean-to. Was there ever a lean-to here on Middle Lake?
Once I'd decided that I'd spent enough time exploring Middle Lake and taking pictures, I grabbed my pack and continued on towards Bennett Lake. When I reached the washed out gully with the re-route, I decided to take the gully instead of the newer route, just to see how bad the gully was. As it turns out, it was pretty bad. Slippery exposed bedrock and cobble sized rocks combined did not make for an easy descent. Fortunately, the washed out section was only a few hundred feet long and soon I was back on stable footing.
As soon as I saw Bennett Lake within sight through the trees, I again turned off the trail to go do some exploring. I quickly discovered yet another cement-style camping fireplace in a campsite on the northwest shore of Bennett Lake. Furthermore, this campsite also had an outhouse. It seems to me that both Middle and Bennett Lakes may have had lean-tos at some point in the past, but the ADK Guidebook makes no mention of them. Historical (and recent) topographic maps don't show any shelters on the lakes. Does anyone have any knowledge about the history of this area?
Continued...
I'd been itching to spend a night in the woods, as work and being sick have prevented me from doing so in over a month. Despite having spent a total of 51 nights outside this summer during my internship with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (I only slept inside 5 times!), after a few weeks inside I was starting to miss it again.
And so, having found myself with a free Monday evening and not needing to be at work until 7 pm the following day, I decided to take advantage of my free weeknight and go check out a lean-to I'd never been to before. I'd had my eye on Murphy Lake for over 5 years now, ever since I'd purchased my first ADK Hiking Guide (the Southern Region, since it was closest to Albany, where I lived at the time) and first started getting into hiking and backpacking. And so, having not yet ever gotten around to finally visiting the place, I decided on Murphy Lake as my destination for the evening.
I decided to hike in from the south so that I could also visit Bennett and Middle Lakes. After arriving at the trailhead at 5 pm, I quickly flipped through the trailhead register, noticed that there were quite a few entries, signed myself in, and began hiking. The trail into Murphy Lake follows an old road most of the way. The ADK Guidebook says that the road is over 100 years old, and even possibly follows a route that was used by Native Americans prior to European settlers attempts at farming the region. It certainly is a bit of a glimpse into the past... stone walls along the road, large old cut stumps scattered through the woods, and the foundation of a root cellar server as reminders of a pastoral history that is long gone.
The road itself, which is a snowmobile trail in the winter, alternates from being in excellent shape to needing some serious repair. The worst sections were the uphill climbs, both near the start of the trail, and between Bennett and Middle Lakes. Here, the road climbs directly up the hills, and washouts and gullies have left behind large cobblestones and rocks that could easily result in a twisted ankle. Some of the worst sections in the beginning of the trail have either footpaths or full blow re-routes around them, but these aren't always marked or easy to see. In contrast, on the gentler slopes, the road is a pleasant and flat walk through the woods with ample leaf and pine needle litter beneath your feet to cushion your steps. Additionally, it seemed fairly overgrown for a snowmobile path. The ADK Guidebook says it doesn't get much use as such... good thing, as I can't imagine those on snowmobiles enjoy constantly getting thwacked by head-level branches.
I almost missed Bennett Lake, and the hiker who walks with his head down and his attention in front would be well advised to correct his methods if he wants to find it. The trail never comes close to the shore, but rather stays several hundred feet back in the woods. The lake is visible through the trees, but I can imagine that it's not easy to spot during the height of summer with all the leaves in full array. Rather than detouring down to the shore to check it out, I elected to continue towards Murphy Lake, wanting to reach the lean-to before dark. I decided that I would further investigate the lake the next day, on my return journey.
Beyond Bennett Lake, the trail begins to climb again. I soon reached a junction without any markings. The old road, it seemed, continued straight ahead up into a gully and looked to be in terrible disrepair. To the right, a path continued up the hill without any markings but seeming, by the wear and tear of the vegetation, to carry most of the traffic. Without any signs, I was at a momentary loss as to which path to take, but soon selected the one to the right. As it turned out, the decision was not a momentous one, as the path I chose was simply another reroute around the washed out gully, and rejoined the road at the top of the hill a few hundred feet farther on.
After some more uphill climbing, I reached Middle Lake, which I first spotted through the trees. The road at first stayed well back from the shore, and I thought it would end up being a repeat of of Bennett Lake, but at the very northern end of the lake, the road dipped down to the shoreline, giving me a quick look at Middle Lake before I continued on.
Murphy Lake was only a few minutes beyond Middle Lake, and I reached the lean-to on the east shore just as it got dark enough to need a headlamp to see. A few hundred feet from the lean-to, I would've sworn that I smelled smoke from either a campfire or a pipe, and was fully expecting to find company when I rounded the side the lean-to only to find it empty with the fire pit full of cold damp ashes. Funny how our mind can play tricks on us like that.
With the quickly spreading darkness, I elected to save the explorations for morning and concentrated instead on getting set up for the evening. I pulled out my sleeping pad and sleeping bag, and sat down to read the lean-to log book for a bit before starting to cook dinner. My suspicions had been aroused that Murphy Lake might be a popular destination when I saw the trail head register, and the log book only confirmed it. Numerous entries graced the pages of the book, many from overnighters but a with a few entries from day hikers as well. It seems like Murphy Lake is quite a popular first-time backpacking trip destination for those with younger kids. Other entries mentioned bushwhacks up nearby peaks to excellent views and blueberries (unfortunately, the clouds never afforded me a view of these peaks before I left). I also saw a few entries from forum regulars, ductape and justin in particular.
After making dinner, and reading a book for a bit, I turned my light off and turned in for the night. It seemed like I'd only been asleep for a few minutes when I awoke in the morning to the sound of raindrops, and the sight of mist, fog, and gray skies. I lay in my sleeping bag for a while, waiting for it to get lighter out, and eventually realized that it wasn't getting any brighter... the dreary light outside was the best I was going to get that morning.
I made myself some breakfast (cold pop tarts and a banana!) and began to pack up. Before leaving, however, I set off to spend a few minutes exploring Murphy Lake. The lean-to is located on a knoll on the west shore, shaded by large coniferous trees. Down by the shore are some large bedrock outcrops and erratics that I imagine must be nice to sit against on a warm sunny afternoon and read a good book. I followed the trail north a little bit, and soon found three additional campsites within a five minute walk of the lean-to, two of which were quite nice. It was pretty apparent that the lean-to log book wasn't lying- Murphy Lake is indeed a popular destination.
Returning to the lean-to, I grabbed my pack and began my journey back to the car. Since I'd surpassed both lakes quickly the previous afternoon in order to arrive at the lean-to before dark, I decided to spend some time checking out both destinations, especially since entries in the lean-to log book raved about the nice campsites there. It wasn't difficult to find campsites on Middle Lake. An entry in the log book at Murphy Lake had mentioned numerous sites, and the author certainly wasn't kidding! I think I found at least 5 or 6 on the west shore, and I could easily see some across the lake as well as out on one of the islands. A smaller island, near the south shore, had obviously been the victim of a fire. Hopefully it was natural, but I have a feeling is was probably set by a careless camper.
In one campsite, near the southwest shore of Middle Lake, I made an interesting discovery: an old cement fireplace, the kind that you typically see in front of a lean-to. Was there ever a lean-to here on Middle Lake?
Once I'd decided that I'd spent enough time exploring Middle Lake and taking pictures, I grabbed my pack and continued on towards Bennett Lake. When I reached the washed out gully with the re-route, I decided to take the gully instead of the newer route, just to see how bad the gully was. As it turns out, it was pretty bad. Slippery exposed bedrock and cobble sized rocks combined did not make for an easy descent. Fortunately, the washed out section was only a few hundred feet long and soon I was back on stable footing.
As soon as I saw Bennett Lake within sight through the trees, I again turned off the trail to go do some exploring. I quickly discovered yet another cement-style camping fireplace in a campsite on the northwest shore of Bennett Lake. Furthermore, this campsite also had an outhouse. It seems to me that both Middle and Bennett Lakes may have had lean-tos at some point in the past, but the ADK Guidebook makes no mention of them. Historical (and recent) topographic maps don't show any shelters on the lakes. Does anyone have any knowledge about the history of this area?
Continued...
