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Keeping track of ‘turnaround time’ on a sunset hike

Enjoying the twilight view of Heart Lake and the High Peaks from the summit of Mount Jo (Photo provided — Diane Chase)

My daughter and I have an arrangement. I will drive her where she needs to go and if I’m not there at exactly the designated “release” time, she reads a book or does her homework. It took a bit of time for me to claim those minutes for myself and to understand that I couldn’t always complete my own tasks between drop-off and pick-up times. If I went rogue, I only heard complaining about how I was late. So now I am never late, I’m just doing something for me.

The snow has been a bit tricky and because doing something for myself isn’t the same as abandoning my responsibilities, I need a quick, fast hike to get back for “pick-up.” The Adirondack Mountain Club’s Mount Jo, with an ascent of 700 feet and an elevation of 2,876 feet, fits the bill. At the parking area I check my backpack for safety gear. My headlamp and first aid kit are in view. Snowshoes and skis are required on all ADK trails, but the ADK Loj’s attendant I see recommends Microspikes for Mount Jo.

Sunset is just before 6 p.m. and I check my watch before I leave, so I can keep track of my “turnaround” time. I will only be able to hike for one hour before having to turnaround to have enough daylight to hike back to my car. I may not make it to the summit before the sun goes down and I need to know how long I’ve been on the trail since I don’t want to return in the dark.

I start along the Indian Pass Trail that follows the northern shoreline of Heart Lake to the Heart Lake Nature Museum. The entrance to Mount Jo is just beyond to the right. There are two trails up Mount Jo aptly named the red-marked Short Trail (1.1 miles) and the orange-marked Long Trail (1.3 miles). At the register, I follow the red ADK trail markers to the right. The Short Trail heads mostly straight up the mountain.

This small mountain was originally named “The Bear,” but was renamed Mt. Jo in 1877 to honor Josephine Schofield, fiancee of Henry Van Hoevenberg. Van Hoevenberg built the original Adirondack Loj and some of the trails to the surrounding High Peaks.

I am moving at a fast clip, scrambling over rock staircases and open ledges. Even with Microspikes the ice is tricky in sections. Near the summit the two trails merge and continue along bare rock. Two wooden ladders make crossing boulders an easy transition. I’ve gotten to the top in under an hour and that leaves me time to get back to my car before dark. The sun is just tucking behind the mountains, but I can’t stay to watch it set. I choose the Long Trail for the return to my car to avoid the slippery rock staircases.

If you aren’t prepared to spend a night in the woods, setting a turnaround time is an easy way to enjoy a twilight walk. It is also a great way to teach young people that safety is always the goal, not reaching the summit.

Mount Jo is part of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) Adirondack Loj property. ADK is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting of responsible use of New York state Forest Preserve. To get to Heart Lake from Lake Placid take state Route 73 heading south toward Keene for about three miles. Turn left onto Adirondack Loj Road and drive five miles to the end. (Parking is $5 for ADK members, $10 for nonmembers. After 1 p.m., the rate decreases to $2.50 for ADK members, $5 for nonmembers.)

.Diane Chase is the author of the “Adirondack Family Activities” guidebook series, “Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities.” For more family-friendly activities go to www.adirondackfamilytime.com.

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