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Hiking CATS trails to a mountain, river, and farm

Mike Lynch
February 17, 2021
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The Riverside Trail in Willsboro. Photo by Mike Lynch

The frozen Boquet River. Photo by Mike Lynch

Snow along the Riverside Trail in Willsboro. Photo by Mike Lynch

A tributary to the Boquet River. Photo by Mike Lynch

An old farmhouse along the Riverside Trail. Photo by Mike Lynch

Bill Amadon starts a hike on the North Boquet Summit Trail. Photo by Mike Lynch

A view of the Champlain Valley and Green Mountains from North Boquet Mountain. Photo by Mike Lynch

Icicles along the North Boquet Summit Trail. Photo by Mike Lynch

Chris Maron, executive director of CATS, hikes North Boquet Mountain. Stewardship Coordinator Bill Amadon is behind him. Photo by Mike Lynch

Champlain Area Trails has developed nearly 40 trails. Photo by Mike Lynch

CATS Executive Director Chris Maron hikes the North Bouqet Summit Trail. Photo by Mike Lynch

CATS Stewardship Coordinator Bill Amadon hikes North Boquet Mountain. Photo by Mike Lynch

Chris Maron, left, and Bill Amadon, hike North Bouqet Mountain. Photo by Mike Lynch

Walking the North Boquet Trail at sunset. Photo by Mike Lynch

A view of the High Peaks from North Boquet Mountain. Photo by Mike Lynch

The Dacy Meadow Farm trailhead. Photo by Mike Lynch

Not your average Adirondack wildlife. A Scotch Highland cow at Dacy Meadow Farm. Photo by Mike Lynch

Livestock enjoy the late sun on a winter day at Dacy Meadow Farm. Photo by Mike Lynch

map syrup line on a tree near a sign for the CATS trail — Maple sap tubing wrapped around a tree on a Dacy Meadow Farm hiking trail. Photo by Mike Lynch

The Meadow Trail at Dacy Meadow Farm. Photo by Mike Lynch

Old maple sap buckets at Dacy Meadow Farm. Photo by Mike Lynch

The sugar bush at Dacy Meadow Farm. Photo by Mike Lynch

In January, I hiked three CATS trails for a story in the March/April issue of the Explorer. The hikes took place on the Riverside Trail in Willsboro, North Boquet Mountain near Essex, and Dacy Meadow Farm in Westport. The trails offer a different type of experience than you get with your typical hike on the forest preserve in the interior of the Adirondack Park. Champlain Valley hikes often feature rivers, views of Lake Champlain and Green Mountains, and agricultural land. The valley is a good place to go during mud season because the trails are in the lowlands or on smaller mountains and they dry out faster than those in the High Peaks.