Robert Rogers made good his escape on
March 13, 1758, in the aftermath of the Battle on Snowshoes, climbing up the
west slope of Bald Mountain, and making his way to Lake George. Historian Burt Loescher thought he might have
reversed his snowshoes and back-tracked away from the lip of the cliff to send
the impression to his pursuers that he had tried to escape down “Roger's Slide”.
However, Robert Rogers, in his journal does
not mention how he escaped, saying only that “the Indians closely pursuing
us at the same time, took several prisoners”.
But
can we follow him and walk the path of history?
The answer is yes, and Timothy Dwight, an early traveler to Lake George,
historian and artist Gary Zaboly, and the USGS have shown us the path.
Today’s
Roger’s Rock, which in 1758 was called Bald or Bare Mountain, is the
southernmost peak on a chain of three summits, called today Bear, Cook’s and
Roger’s Rock, and is separated from its northern brothers by a saddle that runs
generally from west to east, connecting the valley of Trout Brook with Lake
George. The western slopes of Bear and
Cook’s mountain, opposite and east of the site of the Battle on Snowshoes, would
have funneled the retreating rangers and the pursuing French and Native
Americans directly to the pass southeast of the battle.
It
is likely, as the surviving rangers scattered, that Rogers retreated towards
this pass. The path “Thro’ the
Mountain” as Rogers called this pass, is just over a mile long (1.6 km),
with Gary Zaboly describing it as “generally gradual ascent of 250 feet [about
75 meters] above the brook’s valley and equally gradual descent to the lake”,
ending at Heart’s Bay, on Lake George. However,
the French and Indians, would also have known of this pass through the
mountains to the relative safety of the Lake, and would have attempted make an
end run around the retreating rangers who were making for the pass, to ambush there. The presence of vengeful Native Americans and
French forces blocking the path over the pass, could have forced Rogers to turn
south to climb up to the peak of Rogers’ Rock.
From the middle of the saddle to the peak of Rogers’ Rock is only
another 300 feet (approximately 90 meters), and again according to Zaboly in “most
places the climb is gradual”, so an experienced snowshoer like Rogers could
have made it the summit.
But
how did he get down? According to
Zaboly, there are three possibilities, he could have slid down the 700 feet of
eexposed 65o granite cliff face to the lake below, gone farther south
and escaped down the partially treed ridge line extending to the lake, or gone
even farther south and escaped down the “narrow and steep valley”, on
the southern slope of the mountain.
A
rod, is an old unit of measure, used during the early 18th century
for surveying, which is 16.5 feet long (5 meters), so thirty to 40 rods, would
be between 495 to 660 feet (150 to 250 meters) away from the top of the cliff. On the map below, if you follow the 1,000
foot contour line, just about 750 feet (228 meters or 45 rods) from the head of
the trail shown on the 1894 map to the southwest side of the ridge running into
Lake George near Juniper Island, you will find a “narrow and steep”
ravine leading away from the summit.
Since Rogers never recorded the truth of how he escaped that night, we
will never truly know, but according to Occam’s Razor, the simplest one is
often the most likely to be correct and this is the route that Rogers most
likely took to escape his pursuers as it is the safest. It is even possible that he reversed his
snowshoes as he made his escape past the cliff edge and down the ravine, to
further confuse the vengeful French and Indians hunting him .
To follow in his footsteps, there is an easier (and safer way) that
will take you past the steep and narrow valley that Rogers used, past the partially
treed ridge line, to the cliffside, and a fantastic view of Lake George.
Start by travelling to Rogers Rock Campground, which is located at 9894
Lake Shore Dr, Hague, NY, USA. This is a
lovely (and inexpensive campground), with hot showers and flush toilets -- glamping!
There are a couple of ways of reaching the head of the trail, you can
star at the lakeside or pick up the trail at the rear of campsite 210.
The trail is very steep in areas, as you climb the mountain slope, and
you will frequently need to scramble up, using your hands and feet, as some of
the pitches are close to an angle of 45o. It is not a climb that should be made if you
are not in good shape or a beginner hiker, and it will take you about an hour
to climb up and plan on the same amount of time coming down (it should take you
less coming down, but this will allow for emergencies), so start at least three
hours before sundown. REMEMBER to tell
someone responsible at your base camp or leave a note on the dash of your car, listing
when you are leaving, where you are going, who is with you, and when you will
return. You should also bring emergency
supplies in case of situations. The
trail is not marked very well, you must keep a sharp lookout for red or yellow
ribbons or spots of paint on the rocks at your feet, particularly in the steep
areas. Going into this hike
my wife and I did not have adequate maps, I didn’t find good maps until after
we had returned from the Adirondacks (they are at the end of the article), and
it is very possible we turned to scramble up the side of the mountain early,
when we should have continued to travel along the contours of the slope before
climbing up the side of the mountain.
It was worth the climb though, the view from overlook was spectacular,
and we really enjoyed the hike.
So, if you ever find yourself in the Lake George/Ticonderoga area,
make time to climb to the top of Rogers Rock and enjoy the view while walking
in the footsteps of history.
I
hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me
on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The
Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE,
and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free
to leave a comment on either site. I
announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at
bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.
That
is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!
Sources
Bearor,
Bob; The Battle on Snowshoes, [Heritage Books, Inc., Westminster, MD,
2007]
), 1910-1920, https://itoldya420.getarchive.net/amp/media/battle-of-rogers-rock-glen-falls-ins-co-cbf468, accessed August 16, 2025
Dwight, Timothy; Travels
in New-England and New-York: in four volumes, Volume 3, [William Baynes and
Sons, London, 1823], page 340,
The
Rogers’ Rock Hotel And Slide, Lake George, N.Y. Post Card, 1905, https://www.tuckdbpostcards.org/items/72819-the-rogers-rock-hotel-and-slide-lake-george-n-y, accessed August 16, 2025
Todish,
Timothy J.; The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Major Robert Rogers,
[Purple Mountain Press, Fleischmanns, NY, 2002]
USGS,
Ticonderoga 1894, Scale 1:62500, https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#4/38.99/-100.33,
accessed August 16, 2025
Zaboly, Gary; “The Legend
of Rogers’ Slide”, Muzzleloader, Vol. XXVII, No, 4, September/October
2001, page 74-79
