Adventure in the Adirondacks Blends Three Sports in One Spring Day.
In the heart of the Adirondacks, as winter loosens its grip and spring begins to bloom, outdoor enthusiasts find unique ways to celebrate the changing seasons. One local adventurer recently seized the opportunity to take on a “three-helmet day” — a rare mix of mountain biking, rock climbing, and spring skiing — all within a single afternoon.
The day began with the usual morning routine: a simple breakfast of granola and a casual start at the computer. But after checking the weather, the adventurer noticed the day’s unusual promise. The previous night’s freeze was giving way to sunshine and mild temperatures — ideal conditions for a multi-sport outing.
This spontaneous plan would take them across three different locations: biking the trails at Wilmington’s Hardy Road, climbing the Chapel Pond Slab near St. Huberts, and finishing with a final ski run at Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake. The itinerary might not match an Olympic triathlon, but it made for a high-energy “nano-triathlon” packed into six hours.
A Start on Two Wheels
Just before noon, the rider reached the Hardy Road trailhead. Slipping on a bike helmet, they began pedaling uphill toward the “Three Sisters” trail — named for a striking white pine tree with three trunks that appears early on the route.
Though it climbs more than a mile, the Three Sisters trail is graded for novices. Its wide, gradual switchbacks make the elevation gain feel manageable, even for less experienced bikers. The trails were in prime condition: dry, firm, and fast.
At 0.9 miles in, the rider reached a junction featuring a small educational sign about the area’s logging history. Instead of finishing the trail, they detoured onto Noreen’s Trail for a short descent. At the bottom, they encountered Glenn Glover, executive director of the Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA), and Dusty Grant, head of BETA’s trail crew. The two were evaluating a potential reroute of the trail.
After a brief conversation and a thank-you for their work, the rider turned around and pedaled back uphill to the Three Sisters junction. They then resumed the ride along the rest of the trail until reaching Quaker Mountain Road.
Now came the reward: a flowing 1.2-mile descent back down Three Sisters. With each curve and dip, the excitement built. Along the way, the rider passed seven bikers making their own way uphill — a sign of the trail’s growing popularity.