One of the earliest scientific facts I learned in school is that the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature. The ground is always warmer than the air above it, and temperatures decrease with additional elevation. However, a combination of high atmospheric pressure, calm weather, and high moisture levels can lead to a cloud inversion, where temperatures at ground level are cooler than at higher elevations. When these factors come together, you are left with a cloud layer at ground level (via The Great Outdoors). For a hiker fortunate enough to ascend a mountain during a cloud inversion, the resulting view can be breathtaking.
On a recent summer weekend in early August, my wife and I returned yet again to Adirondack State Park, to visit family, enjoy beautiful weather, eat great food, and revel in the sights of summer. I also returned to a favorite mountain, hiking to the top early one morning, where I was treated to a view I had never before witnessed.
So join us for another trip to the northern reaches of New York. Let’s begin:
An Adirondack Weekend
Our weekend destination: a six hour drive to the western side of Adirondack State Park. At over 9,000 square miles, the park occupies much of the northern half of New York.After an hour of driving, we stopped in the town of Pompton Lakes, NJ, to grab some coffee at a local Starbucks. The artwork hanging on this fence outside a park made for a cool backdrop. We took the Accord for this trip, as my wife’s Jeep was in the shop – more on that later.Leaving early, we made good time up the New York Thruway. We were at the Capital Region Welcome Center outside of New Baltimore by mid-morning, and I was able to snag a shot of my Accord, which definitely loves New York.We met up with a dear relative for lunch at City Cafe, an eatery in Whitesboro, near the city of Utica.City Cafe’s kitchen is 100% gluten free and dairy free, so diners who have to avoid gluten or dairy products can order anything off the menu and know that their choices will still meet their dietary needs. I had the chicken sandwich on a gluten-free brioche bun. The meal was delicious, and the buns were undistinguishable from non-gluten free bread. Two thumbs up!Our next stop was to Kayuta Drive-In, an upstate New York institution since 1963. No trip to the Adirondacks is complete without ice cream from Kayuta!My once-a-summer treat: a milkshake from Kayuta. My wife, to her delight, found out that Kayuta now offers dairy-free ice cream, served in gluten-free cones. Our snack made for an enjoyable remainder of our drive!!The treats helped keep us relaxed as we drove through several torrential downpours as we ascended into the mountains. The Accord took it all in stride, handling the wet weather with ease (thank you, Nokian tires!).After spending an enjoyable first night with our relative in the Adirondacks, we took an early morning walk through the town of Eagle Bay. One cool addition – The Eagle Bay House is a new restaurant and bar that opened in former home of the Toboggan Inn (which was a local favorite until it closed a few years ago). I’ve heard good reviews of the new spot, so we’ll definitely have to check it out!During our walk, we also noticed that the town is sporting a new welcome sign! Hmm… how to get a glamour shot of my Accord in front of the sign without tearing up the lawn? I’ll have to think about this one.Typically, the snowmobile signs get taken down at the end of the winter… I’m guessing the local municipal crew missed one. Current conditions aren’t exactly snowmobile friendly.Later in the day, we stopped by the Eagle Bay Fire Department for their annual chicken barbecue fundraiser. It smelled absolutely delightful, and all proceeds were going toward a new fire boat for Fourth Lake.The barbecue smelled great, it tasted even better! For $15, you received half of a chicken, salt potatoes (a regional dish originating in Syracuse), cornbread, coleslaw, a dessert, and a beverage. It was great value for the money, and the food was out of this world!After lunch, we stopped at the View Arts Center, an art gallery and community center in Old Forge, NY. The View is currently hosting its 42nd annual Adirondacks National Exhibit of American Watercolors (ANEAW).Each year, one painting is selected for a poster to represent the show, and is also reproduced as a poster print for mass sale. This year’s winner is The Kayaker by Karen Barnes.A small wooded area behind The View houses a walkway through the forest. This summer, the boardwalk is home to Monty the Python, a snake sculpture whose body is comprised of painted stones that visitors bring to the center. Fun stuff!After dinner on Saturday night, I put the drone aloft to capture some gorgeous sunset colors over Fourth Lake.
Rocky Mountain Summit
Sunday morning, I was awake before dawn so I could make an early start up Rocky Mountain, located in Inlet, NY. When I parked at the trailhead, there was only one other car in the lot. Early risers, unite!I signed in at the register and began my hike. Rocky Mountain’s summit stands at 2,225 feet above sea level. It’s a short, mile-long round trip hike, but with 433-feet of elevation gain in a half mile, it’s a good workout.In previous hikes, my photos never quite conveyed how steep sections of the mountain trails can be. The wide-angle phone setting of my new iPhone 14 Pro finally allows me to better share the experience!Ah, Adirondack roots, my old friends. All perfectly positioned to grab your shoe and send you flying. Good times.Recent rains had left sections of the trail muddy and filled with wet rocks. I took my time in these parts, but continued upward with no mishaps.As I reached the summit, the view took my breath away – the valleys and lakes were covered with a sea of clouds.It was one of the coolest mountaintop experiences I’ve ever had.No photo I took captured what my eyes were seeing – even this panorama doesn’t do the scene justice.After soaking in the view, I turned to begin my return journey. First, however, I wanted to acknowledge the inaugural trip of my new walking staff, which was gifted to me by a family member earlier this summer. The staff was perfect for the hike – lightweight, strong, and easy to stow when not in use.Hiking up is tiring, but hiking down is what always destroys me. It calls upon muscle groups that I typically don’t use on a daily basis. Add to it some fatigue, and you have a recipe for a slow, painful journey back down the mountain.A little over an hour after starting my hike, I signed out of the register and was back at the trailhead. What a great way to start a day!
If you’d like to better experience this short, but steep, Adirondack hike, I created this short video during my hike:
After the hike, it was time for the mandatory donut from the Eagle Bay Donut Shop. Because on hiking days, calories don’t count, am I right?And what better way to wash down a donut than with a latte from Blue Line Coffee House? Mountains, donuts, and coffee… it’s the greatest hits of the ADK!Later in the afternoon, we did some shopping in Inlet, and stopped by Arrowhead Park on the banks of Fourth Lake to soak in the view.For an early birthday gift, our relative treated us to dinner at the Big Moose Station. When in operation as a train station, it had the highest elevation of any station east of the Mississippi. It has since been converted into a restaurant.Eagle-eyed readers might remember Big Moose Station from a road trip last summer.While my wife enjoyed the steak, with potatoes, mushrooms, and green beans (pictured), and our relative treated herself to an order of wiener schnitzel, I devoured a delicious order of scallops and pasta. It was a fantastic meal to mark the end of another fun Adirondack adventure!Monday morning came, and it was time to say goodbye to our relative and head back to New Jersey. We had two beautiful, sunny days in the Adirondacks, but encountered steady rain and clouds for the majority of our drive home.For lunch, we stopped in the historic town of Kingston, New York. Founded in 1652, Kingston served as New York’s first capital.“Can I interest you in a burger for lunch?” my wife asked as we headed into town. Do birds fly south for the winter? Of COURSE I wanted a burger for lunch. We went to Buns Burgers, a highly rated burger joint in Kingston.I ordered the “Original Bun” – a cheeseburger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and the special Buns Sauce. It was simply divine. My wife enjoyed the Dirty Bird, a friend chicken sandwich coated with gluten-free breading on a gluten free bun. We left, full and happy – two refreshed travelers!After lunch, we took a short walk across town to The Four Corners – an intersection where all four buildings on the corners pre-date the US Revolutionary War.The Four Corners is the only intersection in the United States where each building on the street corners date to the time of British rule. Fascinating stuff!A few hours later, as we were pulling into the garage, my Accord rolled yet another milestone – 224,000 miles exactly. Next stop – 225k. Onward!!
Odds and Ends
Before closing, I wanted to share a few automotive updates from our increasingly high mileage garage:
Grace, my wife’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, recently rolled 100,000 miles. Woohoo! Unfortunately, an ailing air conditioner condenser meant that Grace was kept at home for many of our recent road trips while the shop waited for a new part to arrive. Grace is all fixed, her a/c capable of handling summer heat once again, so look forward to more future adventures for the Jeep!Meanwhile, my Accord got some new shoes! After replacing the rear tires a few months ago, I recently put a matching set of Nokian WR G4 tires on the front wheels. The Accord is ready for the first snow… because we all know that winter is coming.Finally, at the Accord’s last oil change, I had the shop pull a sample of my car’s old oil and I sent it to Blackstone Laboratories for an analysis. As you can see, despite my engine creeping toward a quarter of a million miles, it’s still running like the day it came from the factory. Onward!!
Wrapping Up
One of the things I love most about the Adirondacks is that no two visits are ever the same. From spending time with dear family members, to eating great food, to hiking up a mountain and viewing a sea of clouds, I have found that each trip to upstate New York creates new memories and brings new adventures. I hope you enjoyed our latest Adirondack journey!
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another voyage down the open road ahead!
The video of your hike was fun! I enjoyed the personal tour. Also-that gluten free chicken sandwich at City Cafe made my mouth water! Looks like it was a great trip.
So glad you enjoyed the video tour – thought I’d try something different, and although it’s a little rough, in the end I was happy with how it came out. Thanks for reading!!
The Open Road Ahead 
The video of your hike was fun! I enjoyed the personal tour. Also-that gluten free chicken sandwich at City Cafe made my mouth water! Looks like it was a great trip.
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So glad you enjoyed the video tour – thought I’d try something different, and although it’s a little rough, in the end I was happy with how it came out. Thanks for reading!!
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Suddenly I want a burger for Saturday morning breakfast! The hike photos are spectacular!
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A burger for breakfast sounds amazing!! Glad you enjoyed the hiking pics – thanks for reading!!
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