Mountain View / Trailhead Cabin

The view of Marcy is amazing. The sound of the brook below is magical. The short walk to one of the main trailheads in the high peaks is a sought-after plus, given the dearth of parking there. Hikers feel at home amidst he mountaineering history reflected in the books and in the photos and paintings on the walls. We are located in Keene Valley in the high peaks region of New York's Adirondack State Park. Our house is both an ideal base camp for day hikes or hiking/ski trips and a haven where one can relax out on the deck, in front of the fireplace or spend a casual day cooking a feast. We are just steps from the Garden Trail Head. Hikers can access over ten of the of the region's high peaks -- as well as smaller mountains -- from the Garden. The entire High Peaks Wilderness Area is easily accessible by car (a list of nearby summer and winter activities is at the bottom of this post). We would be happy to help you plan your outdoor fun if you would like. Otherwise, you will find guides to the region at the house. We are also just a twenty minute walk (or four minute drive) from the town of Keene Valley. The town is home to a collection of great shops including the Noonmark Diner, where you can get Adirondack Trailways bus tickets, diner meals, GREAT fresh pies, basic grocery needs and newspapers; The Mountaineer, a camping and climbing gear and clothing shop; The Valley Grocery, our local grocery and full deli meat counter; Rivermede Market, a natural foods grocery that has delicious soups, sandwiches, breads and baked goods as well as organic vegetables, eggs and chickens from Rivermede Farm and organic local meats from nearby farms; Keene Valley Library; and the Ausable Inn, a restaurant, bar and liquor store. The town also has a bike store and several shops that feature local craftsmanship. Keene and Lake Placid, both easy drives (5 miles and 20 miles, respectively), offer further amenities. The house itself is a one-story clapboard house tucked in several wooded acres of birch and white pine, including a stretch along the bank of John's Brook (ideal for brisk mountain-stream swims). It has four bedrooms and seven beds -- three two-person rooms and one single. The largest (master) bedroom is in its own wing and the other three bedrooms are off a hallway in another wing of the house. As a result, all of the bedrooms are very quiet even if people are up and about in the kitchen and living room. The house features a large central living room with a sizable fireplace, two big couches, and a number of reading chairs. The living room floor is covered with a soft rug so that you can lie directly in front of the fire or sit or lie around a board game (we have a cupboard of games and a card table available for use). Additionally, the house features a fully functional kitchen with a four burner stove, oven, toaster, coffee makers, griddle, beater, and immersion blender. The kitchen/dining room table makes a great community cooking space. Bed linens, towels and blankets are provided. Our house has one and a half bathrooms, although only the full bathroom is usable in the winter months. Finally, one of the defining features of the house is our wonderful deck. The deck overlooks the valley on the north side of the Great Range of the High Peaks Wilderness. Mount Marcy rises nine miles away at the end the valley. You cannot see any other houses from the deck, so it is a great place to visually escape to pure wilderness. And if you see a mountain you want to climb, just put on your boots and walk out the door! *** Activities Nearby: **Hiking (ten or more High Peaks accessible from the house without a car). **Canoeing (the Ausable River runs near the house and a 45 minute drive will get you to lakes and rivers near Saranac Lake). **Climbing (just minutes from Chapel Pond, Giant Mountain, and Pitchoff). **Fishing (great fly fishing on the Ausable River). **Cross country skiing (backcounty skiing out the door; free trails at the Adirondack Mountain Club; pay to ski at the Olympic trails at Mount Van Hovenberg). **Downhill skiing (Olympic runs at Whiteface Mountain). **Snowshoeing (everywhere). **Skating (on Lake Placid and Mirror Lake). **Swimming (swimming holes in Johns Brook; swimming area with beach at Chapel Pond). The cabin has a smoke/carbon monoxide detector as required. The entire cabin. I'm happy to answer phone calls or emails any time. If guests are at the cabin unfortunately it means I am back home just outside Washington D.C. but our terrific caretakers, Tom and Heather Coffin, are available in case of any emergency A book with lots of information about the cabin and surrounding area and with Jon's phone number will be on the dining table. If you want directions, information about nearby eateries or about our favorite mountain trails ahead of time we'll be glad to email it to you. Note: The cabin is not child-proofed. E.g., there are no outlet covers, there are shades whose cords must be looped and hung on a high hook, etc. Renters must take full responsibility for the safety of any young children. With the play of light and mist over the mountains, the sound of the brook below, no other house in sight and mountain trails a short walk from the door....the setting is idyllic. The Trailways bus from NYC stops in Keene Valley around 5:00PM when coming from the city and around 11:00AM when heading for the city. In making a reservation you are agreeing to read and observe the house rules contained in the notebook that you will find on the dining table. Foremost among these is that you MUST call the caretaker before starting a fire in the fireplace if you are not familiar with operating one. During July, August and September we only do week long Saturday to Saturday rentals up until three weeks before the date. In other words, if you wanted to rent the weekend of August 15th we would rent it as July 25th, or three weeks before the date if it hadn't already been rented out as part of a week long rental.