Mt. Colden is the 11th highest mountain in New York State. This is a unique high peak for the Adirondacks considering the number and size of exposed slides on its west face. While these slides can be skied or scrambled, an easy trail to the summit also exists. The mountain doesn't see as much traffic as higher peaks like Algonquin or Marcy which is surprising. The summit of Mt. Colden offers excellent views of Lake Colden/Avalache Lake, Flowed Lands and puts you between the state's highest 2 mountains.
The west face of the mountain dramatically drops off into vertical faces surrounding the dramatic Avalanche Lake. It is on these faces where great rock and ice climbs can be found as well as the best route to the summit, The Trap Dike.
A short hike from Mt. Colden is Lake Colden, the most popular camping area in the High Peaks. While a beautiful area to camp at, it's crowded and the black bears are worse than subway beggars. I once had a bear walk up to to me and snatch my entire food bag. For these reasons, bear canisters are now mandatory for the High Peaks.
On a summer day in 1850, two workers from the McIntyre Iron Company (Now the Upper Works trailhead) set out to stand on top of the unclimbed Mt. Colden, an Adirondack High Peak named after an investor of the Iron Works. Since no trail existed, the pair started up the only weakness in the Mountain, a large dike on the west side that spilled into Avalanche Lake. They followed the dike up the mountain until the walls disappeared. They soon found the...[more]
FYI: If you click on "Aerial Photo" and zoom all the way out you'll realize the aerial photo isn't of Mt. Colden... but somewhere in south Kazakhstan (Placement on map is approximate +44° 7' 36.84", +73° 57' 37.08")
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