Crane Mountain Pond
Although the fire tower was removed in 1987, I think Crane Mountain, near Thurman, should still qualify for the challenge. I guess it doesn’t as it’s not on the list. In any event, it was a beautiful hiking day on Wednesday and the trail was dry and steep. I reached the summit at the 1 mile mark with 1,200 feet of gain in just under 45 minutes with great views on the way up. The pitch was steep all the way to its junction with the cut off to Crane Mountain Pond. The pitch eased there but soon began its steep ascent with a couple ladders added in for more than just effect. After spending several minutes at the top, I continued along the trail to the pond, which I reached at the 1.5 mile mark and a 560ft descent. As you can see from the pictures, it is a hidden gem! After wandering around the pond for a bit, I jumped on the cut off
and headed back to the junction with the ascent trail and out to the parking area. Total hike was 3.14 miles with 1400 feet gain.
