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Black Mountain Point LbNA #16582 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Baker
Plant date:Jul 15, 2005
Location:
City:Huletts Landing
County:Washington
State:New York
Boxes:1
Found by: Baker
Last found:Oct 11, 2008
Status:FFFFFOar
Last edited:Jul 15, 2005
Black Mountain Point Letterbox:

Estimated Time: 30-60 min.
Clues: Moderate very straightforward.
Terrain: Slight hills. OK for Kids. No more than 1/2 mile round trip. Clear Paths.
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Letterbox was reported found and in good shape on 08/04/2007
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Lake George is a beautiful lake at the beginning of the Adirondacks, at its southeast corner. Lake George has been a favorite for boaters for years. In the 19th century many people found steamboats a necessary mode of transportation as well as for pure recreation.

One of the earlier steamboats was the Minne Ha Ha I, which was built in 1857 and plied the clear waters of Lake George for about 20 years. Some notable passengers include Civil War commander George McClellan and a 12-year-old Teddy Roosevelt. It burned six cords of wood to complete the trip up and down the lake and was the last steamboat on Lake George to use wood as fuel. In 1878 it was retired and brought to Black Mt Point to be used to make extra rooms for the Butler Horicon Pavilion Hotel. These floating extra rooms where needed to house the workers and to accommodate the additional guests that were enjoying the beauty of the Lake. In 1889 the hotel burned down and was never rebuilt and the Minne Ha Ha was left to rot. In the late 1890’s it was stripped and the rest blown in place where its remains rest at the bottom of the northern bay of Black Mt point. The planks and some of the ribs of the boat may be seen today if the light right and the water calm. It lays about 30 feet off the docks in 15 feet of water.

Black Mt point is a beautiful picnic area that has a small beach to the south and offers an excellent place to have a picnic and to enjoy the lake. If you are adventuresome there are a multitude if trails to enjoy from this jumping off point. The lakeside climb to the summit of Black Mt. offers some excellent views at different points.

There are three ways to get to Black Mt point. By boat (make sure to stop at Glen Is. for a permit if you don’t have one); from the shore trail accessed at the Shelving Rock trailhead; and by climbing over Black Mountain from the Hog Town trailhead. Trails are well marked, but make sure that you familiarize yourself with the trails before you attempt the later two ways. The trail descriptions may be found in the Adirondack Mountain Club Trails Guide: Eastern Region.


Clues:

Please note that you will need a compass. I have taken the bearing on a true north system with is 15 degrees western declination.

There is no inkpad in this letterbox so please bring one.

Starting from the Northern most pavilion at Black Mountain Point on Lake George. This will be near the sunken remains of the Minne-Ha-Ha I. Follow a trail to the east that intersects the Lake trail at the top of a very short hill. There are outhouses straight ahead. Turn left and head in a NE direction for a short distance until you reach another trail intersection. To the right leads to the summit of Black Mt. This intersection is marked with a sign pointing the way to the summit. Keep going straight on the lesser used trail and you will notice after a very short distance a fireplace and chimney that remain from the Butler Horicon Pavilion Hotel---careful here, as just as the fireplace comes into view the trail turn slightly uphill at another intersection. The total distance is only a few hundred yards or so. Now face the fireplace side of the chimney. There should be inscribed on the mantle “CAMP MOHICAN.” You are now close. From the left corner (NE) of the fireplace go on a bearing of 86 degrees (true north) and sight in on a 12” pine tree that sits up on a small rocky bank about 40 to 50 feet away. When you reach it look on the eastern side for a pile of rocks. Look in that pile for the letterbox.

See my blog at http://bakersoutdoors.blogspot.com/