Hannah the hiker

Baker Mountain is a quick out and back hike that can be started right in downtown Saranac Lake! It is also one of the Saranac Lake 6ers. In order to get credit for this hike in that challenge you must start the hike in town at the bell in Berkeley Green.

I started the hike on April 8th around 1:40 pm. I was able to park near Berkeley Green and walk through town to get to the trailhead. It is about a mile walk to get to the trailhead from the bell, but is mostly flat and enjoyable. I brought Cash with me on this hike and he did really well. I saw a couple smaller dog breeds too and they didn’t seem to have any troubles with the trail. Just remember to keep a leash on your dog. There was one dog let off their leash, which can be a little nerve wracking to see, especially if your dog (Cash), is just getting use to new people and animals. Luckily they put the leash on their dog once they saw Cash.

From the trailhead it is about a .6 mile gradual uphill walk. You only gain about 800 feet in elevation and reach the summit at 2,441 feet. So, more of a hill than a mountain I guess.

The trail is generally easy to follow. I think there have been several large groups of people that have hiked this though because there are several herd paths that you can follow to the top. I’d say it would be difficult to get lost here.

We got to the top at 2:30 pm. We took our time so I could do some training with Cash. Small, lightly trafficked trails like this are perfect for practicing his obedience and socialization.

At the top there are some nice lookout points with flat rocks, perfect for sitting and having a snack. I could see the snow on surrounding high peaks and Saranac Lake. There was some light snow at the foot of the trail but the rest of the way was relatively snow and ice free. It was a great little spring hike.

Going back down wasn’t bad. Trail was still easy to follow with so many herd paths heading in the same direction. We got back to the car around 3:40 pm. In total it was about a 4 mile hike.

Overall thoughts on the trail

This is such a great hike for families or a beginner. It is difficult to get lost, there’s hardly any significant elevation gain, and there’s nice views at the top.

I’m not sure how it is in the winter, but I imagine this is a great intro winter hike.

I can also imagine this trail is popular in the summer. So, park in town since there are only three or four parking spots at the trailhead.

I saw a lot of garbage on this trail which was sad. Remember to pack out your trash! It’s lazy to leave granola bar wrappers and cigarette butts laying around. Also, who the heck is smoking a cigarette on a hike??

What I brought

• Leggings
• Long sleeve
• Fleece sweater
• Beanie (way too warm for this)
• Sunglasses
• 40 L hiking pack (way too big, just packed a bunch of stuff for Cash)
• 20 L water bottle
• water filter
• First aid kit (dog one too)
• trekking poles
• Cash’s gear (leash and backpack)
• Garmin InReach Mini 2
  • Food!
  • Granola bar
  • apple
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
  • Hot dog and apples for Cash