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Pete's Peek and North, West trailsOur first day was an excursion to the north and west, starting with a run up to Pete's Peek (Map, No. 2) , a playfully-named lookout where a scenic view normally awaits riders or hikers who make it to the end of the spur trail. Our view, however, was obscured by falling snow. As tourists we were mildly disappointed at not being able to enjoy the scenery, but as snowmobilers we were delighted, knowing that the additional snow would make for even better riding - and it did.
Our morning ride took us to Brantingham on a series of town, forest and logging roads that twisted through the woods, affording us occasional glimpses of ancient rock formations (the Adirondacks feature some of the oldest on earth). The trails were groomed, with plenty of snow cover, even on the roads. Along the way, there were occasional bridges spanning small creeks, but it was mostly the kind of deep woods riding that's typical throughout the entire region. At one point, a power line crossed the trail and we took the opportunity to veer off the main route to play in the deep powder.
Our mid-day stop was at the Pine Tree Inn at Brantingham (Map, No. 3), where both sleds and riders were refueled. After a hearty lunch, we were off for Stillwater (Map, No. 4), a resort, restaurant and store, on the reservoir of the same name. At this remote outpost we crossed the frozen lake, dodging a series of ice heaves and slush spots, but without difficulty. On the other side, another winding deep woods trail led to the Norridgewock, a remote resort that is accessible only by boats in the summer and sleds in the winter. We enjoyed a snack and beverage at this rustic pit stop, which runs on generator power, before venturing on to Big Moose.
Our route this time was the Adirondack Railroad corridor, a state recreational trail open to snowmobilers when snow depths are sufficient to groom over the tracks that are unused in the winter. It was smooth sailing all the way, with the tops of the two rails occasionally visible as we glided along on the snow-packed grade.
At Big Moose (Map, No. 5), we stopped for a photo of the historic railroad station that today functions as a restaurant. Then it was back to Old Forge via a succession of twisting town and forest roads, with a grand total of 126 miles on the odometer to show for our day's travels.