Lake George: Cat Mountain
Region: Lake George, Adirondack Mountains
February 14, 2021 | Bolton Landing, NY
The background: As some of you know, I officially began my love affair with the Adirondack Mountains in the summer of 2018. We’ve been going strong ever since; however, I had solely visited from June – November, never driving up from downstate in the harsh winters, for several reasons. My 14-year old front-wheel drive Jetta would not enjoy potentially being stuck in the snow, and I am traditionally not a winter hiker. But this season, friendship and fun outweighed all of the ‘excuses’ – so I hoped for the best for the weather and booked a mini getaway to Lake George village for Presidents’ Day Weekend. Ely, Lauren and I had planned to meet and hike – I suggested Cat and thankfully, they were all in. I had completed Cat and Thomas solo back in the fall of 2019 for the Lake George 12-ster and looooved it. The trails are beautiful, and the unobstructed view of Lake George is unbeatable. So Cat it was!
Getting to Cat and Thomas Mountain Preserve: If traveling from the south or Lake George Village: take exit 24 for Bolton Landing- Riverbank Road. Make a right and drive for 2 miles, until you reach Valley Woods Road – make a right and the (small) parking lot will be to your right. Once you reach the preserve, you will not have cell service, until you start making your way up the mountain. There is no fee to park.
The route: We hiked the blue trail to Cat Mountain, a total of 6.8-miles round trip (we completed as an out and back, but you can also make a longer day out of it and complete the loop, which includes the site of where the cabin on Thomas used to be. More on that below.)
The hike: We planned to meet at the trailhead at 7 AM to get an early start. I was the first car in the lot and a bit early, so made the rookie mistake of starting to get ready outside of my car. The temperatures were hovering around 15 degrees Fahrenheit and were not expected to increase too much throughout the day. There was also a slight chance of snow in the forecast, which is certainly not surprising this time of year. The girls arrived and I could not have been happier to see them – it was also the first time all 3 of us would be hiking together. There was no better way I could think of to spend Galentine’s Day than with two badass friends who inspire me constantly!
Anyway, if there is one thing I’ve learned when hiking with others, it is to speak up and be honest – so I did just that. I mentioned my feet were starting to feel frozen and numb. They immediately came up with a solution to take hand warmers and put them into my shoes (Lauren would later find the toe warmers in her car another day!) I had never used them before, so after all of us worked to warm them up, I put them in my boots. Lauren also gave me compression socks to borrow, so I felt confident I could warm up in no time once on the trail. Lesson learned: keep the heat on in the car and don’t be overconfident with the temperatures and layers!
We finally hit the trail with and simply enjoyed being outdoors together and catching up. After almost a mile, we came to the first junction, where the left leads to Cat, and to the right goes to Thomas. We kept heading on the blue trail to Cat. Despite the cold temperatures, we were warming up in no time. The constant laughing, falling in snow, and photo taking at the expense of ripped pants (ahem Ely) definitely helped this. We steadily began to gain elevation, making good time on the trail while enjoying the snowy, frozen wonderland. And believe it or not, the hand warmers as toe warmers worked – my feet were completely back to a “normal” temperature! (I think the insulated boots also helped speed that up.) We continued to follow the trail signs to Cat, and finally – we made it! We were rewarded with the quintessential Lake George (frozen this time!) view to the East, looking out at snow-covered mountains among gray skies. It was rad to be up here a second time with a different view and perspective. As usual, I got out the tripod and we took some photos before my phone died (cold temperatures? Too many photos? Oh well. That’s why I always carry a portable charger, you just never know…) By this time, many other hikers were coming up to the summit, and we couldn’t blame them – it was a beautiful, brisk winter Sunday in the mountains.
We started our descent on the same route we came up, when someone we passed said a woman was looking for a lost dog. We never saw the woman or the dog, so hopefully all is well, and the pup was found…After a descent full of laughs, we ran into “Hiking Lake George” and his dog Conrad! It was great to meet them both as they were on their way up to the summit. Before we knew it, we were already back at the trailhead, sad to part ways but grateful for the amazing morning spent in the mountains. There were a ton of cars in the lot by this time, too – everyone had the same idea this day!
Concluding notes: The winter season is beautiful but certainly brings its own unique challenges to navigate - none of which are impossible but are entirely necessary to pay attention to. That said, if you are relatively new to winter hiking, this trail is a pleasant one on a day with good conditions. There are no technical sections, but like all trails in the Adirondack Mountains in winter months, you will need to have either microspikes or snowshoes, depending on the amount of snow – bring both with you. Be sure to research and follow local rules and regulations wherever you go so there are no surprises. I am not an expert nor anywhere close to being one on winter hiking, but there are many great resources online that can help you plan and prepare for a winter adventure (including which layers, gear, hand warmers, and all that good stuff!) You can also ask Lauren and Ely since they SAVED me and my poor feet from freezing and having to turn back!!
My recommendation for an ideal day and what you can pair this hike with:
If you have more energy, you can complete the loop on the preserve to Thomas Mountain. This is the site of a cabin, which has been removed in recent years. I heard there are some tricky sections in winter to navigate if completing the loop from Cat, so just ensure you are prepared to take that on; however, at the junction within the first mile of the hike, you can actually veer right to Thomas, less than a mile away. So that is another option if you don’t want to complete the loop (as a side note, both mountains are required to complete the Lake George 12-ster challenge.)
Check out The Pinnacle, a classic Bolton Landing classic offering you a top-notch view for little (but steep) effort.
Drive down the road to Bolton Landing, a hamlet 10 miles north of Lake George village, but a few minutes away from this trailhead. You can easily park your car and walk around town to grab a bite or explore (I like Frederick’s and Bolton Bean; I have also only heard great things about Bolton Landing Brewing Co.) Note that operating hours might differ in the fall and winter months.
There is also a Stewart’s in town if you need to get gas (or a slice of pizza or a milkshake…just saying.)
