Hewitt Pond Mountain

Went for a winter hike in the Central Adirondacks today. I climbed Hewitt Pond Mountain  (Vanderwhacker Wild Forest). Luckily, Hewitt Lake Club road (a gravel side road of Route 28N) was plowed - including the parking area at end. I signed in the trail register (last person to sign in was a month ago) and started out on the state DEC trail (red markers). I didn't bring snowshoes as the snow was not too deep. The trail climbs partly up a small hill before dropping down to the pond again after about 1/2 mile. Here I left the trail and headed across the frozen pond to the opposite side. It was a little unnerving walking across, but the ice was solid from the cold winter we have had. I reached the other side and then headed uphill through deciduous woods. The climb was a bit steep in spots and slippery due to ice/packed snow, so I put on Microspikes for added traction. I was trying to reach a viewpoint that I had recorded in my GPS, so I had to sidehill a bit in a westerly direction to reach it. The woods turned more coniferous as I got farther up. There was a nice view at the open area, to the south and west. At this point, I picked up an unofficial trail (marked with flagging) that I followed to the wooded summit. It continued down the other side, but I didn't follow it too far. I returned via the same route. Got back to the car and decided to bag the other hike I had planned. My legs felt like jello after trudging through the snow for three hours.

Summit Elevation: Hewitt Pond 2454 ft
Round-trip Distance: 4.75 mi
Elevation Change: 1100 ft

Hewitt Pond