Mt. Colvin-Route 73 - Ausable Club   Mt. Marcy (tallest peak) as seen from summit of Colvin Says Kevin Corcoran Basin Mountain from summit of Colvin Says Kevin Corcoran Mt. Colvin and Lower Ausable Lake Says Kevin Corcoran There are a couple of approaches to Mt. Colvin. There is the longer, much more secluded trek via the Elk Lake-Marcy trail, or the shorter more popular route starting at the Ausable Club parking lot just off NYS Route 73. This particular trail     description is from the Ausable Club. Mt. Colvin is the 39th highest of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, topping out at 4,057 feet. The first 3 miles of the hike is over the gravel-surfaced Lake Road which brings Ausable Club patrons from the lodging area and Club to Lower Ausable Lake. There are actually two points where you can jump off Lake Road to catch the trail up Colvin; I chose the first trail which works its way up to Gill Brook via gentle to moderate grades. After two miles of alternating moderate to moderately steep pitches, you'll encounter a trail junction with the trail straight ahead taking the hiker up to the 4,620-foot High Peak with the blush-inducing name of   ''Nippletop. '' You can actually catch a good view of Nippletop about 3/10 of a mile before the trail junction. Going right from this trail junction the hiker has another 1. 1 miles to go to get to the summit of Colvin. This stretch includes the steepest pitches on the trail, but there are also segments of gentle grades and even a few flat stretches. The hiker summits Colvin after six miles of hiking from the parking lot. The views from Colvin's summit are mostly limited to the north and west, but that's not a bad thing. One gets fantastic views of the Great Range and Lower Ausable Lake from the summit. Basin, Saddleback, Gothics, Armstrong, the Wolfjaws, Haystack, Sawteeth, Tabletop and Marcy are all promimently featured in the view, with Basin being the most eye-catching because of its bulk and massive slides. If memory serves, you also get a nice view of nearby Nippletop and the more distant Giant. After enjoying the splendid view from the top of Colvin, many hikers opt to continue on to Blake Mountain, another High Peak which stands at 3,960 feet. I did in fact continue on to Blake (trail described separately). Blake's summit lies 1. 3 miles beyond Colvin. The return trip involves retracing your route, for a hike totaling 14. 6 miles. If you're looking for memorable views, you'll be disappointed with Blake. The views from Blake are very limited, particularly when the decidious trees are holding their leaves, due to the wooded summit. One other less-than-appealing aspect of the hike up Blake is the return trip over Colvin. Climbing up the south side of Colvin isn't particularly difficult, but it is a moderately steep to steep 7/10 of a mile, or thereabouts. If you want to become an Adirondack 46er, by all means knock off Blake after you summit Colvin. If your purpose is to catch nice views and you aren't infatuated with becoming a 46er, it might be best to turn around after getting to the top of Colvin. The view from the top of Colvin is terrific and will leave you content. Says Kevin Corcoran Roundtrip Distance 12 miles Elevation Gain 2,786 ft. Says Kevin Corcoran BIGGER SIZE PICTURE HERE BIGGER SIZE PICTURE HERE BIGGER SIZE PICTURE HERE            Map Map Campgrounds Nearby List of Nearby Campgrounds Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Mt. Colvin-Route 73 - Ausable Club.   Trails Near Mt. Colvin-Route 73 - Ausable Club: Nippletop-Route 73 - Ausable Club, Essex County , 0 miles away Armstrong Mountain-Route 73 - Ausable Club, Essex County , 0 miles away Upper Wolfjaw-Route 73 - Ausable Club, Essex County , 0 miles away Lower Wolfjaw-Route 73 - Ausable Club, Essex County , 0 miles away Sawteeth-Route 73 - Ausable Club, Essex County , 0 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Mt. Colvin-Route 73 - Ausable Club: Paradise Pines Camping Resort, North Hudson , 9 miles away High Peaks Base Camp, Upper Jay , 9 miles away Lake Placid/Whiteface MT KOA, Wilmington , 12 miles away Shearer's Riverside Campsite, Severance , 12 miles away KOA Kampgrounds, Wilmington , 12 miles away   Whitewater Near Mt. Colvin-Route 73 - Ausable Club: Ausable River - East Branch, Essex County , 5 miles away, Class II-V+ - 6.3 miles long (Hulls Falls to Keene) The Branch, Essex County , 5 miles away, Class III-V - 6.5 miles long (Along State Route 9N Alder Brook R) Ausable River - East Branch, Essex County , 7 miles away, Class II-III - 6.3 miles long (Keene to Upper Jay) West Mill Creek, Essex County , 8 miles away, Class IV - 1 miles long (South of Exit 30 off I-87) John's Brook, Essex County , 9 miles away, Class V - 4 miles long (Caretaker's Cabin to Moutaineer Outfitters in Keene Valley)   Hotels Near Mt. Colvin-Route 73 - Ausable Club: Courtyard Lake Placid, Lake Placid , 15 miles away Econo Lodge Lake Placid, Lake Placid , 16 miles away Prague Inn Stes and Cottages, Lake Placid , 16 miles away Lake Placid Summit Hotel Resort Suites, Lake Placid , 16 miles away Spruce Lodge Bed & Breakfast &, Lake Placid , 16 miles away   Lakes Near Mt. Colvin-Route 73 - Ausable Club Johnson Pond, Essex County , 12 miles away Copperas Pond, Essex County , 13 miles away Goose Pond, Essex County , 16 miles away Oxshoe Pond, Essex County , 17 miles away Lake Placid, Essex County , 18 miles away