Start out along the ridge
We then started east along the main ridge of the Jay Range. To say that this ridgewalk is nice is a gross understatement. It is one of THE nicest ridgewalks in all of the Adirondacks. Open areas, grassy meadows, lookouts, ledges.... there are tons of them!
Uncharacteristically field-like!
Although the trail is not officially marked, there are many cairns about. The route, though, is fairly obvious - stay on the ridge and head east.
Towards the highest points
Big expanse of Anorthosite
We continued our delightful walk eastwards, crossing over sub-summits, small ups and downs, and the occasional forested col. I would say that probably 70% of this ridgewalk, all two and a half kilometres of it, is entirely in the open. Amazing for a 3500-foot Adirondack peak.
More beautiful, open meadow
After more than an hour of delightful open walking, we finally scrambled up to the highest of the summits in the Jay Range. Fantastic! In retrospect, I think that we didn't quite reach the absolute highpoint, and I recall musing that another point on the highest summit looked a little higher than we were. Upon reviewing my topographic map, I think I was right - we were probably short of the summit by a few hundred feet. Oh well.... a good excuse to come back and do this hike again!
