I spent a couple of days at the
Adirondak Loj (yes, it's spelled that way) last week stopping there as I drove down from Montreal where I visited my son and daughter-in-law in their new apartment. Never having been at the Loj before and being alone, I hiked the shorter trails nearby. I walked around Heart Lake in the rain the afternoon I arrived; climbed up Mt. Jo and walked to Rocky Falls the following day. The next morning, I checked out and drove a mile or so up the road to the trailhead for Mt. Van Hoevenberg.
Mt. Jo is a short climb up to a wonderful view of the surrounding high peaks and Heart Lake immediately below. The trail is well worn and eroded. They say that 14,000 people climb it every year! However, I started at 8:30am and met only a few people and was alone at the top. It's a wonderful, wonderful summit for such a short climb, about an hour.
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The dock at Heart Lake near the Adirondak Loj. |
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The Short Trail up to Mt. Jo was steep, rocky, eroded and certainly well used. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBMybSyyP7C4xkJvXEoANdEej4lLdugP5gDnulVL8uj1ne0Pah_Ffi1qy0JLb-xEWQpeZsfc-rJxAl7aKPG3UhBQuWE0CndjHkx3qjUgbgUJ7SFojnARarNsiBZZbaMnbwuvqS1UrbOI/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg2.jpg) |
Loved the boulders! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05hkIUkp1I8xS33CW9HyZr0VtiEPiC5mfN8Rj-TElr3QWcUrqnKguW2vUGgDqRpsGJiqpWuB1R5QkfNvhYWfJehLcp_EjHi8JK2jGZm6F02TjeknZx08kcAEp71WA-JWZic111KL3aJs/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg3.jpg) |
Near the top as the trees thinned. |
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Spruce trees covered the area around the summit ledges. |
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The views were spectacular especially for the short climb. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7sXyiF2oz0n2IvRxtSnkALwT-3Idv-mspS41yt18zt8vnTDUGkozYO2pl6xDS2j6gyMpCFNo7HxMVv8STcukxaQYiAF5VaI8BuLWHXoH38WF_bZyPvp0S1XgOzqCcGs0mbzvNZ4WYYM/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg8.jpg) |
Heart Lake in the near distance where the Adirondak Loj is located. |
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I had the summit all to myself and enjoyed a second breakfast! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2j3sesTIX09XJPE67vdxYmkjRcDhp_QnhbWfGks6O2ZFlasQnqMPJaJcpH2SsXXTg9KFhIOrLTSC_sICPOzeG_ZybA0VKyqr37COZrbw0DbVTCL9YKVlKQ-JojL2smLIeVl-rcb3yeQ/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg21.jpg) |
Large area of smooth ledge at the top. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgADOjM7yBJkjfzdaAFwnGbZFY9wW9m9Sp_53_GQ8Q6M1ADLN7-vAGWCCB4Gdx5In1DXkRytRpQg_KfwilpRnnRGWA4z888L14X8VMWlPkfeFXESSylfsE0LCJBwbsDnD6wLTdkhsuL4/s400/ADK+Mt+Jo+1.jpg) |
On the way down, I took the less-used Rock Garden Trail and was rewarded with outstanding micro-views. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Fmih6aq9Lf29XSA4djq9CyQ2HgPBd0PgHoX1ntHLCkA66rFfdfFfMQDA2AD1EvgGoF9LIybGnxBWJpz7sARgxXpietX0ndKzDxwHuQ8qFexdKQjFGSr2zWi__jd5hOnjtlVHWAMpmTA/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg19.jpg) |
Maybe it should have been called the Garden of Rocks Trail! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzSvRU3Cv3V4ES-z-sweT237kP9m0kCv6WwGJsLmaRZj05iDOsvBH2Epu9L05nhEo01fOreihxmXp5IViPQqZmR6tPsN6I4qenJ4QLf_JRfozVVq-1XZLCpxqdcz7go4yOpEp3MbvvJA/s640/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg12.jpg) |
Or perhaps the Garden on the Rocks Trail! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJli-xmL-YcnlhqI-d0-U-EGW-xyN4hC9IDP-EtynXZCzxgtjVkgvCL-j5hkbRm4SPoWdB2gYQI-yb1kTGLqsWFc5k4GZFO7qF53IL7g8j-pk_jzsPk2ERVeS2E2CdRsTOIcHWP1eoIAk/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg13.jpg) |
Beautiful moss on this trunk/root of the tree growing up improbably out of the side of the rocks. |
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The trail went between these two large outcroppings or perhaps they were really huge boulders. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgue2dboJMBVjU_gUzuIe7dN7FXfzqjSFtpLXhHVshiOXTzw0TYxyYIxdfx02Cvi-cJpqWL0RGkypWWPFT3roDfBLbbpWHTCTrqkGbF1VLfTUClsknZTGD5P8o0fO2UV3v5iWCl1mfTI5Y/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg15.jpg) |
Large patch of rock tripe lichen on this huge rock that was taller than me. |
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Although the trunk on the left was dead, you can see how the roots of the two trees intertwined. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwSQTHXJgYe65NeagIcnkTWfmmNZme4gf8dr75FgZQ2AZj-kzAN2tOKIoY6raQEjQ8rcqRcS9raHjfLV5QF8VkwzEvc5HrC_aEXC3nbiK0MUR7J2zc6ADJNb9nfHOd5q0P0Y6By_rI20/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg20.jpg) |
Cute little mushrooms peeking up from inside this rotted tree trunk! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2V0vcE1t8EfUq7KjAr7qU_cqOhzNaEv7OyLNxy6jUsjM4k14NzaWjaVlzYXrX7rElvG4WyMfdXMXtGslk-4yGJ2fdrSNoXCHHvZwlhtIzjqFMoUzicT6aSOyqbuxKXfJQjvsGZZMssM/s400/ADK+Mt+Van+Hoevenberg17.jpg) |
That afternoon, I walked another 2 miles to get to Rocky Fall with amazingly clear cold water. |
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