Black Bear Mountain

Black Bear Mountain, 2448 ft. in elevation and 1.7miles east of Fourth Lake promises excellent views of the mountains. The trailhead is at an expansive parking area off Route 28 just south of downtown Inlet which is also the lot for the Rocky Mountain trail. We were directed to the trail to Black Mountain by a sign at the SE end of the parking lot, the end that's closest to town

The trail goes in to the forest and initially runs alongside a small creek. After a barely perceptible descent, the trail gently ascends.  There was a long muddy section of about 0.2 miles. At 0.7mile, we reached a fork where the two trails to the summit intersect.  The right (Blue) trail is shorter (1.9miles to the summit) and steeper, while the left (Yellow) trail appears to be less traveled is supposedly not as steep but longer (3.1miles) and more muddy.  We chose steeper 

The trail still had some muddy sections as it gradually made its ascent.  Then, it became narrower, steeper, more rocky.  Some scrambling was necessary.

 Then came the 10-12 foot cliff. Fortunately, just to the right, we were able to find a narrow trail that bypassed the cliff.

We reached the rocky summit, (ascent - 728 ft) and were treated to a great view of Fourth Lake and surrounding area.

But that was not the end of the hike.  After a quick picnic lunch, we continued northeast towards the back of the mountain where we were treated to a panoramic view of the distant high peaks.

After getting our fill of the wonderful views, we headed back down.  This time, we made it down that formidable cliff.  Next time,. we'll try to go up that way. 

References:
Guide to Adirondack Trails: West-Central Region. The Adirondack Mountain Club

Hiking in the Adirondack Park
Black Bear Mountain. CNY Hiking.coom