Dennis Aprill, a NYS licensed trail guide, is a man who likes to take paths less traveled. He isn't a fan of more populated trails, which are mostly all the high peaks in the Adirondacks. "The Adirondacks has a lot to offer, if you know where to look," Aprill said. "Baxter is a neat little mountain, and when I was up there, I was the only one there."

The high peaks region, nestled along Keene Valley, offers opportunities for hikers and nature levels of all levels to get outdoors and enjoy pristine picturesque portraits. Taking April's advice, Mount Baxter was the first climb we tackled, which is down Route 73, between Keene and Keene Valley. It took us roughly one hour to climb the summit.

Along the way, we came across fox, rabbit and bear tracks, which made the trek even more stimulating. Since I am a bit out of shape, this mountain was the perfect springboard for getting fit because we were immediately hiking up the mountain as soon as we walked past the trailhead. At the 30-minute mark, we encountered some slippery ice sheets that slid under our feet until we reached the top. This was difficult for my shorter hiking partners, but I was able to stretch my long legs on the outskirts of the trail, digging into the untouched snow.

"It's impossible in the Adirondacks to find a trail that hasn't been trampled on. That's why the low peaks are so great-there's rarely anyone else around," says Aprill.

Once we reached the top, 2,440 feet up, we had a panoramic view of the high peaks around us. We could see the Great Range and Mount Marcy, which were still snow capped. Mount Marcy was our original destination. But after seeing the piles of snow still inhabiting the last quarter of the mountain, we were glad we didn't attempt that run.

Although you can still hear and see cars scraping along the highway from the top, it is dwarfed by many of the surrounding high peaks around us. And also, we too were alone, which gave us the quality solitary we had been seeking. The striking view reconciled how small this mountain really is. We looked forward to the next week, when we planned to summit a high peak.

The following weekend, after five days of gorgeous weather, we headed for Cascade and Porter Mountains. We were treated to muddy trails plush with deep puddles. An article had warned us to "avoid natural instincts to go off the trail, so you don't widen the path." We obeyed and sloshed up the trail through mud and water that was nearly above our ankles.
After an hour of intense hiking-climbing rocks three to four feet high-we reached the halfway point. We were probably about 2,000 feet up and in the bulk of a snowfield that would persevere until the summit. It was quite a task to endure. A beaten path about eight inches in width permitted a hard surface to trek along. But if one were to venture off to the right or left, they would find themselves knee-deep in snow.

We had reached a point where the trail to Porter veered right and Cascade to the left. Since we had some time on our hands, we decided to head right-the summit read 0.7 miles, with a 270-foot ascent. We met some hikers along the way and they informed us that the peak was a bit further. "You've got some climbing to do," one claimed.

After about half a mile of hiking, we came along a rock in the middle of the trail. This boulder was probably twenty feet high, and granted us an opportunity to test our rock climbing capabilities. Perched on top of the boulder, we caught our breaths. Then we descended the boulder and followed the trail around it. One of my companions decided to take an alternate route, leaping from the top of the rock.

We heard him land and raced over to see him-there he was, waist deep in snow. This made us realize what type of snowfield we were dealing with, and without snowshoes, we knew we had to exercise caution. We pulled Kenny out. He had lost his shoe. Sock dampened, he slid his sneaker back on and continued to the top.

We met two hikers at the summit. The woman, who was showing her partner the ropes, was a 46er, someone who has hiked all 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks. She pointed out to us all the mountains that circled us. She told us that it had only taken them 30 minutes to hike from Cascade to Porter, and since it was only 2:30 in the afternoon, we too decided to trek over to Cascade.

After retracing our steps and climbing the shorter 0.3-mile hike to the top we were welcomed with a vast rock-field. Traversing straight up the field was the easy way to beat the rock-field, but again, we wanted to test our boulder scaling abilities-there were plenty of boulders and rock walls that enabled us do this.

At the top, we drank in the view. From this vantage point, we could see forever-seemingly. The wind was a bit sterner atop Cascade, and we made it a point to stay near center of the peak. It was only the five of us, and we were on top of the world, quite literally.

One of my hiking partners and myself decided to run down the mountain, racing against the sunset. We had tore through the trail and made it to the head in approximately 30 minutes. My legs were caked in mud, but it was a sure sign that spring was finally here.

Exhausted and hungry, we cruised to Lake Placid to grab a bite to eat before the hour drive back to Plattsburgh. Both hikes were great: Baxter gave us some intimate solitude, while Cascade and Porter put two high peaks under our belt. From that point on, we had agreed to do a peak a week. After climbing a high peak, you too will become instantaneously addicted and yearn for more, and if you want something a little quieter and less populated, give the low peaks a shot.

Hiking stories you'd like to share?

Baxter Mountain: Located 2.0 miles east of intersection of NYS routes 73 and 9N at the top of the hill. The trail is south of Route 9N, 60 feet east of the intersection with Hurricane Road. 1.0 mile each way, it offers good views of Dix, Giant and High Peaks Wilderness Areas. Cascade and Porter: Both measure in at just over 4,000 feet and are two of the easier High Peaks hikes. Very rewarding views, for not too much effort, it's a good place to start the hiking season. It's also a very popular hike, so don't expect to be alone.