Kyler
02-17-2010, 07:53 PM
I met Al (ajtiv) at the Loj sometime around 6:30-6:45 on Saturday and we headed for Marcy. Despite the forecast for clouds and snow, the skies were clear and there were some good views of the surrounding mountains on the trail to Marcy Dam.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6379.jpg
The Van Hoevenberg was well packed all the way to Marcy. We continued onto Indian Falls, where we had a good view of the Macs.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6404.jpg
We saw no other people between Indian Falls and Marcy, but had some good views to the North. Once we hit tree-line on Marcy, the hard pack trail turned to ice, crusty snow, or exposed rock. We switched to crampons just above tree-line. We had great views from the summit, but the wind was bitter. The clouds started to roll in as we got ready to move along.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6448.jpg
As we headed down, we attempted to go directly to Gray. Things were smooth at first, but when we got to the col, we were hitting a lot of spruce traps, and having trouble finding a good route. So we headed back up, over, and down to four corners.
The trail to Skylight was well broken out with no ice. The snow was a little looser than the Van Ho, but still an easy climb. We had a few moments of a view from Skylight before the clouds took over. We didn't stay long before starting down.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6498.jpg
We went over to Lake Tear and started up the path to Gray. The broken route to Gray from Lake Tear was pretty rough. There was a lot of fighting over, around, and through trees. We caught up to a group of about eight or so that was in front of us, who were having an equally rough time. When we hit the summit, everything was clouded in, so we chatted with the larger group for a few minutes, and then left.
Once we were down from Gray, it was smoothing sailing from Lake Tear to Lake Arnold to Marcy Dam. We were back at the Loj around 5:15.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6379.jpg
The Van Hoevenberg was well packed all the way to Marcy. We continued onto Indian Falls, where we had a good view of the Macs.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6404.jpg
We saw no other people between Indian Falls and Marcy, but had some good views to the North. Once we hit tree-line on Marcy, the hard pack trail turned to ice, crusty snow, or exposed rock. We switched to crampons just above tree-line. We had great views from the summit, but the wind was bitter. The clouds started to roll in as we got ready to move along.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6448.jpg
As we headed down, we attempted to go directly to Gray. Things were smooth at first, but when we got to the col, we were hitting a lot of spruce traps, and having trouble finding a good route. So we headed back up, over, and down to four corners.
The trail to Skylight was well broken out with no ice. The snow was a little looser than the Van Ho, but still an easy climb. We had a few moments of a view from Skylight before the clouds took over. We didn't stay long before starting down.
http://geoffreyday.com/hiking/images/6498.jpg
We went over to Lake Tear and started up the path to Gray. The broken route to Gray from Lake Tear was pretty rough. There was a lot of fighting over, around, and through trees. We caught up to a group of about eight or so that was in front of us, who were having an equally rough time. When we hit the summit, everything was clouded in, so we chatted with the larger group for a few minutes, and then left.
Once we were down from Gray, it was smoothing sailing from Lake Tear to Lake Arnold to Marcy Dam. We were back at the Loj around 5:15.