The other day I decided to skip skiing in favor of hiking Baker Mountain in Saranac Lake. So Wren and I headed up beneath a blue sky on a perfect day to climb and look for a view.

The initial portion of the trail was very icy, but it was easy to walk around. In fact, much of the trail was easily walked, but micro-spikes or crampons are still highly recommended since there are many slick and icy places scattered along the trail – this becomes particularly important when coming back down the mountain. Trekking poles are also recommended to help avoid slipping and potentially falling. Snowshoes are not necessary unless you want to use them for fun or for their added traction.

Wren Baker
Wren explores along the trail up Baker Mountain.

Wren and I climbed steadily up the trail up the back side of the mountain, stopping here and there for photos. It was a warm day which made it nice since I didn't need a full contingent of layers and I could tolerate operating the camera and taking photos in thin gloves without getting cold. Wren sniffed and furrowed in the snow with her nose as she always does, finding white-tailed deer and ruffed grouse tracks in the process. Baker is a short hike and we were soon at the top.

The view was beautiful. Both McKenzie and Haystack Mountains sat covered in white as did McKenzie Pond and the rest of the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area. Further south and east stretched the snow capped rim of the High Peaks. I took it in for a few minutes. As we descended the main trail, the view of Saranac Lake and the strings of lakes which surround the village lay below, as the sun's slanting rays reflected a rainbow of subtle colors upon the sky and snow.

McKenzie Mountain
While there are many trees on the top of Baker, there are still nice views of both McKenzie and Haystack Mountains as well as views of the High Peaks.

Our descent was slow in the sometimes slick conditions, but I took my time coming down, while Wren showed off her all wheel drive capability as if to say, "this is how it's done dude," whenever I was carefully negotiating a particularly tricky place on the trail. We finished the hike and headed home, with plans to ski the following day.