Looking west from the summit of Mount Inez. (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

I missed the August commemorative Champlain Area Trails hike honoring Inez Millholland and the ratification of the 19th Amendment. I’ve been wanting to hike Mount Inez since I first read about the mountain’s official name change in 2019. The trail is on private land, but it was previously only open for guided hikes. Now, the landowners have generously granted CATS an easement, and the trail is officially marked.

I never take for granted that the 19th Amendment states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” I am grateful for the countless people who fought for decades for the legislation that finally allowed me and other women the right to vote. One such person was Inez Milholland.

Inez Milholland Boissevain was an American lawyer, war correspondent and suffragist. Milholland advocated for women’s work conditions, held fundraisers, organized protests and, most famously, led the first organized women’s march on a white horse during the 1913 Washington, D.C. Woman Suffrage Procession. Sadly, Milholland experienced poor health and died in 1916, not living long enough to witness the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which she fought so bravely to see passed.

Having ties to the Adirondacks, the Milholland family brought her body to Lewis for burial. Milholland’s family owned the property that is currently the Meadowbrook School of Music. Upon her death, Milholland’s father, a resident of Lewis, requested Mount Discovery to be named in her honor. Mount Inez was locally renamed in 1916 by the town of Lewis to honor Inez Milholland, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially approved and recognized the name change at the federal level.

The trail is an easy 1.8-mile hike to a rocky summit with an elevation of 1,565 ft and an ascent of 931 ft. Large logs lead from the parking area, blocking off any access to private land. The CATS trail leads us through the open forest where leaves are just starting to turn. There are so many switchbacks, my husband says it reminds him of Wedeln (tail-wagging), an Austrian skiing technique involving “playful turns” rather than speed control. We are certainly making plenty of turns. The view at the top showcases the Champlain Valley with Lake Champlain in the distance. The true summit is another rocky knoll a few hundred yards to the west.

From Elizabethtown, drive northeast for about 2.5 miles on Route 9, heading toward Lewis. Turn right onto Ray Woods Road and drive an additional 1.7 miles. The new parking area for the trailhead will be on the right. Please be respectful. The trail and surrounding property are all on private land. As always, enjoy the gift of being able to walk these trails, but remember to “leave no trace.”