My final hike was chosen strategically; I wanted to do a fire tower on the southern end of the Adirondacks, so it would break up the drive home. Hadley and Spruce were the top two choices, and I chose Hadley as it was slightly harder.
The first mile of trail looks just like the photo at left - as if the trail is paved. It's not, of course; it's just bare granite. It makes for good footing, as there is almost no scrambling. But it's also quite steep, with a good chunk of the 1525 feet of elevation gained in this portion. The trail then abruptly levels off, and the rest of the .8 miles intersperses flat areas and modest hills.
There are a couple of viewpoints near the top:
I climbed the tower, although the cab was closed, and as promised there were 360-degree views. Despite the trail being busy, I had the rare good luck of having the summit to myself.
Afterwards, I got back in the car and headed home.
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