Inside the Blue Line in St. Lawrence County

The brisk mountain stream flowed peacefully around my legs as I gently placed my size 10 wet fly into the current. The early spring sun warmed the back of my neck as a frigid breeze blew upstream. Not enticing a single hit I decided to call it a morning. Driving home I thought about a new adventure. Someplace that I haven’t explored that isn’t too far from home. Where could I go? When I arrived home I did a little Google searching as I wolfed down a quick lunch. I came across a location that looked perfect for an afternoon away in the North Country. The afternoon's destination was Catamount Mountain and the Carry Falls Reservoir in South Colton. Just before leaving I checked the weather one more time. It said “possible showers after 5pm” I thought, perfect, I will be done by then. As I passed Jake’s on the Water there was a few drops of rain on the windshield. No big deal, a few drops of rain won’t hurt anything. By the time I pulled into the parking lot the wiper blades were in a steady rhythm. Hopping out of the truck it was decision time, Go for it or head back home? Hell I drove this far, I might as go for it I thought to myself. Sliding my raincoat and camera bag on, I took a quick look around. I’ve driven by this place many times and have never noticed the gate or the sign. “ I’m the only one here” I thought to myself. Looks like the mountain is just for me today.

I walked through the pedestrian opening in the gate and started my trek up the trail. The early signs of spring were starting to appear. New buds on the trees are beginning to sprout. Moss on the rocks is starting to look bright green instead of the drab tan color of the colder months. As the light wind blows, the aroma of Adirondack mud swirls by my nose. It’s great to be on a trail again without my snowshoes. The trail is nice and wide, and well maintained with dry dirt, gravel, and grasses. The first sign I came across was for the Blue Trail. I looked at the GPS trail on my phone and it told me to go past this so I continued up the main route. A little ways down the path the next sign indicated a red marker. Once again I checked my GPS and it showed this is the way I should go.

The light rain continued to bounce off my jacket as I worked my way up the trail. The terrain is smooth as it rolls up and down over the small hills. A half mile into my hike and I came across the sign for the reservoir. I took the trail to the right to check it out, unaware of the natural beauty that was just a few hundred yards ahead of me. I strolled down the small hill through the trees and the trail opened to a beautiful sandy beach. I walked across the soft brown sand to the lake shore before me. I was speechless. Standing all alone……in the Adirondack park….. on a sandy beach….. watching the gentle waves lap upon the shore was a new level of zen I have never experienced before.

I took 10 minutes to just breathe in the mountain air while trying to engrave into my mind the scene before me. A hawk passing by broke my trance. “This is the stuff movies are made of,” I thought to myself. I decided to snap a few pictures and work my way back to the trail. The forest floor gently rolls up and down until you hit the base of the mountain. From there the true climb begins. Walk 100’, take a quick breather is the pace I was at. Nothing crazy but enough to get the blood pumping. Between the trees I saw something out of place. Something that didn’t fit into the landscape around me. Step by step I got closer and finally I could make it out.

A building, halfway up the mountain. It had an eerie feeling about it, sitting there dormant as if it hadn’t been entered in years. “Now this is the stuff horror movies are made of,” I thought to myself. I slowly walked by, half expecting a grumpy old troll to come out and ask me to solve his riddle. The last quarter of a mile is quite steep and the trail makers are few and far between but I managed. Coming around the last switch back on the trail I could see some old benches. This must be the top I thought to myself. Moving closer I then realized I didn’t have the mountain all to myself. I saw two young girls over by the scenic clearing. I kicked the leaves and broke a few sticks so I didn’t totally scare them. Once they noticed me I made my way over to the clearing. The three of us made small talk about the view and the creepy building. They headed back down the mountain and I sat down on a big rock and took in the view.

Thinking about what a wonderful day I had. From a trout stream in the morning to a mountain peak in the afternoon, it was an amazing day of Northern NY Adventures.

About this location:

Catamount Mountain sits inside the “blue line”, approximately 10 miles south of Colton in the Town of South Colton on State Route 56. The blue line is a reference to the Blue Line on maps that indicates the boundaries of the Adirondack Park. We don’t often associate St Lawrence County with the Adirondack Park but there is quite a bit of land in this county that sits in the park. The trail head sits near the Catamount Lodge. The property was previously owned by St. Lawrence University but in 2005 it was purchased by a couple who has kept the 379 acre property open for us to explore. At the trailhead the signage indicates that it is open for public use during daylight hours. Camping and hunting is prohibited on the property. In total the trail is 2.7 miles round trip and that includes the trail over to the reservoir.

The Carry Falls reservoir is part of the Raquette River. The trail is very well maintained and well marked until you hit the last quarter of a mile or so where the trail signage seems to disappear. I tried doing a little research on the creepy building but couldn’t find much about it. At one time there was power going to the structure as there are remains of power poles and wires heading to it. Once at the peak there is one area that has been cleared out for viewing. It’s not exactly an epic Adirondack mountain view but it is quite beautiful.

I would bet that it would be quite stunning in the fall when the leaves are changing. During the winter months this would be a great hike on snow shoes. Three quarters of the climb is pretty easy walking. It gently rolls over some small hills until you reach the main mountain. From there it is quite steep. Overall I would highly recommend this hike to all. It would be a very family friendly hike. I would love to take the half mile walk over to the lake and enjoy a beautiful afternoon on the water. The reservoir was a real surprise to me. I knew it was on the water but I had no idea how big and beautiful it was.

It was wonderful to explore an area I have never been to before. If you are looking for a place to just get away for a few hours that isn’t too taxing I would put this one on your list, you won't be disappointed. It is truly a Northern NY Adventure.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures