Skip to main content
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
  • See & Do
    • See & Do
    • See all
      • See all
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
      • Accessibility
      • Arts
      • Attractions
      • Downtown
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Live Music
      • Parks
      • Shopping
      • Stories
      • Weddings
  • Outdoors
    • Outdoors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Hiking
        • See all
        • Nature Walks
      • ADK Guides & Tours
      • Birding
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Cross-Country Skiing
      • Cycling
      • Downhill Skiing
      • Fishing
      • Golfing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Mountain Biking
      • Paddling
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
    • Eat & Drink
    • See all
    • Cafés & Coffee Shops
    • Craft Beer & Cocktails
    • Restaurants
  • Events
    • Events
    • See all
    • Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
    • ArtWorks ArtMarkets
    • Can-Am Rugby Tournament
    • Celebrate Paddling ADK
    • North Country New Year
    • Northern Current
    • Plein Air Festival
    • Winter Carnival
    • 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
    • Stay
    • See all
    • Cabins & Cottages
    • Camping
    • Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
    • Resorts, Hotels, Motels
    • Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
    • First Time Visitors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Accessibility
      • Downtown
      • Getting Here
      • Greater Region
      • Stories
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
  • Local
    • Local title-header
      • Live Here
        • See all
        • Meet the Locals
        • Real Estate
        • Town of Harrietstown
        • Town of North Elba
        • Town of St. Armand
        • Village of Saranac Lake
      • Do Business Here
        • See all
        • Chamber Job Board
        • Essex County IDA
        • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
        • Professional Services
        • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
      • Community Initiatives
        • See all
        • Arts & Culture Master Plan
        • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
        • Saranac Lake Brand
        • Village Community Development Department
What can we help you find?
  • See & Do
      1. See & Do
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
        3. Accessibility
        4. Arts
        5. Attractions
        6. Downtown
        7. Health & Wellness
        8. History
        9. Live Music
        10. Parks
        11. Shopping
        12. Stories
        13. Weddings
  • Outdoors
      1. Outdoors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Hiking
          • See all
          • Nature Walks
        3. ADK Guides & Tours
        4. Birding
        5. Boating
        6. Camping
        7. Cross-Country Skiing
        8. Cycling
        9. Downhill Skiing
        10. Fishing
        11. Golfing
        12. Ice Fishing
        13. Mountain Biking
        14. Paddling
        15. Snowmobiling
        16. Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
      1. Eat & Drink
      2. See all
      3. Cafés & Coffee Shops
      4. Craft Beer & Cocktails
      5. Restaurants
  • Events
      1. Events
      2. See all
      3. Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
      4. ArtWorks ArtMarkets
      5. Can-Am Rugby Tournament
      6. Celebrate Paddling ADK
      7. North Country New Year
      8. Northern Current
      9. Plein Air Festival
      10. Winter Carnival
      11. 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
      1. Stay
      2. See all
      3. Cabins & Cottages
      4. Camping
      5. Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
      6. Resorts, Hotels, Motels
      7. Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
      1. First Time Visitors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Accessibility
        3. Downtown
        4. Getting Here
        5. Greater Region
        6. Stories
        7. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
  • Local
      1. Local
        1. Live Here
          • See all
          • Meet the Locals
          • Real Estate
          • Town of Harrietstown
          • Town of North Elba
          • Town of St. Armand
          • Village of Saranac Lake
        2. Do Business Here
          • See all
          • Chamber Job Board
          • Essex County IDA
          • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
          • Professional Services
          • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
        3. Community Initiatives
          • See all
          • Arts & Culture Master Plan
          • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
          • Saranac Lake Brand
          • Village Community Development Department

An Apt Pair: Ampersand Mountain & Follensby Clear Pond

Watch Video
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
Guest Blogger
October 07, 2014

By Day & Night

On a fine day, you can catch a glimpse of Follensby Clear Pond from the top of Ampersand Mountain. Look northwest – it's tucked behind Upper Saranac Lake. 

After your descent, take a quick drive to Santa Clara, launch your canoe onto Follensby Clear, and look over your shoulder as you paddle across – there's the mountain you just climbed, a blue-hued giant framed between the hills. 

A climb up Ampersand followed by a night of camping on Follensby Clear make for a perfect day-long excursion in the Adirondacks. I went the first Friday in September with Shaun Ondak, a well-known 'dacks photographer and promotions manager at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, and summer was still in the air. 

a glimpse of Fallensby Clear Pond
a glimpse of Fallensby Clear Pond

The Mountain

Ampersand, so called after the nearby twisting creek of the same name, stands at 3,365 feet, and though just under three miles to summit, this hike is no cakewalk. The trailhead sits on Route 3, next to Middle Saranac, and the register sits just inside the mouth of the trail. About halfway to the top, you'll meet a series of stone staircases built into the steep mountainside. A few streams offer a chance to cool off along the way. 

Hiking Ampersand
Hiking Ampersand

The path winds through a verdant old-growth forest of birch, maple, beech, and fir; moss, ferns, jack in the pulpit, and myriad mushrooms. The closer we got to the top, the more it smelled like Christmas, and the more boulders hulked alongside the path. 

Just before the summit is when the climb peaks in intensity, the staircase looming above. A gnarled tree root ladder, a tight squeeze between two big rocks, a quick respite downhill, and another short uphill takes you to rock face, and then up to summit. It was a windy day, and the hike-generated heat instantly blew away once we crossed the tree line. 

Ampersand's Summit
Ampersand's Summit

The Summit

Ampersand's spacious summit greets with breathtaking near-panoramic views of the Saranac Lakes to the west and the High Peaks to the east. Pools of rainwater sit in depressions in the rock – the mountain's own miniature lakescape.

the summit at Ampersand
the summit at Ampersand

To the north of the summit's pinnacle lies another rocky outcrop. There you'll find a patinated plaque commemorating Walter Channing Rice, affectionately known as the "hermit of Ampersand." Rice, who lived on the mountain from 1915 to 1923, was in fact far from a hermit and well-loved by the Saranac Lake community. He served as trail guide, trail blazer, and watchman at Ampersand's fire tower while living on the mountain; and as tax collector and commissioner of sewer, water, and conservation in town. Rice also published stories and poems about life in the wild, and his cabin library was reportedly well-stocked with the likes of Dickens, Shakespeare, and O. Henry. He died at the age of 72 in 1924, not long after returning from his final vigil on the mountain.

Seaver Rice is shown with his father Walter C. Rice. The photo is dated 1912, when Walter was age 60. (Courtesy of the Adirondack Free Library #85.642)
Seaver Rice is shown with his father Walter C. Rice. The photo is dated 1912, when Walter was age 60. (Courtesy of the Adirondack Free Library #85.642)

"I'm never lonesome," Rice was quoted in a 1917 edition of the Adirondack Enterprise. "I have the whole Adirondack range as company. There are trees upon Ampersand that are almost as intimate as my friends: birds that come and sing for me during the long hours; squirrels that greet me with chirp of welcome every day. I've lived in the Adirondacks all my life and I love the trees and the mountains and the lakes as much as man can love men."

It's easy to empathize with Rice once you've taken in the expanse and fresh air atop Ampersand, or walked barefoot on a bed of pine needles through camp on Follensby Clear Pond, dinner simmering on the fire and loons calling in the distance.

Hiking
Hiking

The Pond

Follensby Clear is also named after a hermit, though this one may have been bona fide. Still, little is known about Moses Follensby, also the namesake of Follensby Pond to the south and Follensby Junior Pond to the north. There are many conflicting stories of the man: he lived in the Adirondacks in the 18th or 19th century; he was either an exiled officer from Napoleon's army, a British nobleman who buried a considerable fortune near the site of his old cabin on Follensby Pond, or a recluse who took to the woods in attempts to heal from a romance gone wrong.

Follensby Clear Pond has a romance all its own. The 491-acre body of water has 20 first-come-first-serve campsites tucked along its shores, and connects to Horseshoe and Polliwog ponds for a longer paddling loop. Three loons let us get up close on our way to camp before they dove below the water. 

Our site sat on the arrowhead-shaped peninsula north of the Route 30 boat launch. A small beach on the other side of the peninsula's apex offered an ideal spot to pull up the canoe, and the secluded site was comfortably equipped with a fire pit, cooking grates, benches, a branch-and-screw table, and an outhouse in the woods. You will need to bring in your own firewood, easily attainable at a roadside stand 10 minutes northeast at the junction of Routes 30 and 186.

cooking by camp fire
cooking by camp fire

Follensby Clear is crystalline, and perfect for swimming with its soft-sand bottom and extended wadeable depths. Wildlife abounds both on land and in the water, and on a cloudless night, the stars are humbling. The sound of water lapping and campfire crackling lulled me to sleep, and loon calls wove through my dreams. 

The next morning was overcast, and we paddled back to the launch, narrowly beating the oncoming rain. I spent the next few hours in my car, driving further south and then out of the park, back to highways and strip malls and traffic. But the early-morning Adirondack air was still fresh in my lungs, and I knew I would be back before long.

Amanda Bloom, guest blogger
Amanda Bloom, guest blogger

Bio

Amanda Bloom is a freelance writer from Connecticut. Peruse her thoughts on diets, Facebook, and Miley Cyrus on her website, amandabloom.com. She's on Instagram: @bloomamanda and Twitter: @amandajbloom. 

 

a glimpse of Fallensby Clear Pond
a glimpse of Fallensby Clear Pond
Hiking Ampersand
Hiking Ampersand
Ampersand's Summit
Ampersand's Summit
the summit at Ampersand
the summit at Ampersand
Seaver Rice is shown with his father Walter C. Rice. The photo is dated 1912, when Walter was age 60. (Courtesy of the Adirondack Free Library #85.642)
Seaver Rice is shown with his father Walter C. Rice. The photo is dated 1912, when Walter was age 60. (Courtesy of the Adirondack Free Library #85.642)
Hiking
Hiking
cooking by camp fire
cooking by camp fire
Amanda Bloom, guest blogger
Amanda Bloom, guest blogger

Related Stories

Embracing Change: Shoulder Season Safety
Autumn Hues and Brews in Saranac Lake
McKenzie Mountain, Pond, and Boulders: A Trio of Saranac Lake Adventures
Safe Winter Recreation on the Adirondack Rail Trail
Snowshoe Your Way to Winter Fun
Accessible Features at Fish Creek Campground and Plans for More
The Taste of Community: Saranac Lake
Hike Like a Pro
Bar Flies and Fish Stories
A Father and Son Tradition
Happy Campers
Preparedness Is No Accident
Black History in Saranac Lake
Sweet Indulgences - Saranac Lake's Coffee Hotspots
Five Ideas for Winter Family Fun
The Time Traveler's Guide to Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake Adventure Travel
Three Fantastic Fall Hikes in Saranac Lake
A Fall Vacation with Hot Sara
Lost Among the Rows
A Trip Around the Adirondack Carousel
Lake Kushaqua, A Beautiful Place to Rest
Perfect Paddling at the VIC
Decidedly Different Saranac Lake
Hiking Haystack
It's All Good at the Saranac Lake Skateboard Park
A Week’s Worth of Nightlife in Saranac Lake
Paddling Middle to Lower Saranac Lake
Cycling Loops in Saranac Lake
Hot Town, Summer in the Village
Sixty Degrees in April
Finding Fun and Snowfleas at the VIC
Finding Winter Finches — and other Cold-Weather Species
A Day on McKenzie Mountain
The Kiwassa Curse
A Fall Hike up St. Regis Mountain
The creation of an Adirondack gem
Summer Scoop: Five ADK Ice Cream Destinations
Hiking and Birding in Bloomingdale Bog
Extreme Art: Painting Inside the Blue Line
Saranac Inn Golf and Country Club
Our Five Favorite Swimming Holes
Music on the Green 2018
Hiking an Adirondack Mountain for the First Time
Sweet Isle O' Mine - Adventures in Island Camping
Two Ways of Exploring the Natural World at the VIC
The VIC: It's Luxury Hiking!
Walking the Walk: 20 years of ArtWalks in Saranac Lake
Get down! The best low-elevation hikes in Saranac Lake
The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration!
Rejoice!! May Birding is Here!!
Adirondack Fish Hatchery Experience
Three of Saranac Lake's Best Paddling Routes
'Round the Mountain Canoe Race - An Event For All Paddlers
The Excitement of Early Spring Birding!
Family Paddling Day: Planned for You
Get away with the girls
So Much Snow! And Some Great March Skiing!
Saranac Lake's Walk of Fame
Family Ski at Dewey
Canoodlers and Lawn Chair Ladies
Woods and Waters Trail, a great ski!
A Holiday Ski!
First Skis of the Season!
Calling All Rock Hounds
Feeling Grateful
Paddling Jones Pond in the Fall
A Fall Hike Up Mount Baker
The sound of healing
Azure Mountain Adventure
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze
Fall Migration is in High Gear!
St Regis Mountain: Paddle and Hike
When the twenties roared
4 Go-To Paddling Destinations for Fall Foliage
Camping in the Saranac Lake Area
An Evening Paddle on Middle Pond
Crossbills and Boreal Birds
The hidden fun in Lake Clear
Moose Pond: A Cool Fishing and Camping Combo
Paddling and Birding along Quebec Brook
How to pick your camping spot
McKenzie Road Bouldering
Not just a walk in the park
Rugby — A Gentleman’s Sport
Six Nations, First People
Family fun that's free
Stock up for your stay
Our lodging? It's different.
Sprung!
To get the trout, get the gear
Three hikes to include everyone
Vroom! Daffest Derby creator shares memories
Slow paddle to Oseetah
Get out and art!
Dewey Mountain - Just Wild Enough
2016 Most Popular Blogs
We can dash through the snow
Make Holiday Memories at Moody Farm
Calling all "Glampers" or wannabes
New Road Mountain
Dia de Muertos at Pine Ridge
Don't be afraid of the kayak
The Possibilities Of Fall Birding
A Fall Hike on Baker Mountain
Choose to stay... in the past!
Ampersand: A Family Tradition Realized
Village of Boulders
Fall Events: a blaze of glory!
So many hikes, so little time
Girls just wanna have fun
Searching for Philadelphia Vireo and other species
The coolest camping is on an island
Tri to stay dry
Puppy's first mountain climb
A Rainy Day Birding Trip in Madawaska
Coolest Places to Get Your Cone On in Saranac Lake
Coolest Adirondack Chopped Challenge!
Planting seeds
A beginner's mountain bike adventure
A Friends Weekend in the Coolest Place
Don't miss the summer's coolest events
History Is Cool: The Lab Museum
Hotel Saranac: Then and Now
Tucker Farms - three seasons of goodness
Wonderful Weddings in Cool Places
Five Fun (and obscure) Facts about Saranac Lake!
Spring Ice on the McKenzie Mountain loop
Saranac Lake Classic: the Cure Chair
Carl Ballantine, comedy magic
Love among the cure cottages
Cross-Country Skiing on the Bloomingdale Bog Trail
Yeah, we're cool - no matter what we're wearing!
Shops with personality plus
Gray Jays!
Fun with Ice: Saranac Lake Creativity
2015 Most Popular Blogs
Trotting for Turkeys
Select seven: Family hikes under four hours
Shopping without the stress
Tubing: the sport to please the masses
Timeless Tubing at Mount Pisgah
John Brown's Other Bodies
Excellent October Birding!
Brighton: Dusk 'til Dawn
Unleash Your Inner Picasso
Paddling and Hiking Around Little Green Pond
Camping in the Cold (Disclaimer: This is NOT a How-To Guide)
A Cool Adirondack Adventure
Fall Warblers and Other Migrants!
Enjoying Late Summer Wildflowers!
Dog Days of Summer aka Beach Time!
Martha Reben: Staring down the Great White Plague
Hiking and camping, with goats
Seeing if the boot fits: Exploring the Bays
Lake Clear: Our Secret Paradise
Paddling and Birding Around Jones Pond
Paddling Middle Pond
Stevenson Cottage - small outside, a world inside
Paddling in the Adirondacks for the First Time!
Hiking with the Crew up Baker Mountain
Riding the Rails, Adirondack style!
Keeping It Local
July is when things heat up!
Our camping is a wilderness wonderland
Great Birding at Intervale Lowlands - It's that Time of Year!
Finding Lots of Birds Just by Taking a Simple Walk
Great Birding and Loads of Warblers in Madawaska!
Saranac Inn, golf with a taste of Scotland
Free Water Park Ride In Our Backyard
Summer music is everywhere in Saranac Lake
Early May Wildflowers: A Kaleidoscope of Color
Fun and Free (or almost)
A Spring Hike Up Baker Mountain
Learning to Love Every Season
In Defense of Mud Season
Skiing in April and on Easter - No Foolin'!
Winter Carnival announces Summer Ice Palace
The Joy of Spring Skiing
DIY Adirondack style
Newbie Skier Tackles Titus
Memorable Firsts: Carnival & Cross-Country Skis
Skiing the Fish Pond Trail
February Fun and Games in Saranac Lake
Wedding planning with the pros
Two sides of the Trifecta
Enjoying Winter Birding
A Winter Hike into the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area
Adirondack Traditions, then and now
An Evening Sleigh Ride in the Adirondacks
A Winter's Hike up Baker Mountain
Four Seasons of High Points
Hiking & Tracking Wildlife on Scarface Mountain
Skiing - and Falling - in a Winter Wonderland
Fly our Adirondack skies
Where to find hot beverages
The First Ski of the Season!
Healthy Holidays, Adirondack Style
A picture's worth a thousand words - epic winter events
Birding Along Lake Colby
Saranac Lake Remembers the Great War
A Guide to the Great Indoors
Adirondack Firetower Challenge: Climbing the Fire Tower Peaks near and around Saranac Lake
New fun at Titus Mountain Ski Area
Norman Bethune, the hero, the artist
An Apt Pair: Ampersand Mountain & Follensby Clear Pond
The biggest Cure Tour of them all
History Comes Alive in Saranac Lake
Learning to Identify Fall Leaves
The Horse Knows The Way
Mount Pisgah getting ready for winter ski season
Paddling and Snorkeling Little Green Pond
A Red Phalarope at Little Clear Pond!
Searching for Fall Warblers and Other Songbirds
Boat Trip Massages: Two Roads to Wellness
Forks, Fests, and Flatwater: 3 Featured Fall events
Paddling Little Clear Pond
3 Short Paddles found in the St. Regis Canoe Area
Paddling Lake Clear Outlet
Frequently overlooked hikes near Saranac Lake
Hiking and Exploring Azure Mountain
See artists at work in the mountains
An Evening Paddle on Moose Pond
A Great Place to Break Down
A cure cottage tour, a step back in time
The Art Walk is a path to art, music, and fun!
Adirondack Paddling, Choosing the Right Paddle
Adirondack Paddling - Choosing The Right Boat
Frankenstein Lives! In the old laboratory in the village
Birding at the Spring Pond Bog
“One Particular Island” all to ourselves
Events roundup for Saranac Lake
Roughing it in style: a tour of White Pine Great Camp
The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration
Spring Paddling on Lake Colby
One Magic Canoe: The Seven Carries Canoe Route
Roadside Gems, Paddling the Saranac Lake Region
5 Hidden Gems for Hiking, Paddling & Trail Running
Art Event or Fun Party? BluSeed blurs the line
Daffest is just around the corner
Our lakes were born for boating
Top 10 Spots for Paddling in Adirondacks
Get Ready For Fishing Season
Winter Foodie Scene
Spoken Word: Poetry on Stage
Breakfast & History
Night Skiing at Mt. Pisgah
Mid-Winter Events 2014
Top Five Winter Break Activities
Best Ice Fishing Holes
Building the Ice Palace
Tubing Adventures at Mt. Pisgah
Slip Sliding Away Winter Hiking
Snowshoe Shopping
Lost and Found
Short & scenic hikes
Mount Arab
Debar Mountain and Black Peak
Saranac Lake Art Attraction Nov 22 - Dec 28, 2013
Muskrats!
Hiking during Hunting Season
Goodman Mountain
Ducks on the Pond
Saving Einstein
Snow up high on McKenzie
You Don't Paddle Into the Wind
Hiking St. Regis Mountain
Holistic Guiding: Immersing Yourself in ADK History & Culture
Fall at the VIC
Panther Trifecta
A Fall Paddle on Jones Pond
A Fall Hike Up Baker Mountain
Sparrows Along Lake Colby
Going to Church
Visitors in My Yard
Painted Landscapes, Clay Demonstrations, and Chickens...all a part of the Artist at Work Studio Tour
A Hike Up Panther Mountain
Where the leaves are on fire with color
Artist at Work Studio Tour this week
The Colors of Late Summer
Fun family events for fall foliage season
Scarface Mountain Adventure
Bloomingdale Bog Birds
Fifth Annual Hobofest: Music, Food and Fun on the Tracks
Late Summer Yard Birds
Stomping out the Saranac 6 – Week 2 – St. Regis Mountain
Hobofest tops the calendar this weekend
FlavorFest at The Wild Center
Hobofest Returns to Saranac Lake
Lows Lower Dam to Lows Ridge, A surf and Turf Adventure
The Osgood's
A Birding Trip in Madawaska
Pianist Eugene Sirotkine performs August 6th concert to benefit Bartok Cabin
Local Massage Therapist Takes It Up A Notch
Local Family Friendly Swimming Spots
A peaceful afternoon on Jones Pond
Take A Swim!
Ampersand Mountain
Hiking and Birding on Baker Mountain
Entertaining events will keep you hopping this weekend
A Birding Trip to Bloomingdale Bog
Blog on Bogs
Top 5 Family Friendly Activities in the Saranac Lake Area
Follensby Clear Pond to "Round Pond"
Birding in Spring Pond Bog
Hiking and Birding on the Jackrabbit Trail
Birding in Massawepie Mire
Lower Saranac Lake Path
From carousels to magic lamps - events to tickle your Spring fancy
Historic Saranac Lake "History Matters" series continues with "Clara's Rib"
The Kettle Trail
Hiking from the North End of the Bloomingdale Bog Trail
What can we help you find?
Sign up to receive more information.
Enter Email
Do•Stay•Eat•Shop•Events
Work Here•Contact Us•DEI•Media Kit•Privacy Policy
39 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Powered by the Regional Office of
Sustainable Tourism
THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE
We’ve got the best ideas for things to do on your next Adirondack adventure, and we will deliver them right to your inbox! THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING! Your next adventure awaits you in your inbox! Tell us more about what interests you, and we can help you plan your next trip.
MANAGE YOUR PREFERENCES

Success!

You have successfully entered this contest. Be sure to check your inbox for your customized travel inspiration.

Thank you!

Thanks for updating your information. Be sure to check your inbox for your customized travel inspiration.

Thank you!

Thanks for being awesome by subscribing to our newsletter. Be sure to check your inbox for your customized travel inspiration.

Success! Message Sent.

Thanks for being awesome. We have received your message and look forward to talking with you soon.

Thank you!

Thanks for being awesome. You can now download the guide.

Thank you!

You have successfully completed the Snowmobile Map Request form. You should receive a physical copy by mail in 1-2 weeks.