Hiking Up Owl's Head: Small Mountains Have Value Too

"We rested atop a boulder and took in the 360-degree view, which was composed entirely of mountains, rocky slides, climbing ridges, and trees, with the single exception of a fire tower visible on Hurricane Mountain to our north. Quoting George Wuerthner, another old friend and outdoors writer, John said, 'It's hard to match the wildness of the views cape from an Adirondack mountaintop. Out West you can almost always see a clearcut.'" -Bill Mckibben, "Wandering Home"

A false summit! Not even to the top yet, but still gorgeous!

The view from the top of Owl's Head is indeed magnificent. It is easier to breathe up there, easier to feel lighter and freer somehow. The wind cools and while the sun make you squint, Owl's Head, a small mountain in Keene, NY, really opens your eyes to much more than the incredible vista.

This summer, towards the end of August when Adirondack mornings were crisp and chilly and afternoons sent sweat running down your face, my family and I climbed this wee mountain. Well, it wasn't my whole family. The majority of the cousins and my parents remained back at the house, playing cards, doing summer homework, and running around outside. Meanwhile, my Aunt Rachel and two cousins Estella and Kosmas, and I were looking for a real adventure. It is unfortunately true that we had to bribe the kids with ice-cream. It is also unfortunately true that there was a lot of temptation for my Estella and Kosmas from the other wee cousins to simply stay at the house and let their brains be sucked out by the infernal iPad. However, victory was ours when Rachel and I pulled up to the trail head, and popped the kids out of the car and into the woods.

As we walked up the drive towards the old painted sign pointing up the mountain, we were slightly dismayed to see how many parked cars we were passing. How many people could fit on this little mountain?! We were looking for some peace and some time for the kids to chill out and remind themselves of their little nerdy passions of naming tree species and guessing bird calls. Would this happen if the trails were ringing with conversation and babies crying and macho hikers complaining at how easy the hike was? We entered the forest with trepidation.

But, as I climbed, and talked quietly with my family about random things, like books and toys and big-scary-plans-for-the-future, and especially all the animals and plants we were seeing, I began to wonder, who was I for hoping that we'd have the mountain to ourselves? What a selfish (though understandable) thought to have. This mountain is known to be a popular climb because it's easy to get to, it has an amazing view, and it's also incredibly family/child friendly. I should want the trails to be crowded with noisy kids, even if there are a couple tantrums on the way. At least they would be here, out in the wild, easing into the ideas of respecting and cherishing nature, of working towards a goal (in this case, the view!), of one day sharing this place with their children, and especially of making sure it's still here to share when they are adults.

Kosmas and Estella's moods began disintegrating when we reached the third "false top", each of which had some gorgeous views of the forests around us, but none of which were the real summit. It was hot, and they weren't used to this much mandatory physical activity, but soon we heard promising voices. We came into a clearing near a cliff face, and saw a group of college level students rock climbing; sitting on, and under, and climbing up to the top of Owl's Head. The sight of nervous teenagers swinging from ropes, and enthusiastic ones urging them on, reminded me that these "big kids" too can always use a taste of the Adirondacks. Later I found out there were both experts and totally inexperienced rock-climbers there that day, and yet I still saw determination from both sides, the climbers and the cheer-leaders sitting below.

My lovely, squinty family, finally at the top!

As Bill McKibben describes in "Wandering Home", there really is nothing like Owl's Head for an easy reminder about where you are when you're walking around Keene, or driving through the Adirondack Park. We are so lucky to have such a "whole" forest so close to us. And I think it's so important for children to see the beauty, and the biodiversity, and the community that these mountains, even the very little ones, hold.  If you're ever driving through Keene, and are looking for a place to go, Owl's Head is a quick climb (less than an hour to the top, especially minus cousins) for a wonderful reward.

Photos by P. B. Elfström