By Diane Chase

While my in-laws were in town, my husband suggested revisiting some of his father’s old haunts. Both 46ers a couple times over, my husband knew his father would no longer be able to hike the High Peaks but would still enjoy sharing some tales. On his recommendation we go to the Ausable Club and walk an easy path known as “The Ladies Mile.”

My first thought was he was joking. There is such a thing as a ladies’ mile? Have I been walking a man-mile all this time and not knowing it? I am going to run a 5K and I’m not in shape. So if a ladies’ mile is shorter, I plan on requesting a few of them. No such luck. The Ladies’ Mile is a beautiful path, part of the private Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR) and Ausable Club. Though the public has permission to hike in the AMR it is still private land and has strict rules to follow in order to have access. No dogs, camping or swimming. (Please do not leave the trails and carry out anything you bring in.)

Most hikers entering the Ausable Club property usually bypass this easy trail for the larger gain of the St. Hubert region consisting of such High Peaks as Sawteeth, Nippletop, Dial, Colvin, Blake and Gothics.

We enter the club property and my husband kindly offers to drive the car to the hiker’s parking lot the half-mile past the golf course. We turn left by the tennis courts, and follow the gravel road past guest cottages. At the main gate a watchman greets us and hands us a trail map. We sign in and I make a comment about The Ladies Mile. Honestly, it was funny. All I got was a roll of his eyes. I am guessing he has heard all the comments before.

We walk a short distance to a two-plank bridge with a green sign clearly marked for the Ladies’ Mile. It is a bit slippery but the chicken wire attached to the planks helps keep us steady. There is a half–mile option but we choose to go the whole distance today. It is nice to be able to find a wonderful walk that fits all levels of our family. Grandmothers hold hands with granddaughters while grandfathers relay hiking experiences to grandsons.

The path is clearly marked with orange AMC markers. We soon come to another bridge that will cross the Ausable River. We will save that for another day. Our trail cuts back behind us so we turn around and follow the river, keeping it on our left.

Stone steps are set into a small incline. The river flows swiftly by. I sit and relax watching the water rush over stones and fallen branches. The path veers back toward the main road. After passing a wood shed we start to hear sounds of civilization again. One more footbridge over a small creek and we are back at the main gate.

I am not sure where the mile is measured from, perhaps the parking lot. Either way, it is nice to find a place where all hiking levels can walk together and still feel lost in the woods.

From Keene Valley continue south on Route 73 for about 2.5 miles. Turn right onto Ausable Road. The parking lot is located ½-mile east of the Ausable Clubhouse.

photo and content © Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Activities ™. Diane is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities Guidebook Series including the recent released Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks Your Guide to Over 300 Activities for Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Keene, Jay and Wilmington areas (with GPS coordinates) This is the first book of a four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities. The next three editions will cover Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga, Long Lake to Old Forge and Newcomb to Lake George.