When it comes to building trail systems, the Europeans have a style and flair all their own. From the “way-marked ways” of Ireland’s lush green countryside, to the Haute Route linking Chamonix, France, with Zermatt, Switzerland, through some of the Alps’ most impressive scenery, European trails have been defined by a blend of wilderness and creature comforts. Spend your day out in nature, but as night falls, retire to the comfort of a village, a high mountain hut, a bed and breakfast, or an inn. And by all means, end your day in a warm bed with a hot meal and a glass of wine. I have to admit, though I tend to carry my food and tent on my back and spend nights in the backcountry, the European style does have a definite appeal.
And while New England and the Adirondack’s aren’t exactly teeming with such routes, there is one that ought to inspire the trail runner in you: the Jackrabbit Trail. The first time I experienced the Jackrabbit Trail, I wasn’t on it, but rather above it. It was several years ago, and I hung from a belay several hundred feet off the ground on a multipitch ice climb at Pitchoff North, in the Adirondacks. As my climbing partner, Jim, began leading the next pitch, I noticed a pair of cross-country skiers threading their way through a notch far below us. “That’s the Jackrabbit Trail,” Jim explained. He went on to tell me how the Jackrabbit Trail was constructed in the European style, with trail segments a comfortable day’s distance apart, allowing you to go from town to town, from hot meal to hot meal, from warm bed to warm bed.
The Jackrabbit Trail was born in 1986, and originally spanned 25 miles. Today it extends 35 miles, linking Paul Smiths with Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, and Keene. The trail was named in honor of Herman “Jack Rabbit” Johannsen, a Norwegian native and skiing pioneer in Lake Placid from 1916 until 1928. Since 1986, it’s been maintained by the Adirondack Ski Touring Council and has been known mostly as a cross-country ski route in the winter months. But since that day on Pitchoff North several years ago, I’ve discovered the wonders of the Jackrabbit Trail as a trail runner’s paradise, especially in the fall when New England and the Adirondack’s iconic fall foliage is in peak form.
Other trail runners have discovered it, too. Drew Haas, a well-known outdoor photographer from the region, praises the Jackrabbit Trail on his Adirondack Trail Running blog. Saranac resident Sue Bibeau called it one of her favorite places to run in a recent article in the Albany Times-Union. And now, you can experience the pleasures of trail running the Jackrabbit Trail by following this guide to the where, when, and how. I describe it here from east to west, from Keene to Paul Smiths, but you can easily reverse the route and plan your runs as out-and-backs, point-to-points, or loops (using other trails and roads).
Keene to Cascade—6.0 miles
Begin in the parking lot of Adirondack Rock and River at the end of Alstead Hill Road. Start running west. The trail here follows the “old mountain road,” which was the original wagon route through this stretch of the Adirondacks from Keene to Lake Placid, prior to the construction of the present-day route through Cascade Pass. The first 2.5 miles gradually gain about 700 vertical feet until you reach the beaver ponds below the cliffs of Pitchoff North. This is one of the few wet sections of the route. Continue on the trail, descending on trails, gravel roads, and then Route 73 to the Cascade Cross-Country Ski Center.
Cascade to Mirror Lake/Lake Placid—7.0 miles
Follow the trail through the Cascade Cross-Country Ski Center, then cross Route 73 and continue through the back of the Craig Wood Golf Course. Follow trail markers, eventually coming out on River Road, where you turn right. Weave through the golf courses at Lake Placid Resort, reaching the condos on the far side. Continue on the trail to downtown Lake Placid along the shores of Mirror Lake.
Mirror Lake to Whiteface Club—3.5 miles
From the post office, head west and uphill past the Holiday Inn. The trail continues out of the hotel’s parking lot, reaching West Valley Road. Stay on the trail as it crosses the road and eventually comes to Saranac Avenue. Cross that road as well, continuing north toward Brewster Peninsula. Make a left when you hit the shores of Lake Placid, and continue to the Whiteface Club’s Nordic Center.
Whiteface Club to McKenzie Pond Road—5.5 miles
This spectacular stretch of trail traverses the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area. Climb for 1.5 miles northwest out of the Whiteface Club and continue for a level mile to a point between Haystack Mountain and McKenzie Mountain. Then begin a descent to McKenzie Pond, and soon after reach McKenzie Pond Road.
McKenzie Pond Road to Saranac Lake—2.0 miles
Cross McKenzie Pond Road and follow the trail to either the railroad tracks or Route 86 and turn north, heading for downtown Saranac Lake. End either at North Country Community College, Riverside Park, or at the band shell on Main Street.
Saranac Lake to Lake Clear Junction—7.0 miles
The trail here isn’t so much a trail. Follow the railroad tracks from Saranac Lake to Lake Clear Junction, where the marked trail resumes.
Lake Clear Junction to Paul Smiths—9.0 miles
Begin on Route 30 half a mile north of the Route 30-Route 186 junction, across the street from Lake Clear Elementary School. Start out north, following a transmission line, and at mile 2.8, make a sharp right onto a logging road. After mile 4.2, the trail becomes narrower, eventually crossing Route 86 at mile 5.8. The route then turns west, crossing several roads until you reach the Adirondack Visitor Center near Paul Smiths.
More detailed trail descriptions and a map of the route are available for free from the Adirondack Ski Touring Council and at many Lake Placid-area outdoor shops. For other trail running routes in the Adirondacks, check out Drew Haas’s blog at www.adktrailrun.com.
Peter Bronski is an award-winning writer, avid trail runner, and frequent contributor to Vermont Sports. He can be reach through his website, www.peterbronski.com.
