Alone in the Pines

C’mon Mother Nature, make up your mind. In the last week we have gone from 10 degrees to 50 degrees back to 4 degrees. From flood warnings to winter storm warnings. I’m not going to lie, when it was in the mid 40’s with a light rain my brain did wander away from winter for a little while. Thoughts of wading my favorite stream fly fishing for rainbow trout, paddling my kayak up a remote section of river, hitting the trails with my son working on his Lake Placid 9’er, boating to the sandbar at Croil Island, even taking in 9 holes of golf with my father crossed my mind. But in the end Mother Nature made up her mind and dumped another 10” of snow on us. Let’s be fair it is only February after all and we do live in the North Country. At least places like the VIC in Paul Smiths, Titus Mountain, the Nicandri Nature Center, as well as snowmobilers, and the hard water anglers will be happy for a bit longer.

Since Ol’Ma Nature wants it to be winter, I decided today would be a great day for a quick snowshoeing trip. With the many trail options in the North Country it was decision time. Where to go? I decided to stay close to home today and head out to the Nichols trail.

As I approached the access road for this little adventure I was a bit concerned about the condition of the road. With the snow squalls and wind yesterday, I wasn't sure how accessible it would be.

To my surprise the DEC had it cleaned out very well. The winding half mile road through the woods to the trail-head was cleared out good enough for two lanes. The frozen, snow covered St. Lawrence river appears as I pull into the parking lot.

A quick walk over to the trail-head before strapping on my snowshoes reveals someone has been here in the last day or so. Lucky me I may not have to break much trail. I strap on the snowshoes, grab my camera, and away I go. Soon I realize that the trail isn’t as broken-in as I hoped. That just means a little more cardio then I first thought, no big deal. The trail takes me through a beautiful pine forest, full of amazingly large pine trees.

My first stop is at the Observation blind.

I cross the wooden bridge and arrive at the blind. Today’s view is very white. The river is completely frozen over and snow swept.

I have been here during the warmer months and watched many ducks and geese swimming around. Moving on down the pathway between the towering pines, the songbirds, and an unbroken trail the feeling of being very secluded wraps around me. It is a peaceful, calming feeling. Approaching the next trail signs its decision time, do I take the Nichols trail or head out on the longer Rustic trail?

Today I chose the shorter trail. I wander across the wooden bridges through the fresh blanket of snow to a clearing along the river.

During the summer months this would be a great place to sit and have a picnic. Today however it’s a good place to have a drink of water and rest for a moment. Realizing I’ve been out here for nearly two hours already, breathing in the fresh winter air I decide it’s time to head back to the truck. Twenty minutes later I’m back at the parking lot overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence. What a wonderful morning alone surrounded by nature.

About this location:

The Nichols trail and Rustic trail system sits on the Wilson Hill Wildlife Management area. The access road is located in the Town of Louisville on State Route 37. It sits about 500’ west of St. Lawrence Recreation( a boat sales and service shop). Just look for the classic wooden New York State DEC sign.

The gravel road is about a half mile long and ends on the bank of the St. Lawrence river. From the parking lot you will see a large gate across the road that goes over to the Game preserve.

A sign-in box for anyone that chooses to access Wilson Hill for hunting is located here.

The nature trail system is just off to the side of the parking lot. According to All Trails there are about 2.8 miles of trail to discover.

What it lacks in distance it makes up for in scenery. The river viewing locations are absolutely spectacular. During the warmer months the Nichols trail is very well maintained and both trails are very well marked with plastic DEC trail markers.

Even people with disabilities can reach the first viewing platform with ease. The rustic trail is, well, a bit more rustic. The wooden bridges are a nice addition, they prevent you from having to walk in the lower wet areas. Please note that along the way you will see several signs that say Wetland restricted area.

This is part of a game preserve so please stay on the trails. If you live in the area and are looking for a quiet place to yourself I would recommend this little slice of paradise as it doesn’t see a whole lot of traffic. If you are looking for a full weekend of adventure you could easily wrap this into a camping trip at Cole's Creek campground that is located about two miles to the west. Don’t forget to bring your kayaks and bikes as there are several places to launch kayaks and the campground is very bike friendly. There are so many places to have a little Northern NY Adventure of your own right here in the North Country.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures