Santanoni attempt - Feb, 25

[ALGonquin Bob]

The elation of last week's successful day hike of Allen was offset by a bitterly disappointing failure in the Santanonis yesterday. :cry: After a group start (15 or so VFTTers) at first light under clear skies and the watchful eye of Venus, the trek to Bradley Pond was an easy one in cold temps. As is normal, the group had out-paced me; I was hiking solo from the road.

The herd path from the clearing seemed to follow the normal summer path past the high cliffs with their long icicles forming a cold curtain along the rock face. The predicted snowfall began a couple hours into the hike. This winter's herd path crosses Panther Brook and stays in the forest all the way up to Times Square, unlike two years ago when the path remained in the groove of the brook much of the way up.

After a relatively easy ascent, I met a group of ADKers just below TS. We were all looking to summit Santanoni. As we neared Times Square, we felt the cold wind, and prepared for the trek to the range's namesake peak. Although the wind and snow had filled in some of the path, it seemed that everybody had chosen to go to Couchsachraga first. We stepped left up onto the small rise and descended over the boulder that marks the beginning of the usual herdpath to Santanoni. There was no trace of the trail broken in last week's perfect weather by Neil and Alistair, but we forged on for a short while, with the leader breaking trail and trying to find the herd path through the trees. After a brief attempt at this, we returned to TS. The lack of visibility combined with my iced-over glasses and bitter heat-sucking wind made my decision to bail out an easy, though very disappointing one.

I hiked out along with one of the ADK members. As we descended we began to meet other VFTT members who had also made the difficult decision to scratch their day's plans. None of the climbers who I spoke with had managed to claim either Couchy or Santanoni, but I'm convinced that all had made the right decision to retreat in the face of life-threatening cold winds coupled with snowfall that combined to make the trek out a difficult one for those who continued much past the top of the ridge referred to as Times Square.

I drove out to Aunt Polly's B&B for a cold beer :drink: , at the invitation of Slamdog. Checking the weather forecast, it seemed that the snow would continue, making my plans for a 2-night stay at Uphill Brook LT and peak-bagging from 4-corners a difficult solo task. Though I had 3 more days of time off from work, my disappointment of this day and concerns about weather, wind, and trail conditions were enough to cause me to scrub all plans and go home. I hope others had a better day. :(

[randomscooter]

Yesterday was a rough day. I had plans to do MacNaughton with the sisters, but the incoming weather convinced us to go for something easy...McKenzie and Moose. But before reaching the McKenzie summit, on the DEC trail, we had to break out map and compass as we searched several times for the trail in low visibility conditions. Finally reaching McKenzie after 3 hours we made the decision to turn tail on Moose and run for cover. Moose would've seriously tested our mettle. There's no way we would've made MacNaughton.

[MarkL]

Knowing the company I'm in, I feel better about bailing out yesterday. Even though my plans were to collect some tick-free Appalachian Trail mileage in CT and Mass, the forecast there was more than I wanted to deal with. Sub-zero windchills + new snow to hide the ice on some very steep sections + hiking alone = Bailout.
I think a lot of other people changed plans yesterday. There were only 3 postings on VFTT for yesterday, and 2 of those were bails.

[Louis]

Gail and me were going for Sawteeth/Gothics and more but the way up sawteeth and pyramid peak (what a climb that pyramid thing!) trough deep and loose snow took a lot out of us (of me anyway) and we decided when we saw how much wind and snow there was on the climb up Gothics that it would be better to go back (now...going down was fun... skiing on snowshoes or sliding on our bums). But the snow falling made it a winter wonderland and it was sure beautiful, a very fun hike.

[TFR]

AlG, your sig is very to the point here! I hope I've learned that lesson!

Summary: 0 peaks obtained!

Longer version: We started out at 6:20 AM with a cast of thousands at the Santanoni trailhead. Well, maybe more like 20. (We stayed in several different groups). We made excellent time up to Times Square. A light snow was falling, and it was around 0 F. But we felt great, and the trail had been beaten down to hard packed snow the whole way. Almost no ice. Santanoni and Panther were visible in the distance. A 3 peak day seemed to loom large in our minds! Perfect so far!

We were probably somewhere in the middle of the cavalcade when we headed down for Couch. Again, there was a well broken herd path with fresh tracks. We followed eagerly, too eagerly! After about 45 minutes we caught up with the front runners. They were all wandering around looking for the way. It seemed we were on the wrong side of the ridge. Some said go left, some right. The wind was whipping and it was snowing hard now. It was still 0 F! After some discussion, most turned around and decided to attempt Santanoni proper. My pack was shredded and I had left a few things on the trail that others found for me. Several well placed branches had found my skin and left cuts, scrapes and bruises. I recalled doing Couch in the summer and having absolutely no problems!

When we got back to Times Square, some people came back from attempting Santanoni with a report very similar to Couch. We decided to essentially give up at this point and go do Panther. We started with a group of 8. Again, we soon were floundering in deep snow, bushwhacking thru spruce. Laurie was freezing and I didn't feel much better, standing around waiting for others to route find. So we turned around and almost ran back down to the marked trail. (It took us less than an hour). We started to warm up a little. The wind abated. The snow slackened. It was back to a bearable day. But Santanoni had beaten us. We trudged out in slience.

I've never failed to at least get one peak on a hike, in over 200 attempts, with 70+ in the Winter. I felt a lot of emotions during the walk out and back at the B&B : Anger at not getting even 1 peak. Humility at being beaten. Discouragement at ever completing the W46. Satisfaction that we at least had a good morning and got a lot of exercise. And eventually, a sense that we had probably done the right thing to turn around in the face of nature's wrath.

Other people began trickling back to the trailhead. A few people had at least gone to Panther. No one got any other peaks that day. Nature had put a whup-ass on us! The blowing snow and chilling temperatures had done nearly all of us in. And I counted several very strong hikers among us.

Back at the B&B, we nursed our wounds, both physical and emotional. What had we done wrong? Maps were pulled out. It appears that we were probably on the shoulder of Panther, having taken a wrong turn in the Couch herd path maze. But the near white-out conditions made it hard to decide where to go next.

On a more positive note, Timmus, Cantdog, and Pete_Hickey successfully got to the summit (that's Timmus backwards ) of Cliff and Redfield. I was told that Timmus was chiefly responsible for this feat, way to go!

Also on the plus side, Aunt Polly's B&B is an ideal place to basecamp for a trip to Allen, Cliff/Redfield or the Santas. The owners are very hiker friendly. They gave us a whole house for $165/night (that sleeps 8-12) which was fully stocked with washer/dryer, complete kitchen setup, towels, etc., etc. It also comes stocked with hundreds of Lady Bugs! They are benign, but they were everywhere upstairs! Interestingly, they were not to be seen at all in the kitchen.

Finally, the company I spent the weekend with was excellent! Thanks to Slamdog, Splitrock, Timmus, Pete, Cantdog, Jean/Nat (the conquerors!), Rejean, Eric, Rik, and especially Laurie for making the stay at the B&B a pleasant experience! Everyone pitched in and we all got along really well. And there was more beer and food then we knew what to do with! Well, actually, I took a lot of it home, in spite of copious consumption over the weekend!

Thanks to all involved for a great weekend, even if we didn't get to any summits!

[ajtiv]

Sounds like a great adventure, even though it was unsuccessful. Trips like this are great experiences for learning and building bonds of friendship in the struggle against nature making correct decisions.
As you all know there is no shame in giving it your all and not succeeding.
Great TR thanks for telling the tale, I was thinking about you all this weekend.
Al

[Skyclimber]

Sounds like a great adventure, even though it was unsuccessful. Trips like this are great experiences for learning and building bonds of friendship in the struggle against nature making correct decisions.
As you all know there is no shame in giving it your all and not succeeding.
Great TR thanks for telling the tale, I was thinking about you all this weekend.
Al

I too wondered about everyone who was out this weekend. That included the Redfield/Cliff Group. It surely wasn't the best conditions for anyone to go. Windy, Snowy and Bitter Cold.
Diehards is all I can say! "Safety always comes before the Summit." The Santanoni's is one place, one don't want to be floundering and wondering around in! What a scarey thought! At least everyone got out safely and that is the most important thing of all. The mountains will be there another day.

[pete_hickey]

So, the weather wasn't nice... I thought it just SEEMED like it wasn't nice. More later, but you can tell by the ice on my face in this picture, that it was cold:

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/tmpadk/cr/cr2.jpg

On Sunday, I think Rejaen was the only one who climbed anything. I went for a leisurely 10 mile walk with timmus to see the Great Santoni Camp. This morning, one leg is so messed up that I'm unable to ride my bicycle.

[Skyclimber]

So, the weather wasn't nice... I thought it just SEEMED like it wasn't nice. More later, but you can tell by the ice on my face in this picture, that it was cold:

.

It looked ************* COLD!!!!!!!!!! BURR! I'm cold just looking at you! Can't wait to read the story. Congrats!

[Boreal Chickadee]

Darn Pete, you and Jules look COLD! Actually you must have been quite warm because your coat is unzipped, I've been at home letting my wrist heal and don't quite now if I should be grateful for a warm house or jealous of you guys freezing your butts off.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who used the walk into Santanoni Camp as a "next day, keep the legs loose" walk. After hiking in the Dixes I took my son into the camp the next day so my legs would stay loose. The others in the group who declined the walk thought I was crazy. We walked out with one of the renovators and learned heaps of stuff.

[Rik]

I'll give another take on this weekend. I thought it was great. I know many were disappointed at not reaching summits but at the same time we were out in total winter conditions for what felt like the first time this winter. Everyone that was there will probably appreciate Sant/Couch more when they get there. Everyone was safe and made good decisions. And everyone got along great at Aunt Pollys.
Eric and I along with our wives and my dog, Dali, hiked Blue Mt. on Friday on our way up. Nice little warm up for the weekend. The ladies (Charlene, Sue, and Dali) headed home while Eric and I head to Aunt Polly's. We arrived first and were settling in as Tom and Laurie arrived. As the evening rolled on more folks arrived. It was nice meeting those I hadn't met and spending time with those I had only met briefly. In the morning we all headed to the trailhead where we found a nearly full parking area and many people. The trip in to TS was fast and we all felt pretty good. It appeared as if there was a packed trail towards both Sant and Couch. Off to Couch our group at this point was pretty much myself, Eric, Rejean, Pierre, and Splitrock (Bill). We headed down the path which was good for a while and then just fizzled into several dead ends. We spent quite a bit of time trying to correct our position and find the herd path but with no luck. We tried zigzagging and looping but no luck. It was snowing pretty hard and our tracks were being covered quickly. I believe our mistake was following someone else's track instead of navigating right from TS. But it looked so easy! We retreated back to TS. Splitrock had gone back with others so now we were four. We made the decision to climb Panther and then regroup and decide if we would try for Sant. Panther wasn't too hard but was very cold and windy. We attempted Sant for a little while but none of us felt that breaking trail and route finding the whole way was a good decision in the conditions. We headed down with our tails between our legs. The walk out was amazing. Fresh snow covering the track, the trees, and us. The sound muffled from the new fallen snow. Back at the road we caught another group that had turned around on Sant as well. Like Tom said back at the house we all discussed where we could have done better. We all took turns cooking dinners and then spent some time watching the Olympics. Thanks to Tom for organizing the weekend. No one really seemed motivated to hike again on Sunday so we headed home. The hiking was great, the company was great, but the highlight may have been watching Pete clean his car off BAREFOOT! Hopefully we will do a better job route finding this weekend.

[SplitRock821]

Tom-

Thanks for setting up our trip this past weekend- it was certainly appreciated.
It was certainly a tough go of it, but I'm happy to have been given the opportunity to be outside in the first place. You set that opportunity up for our group, and I appreciate it.

I went into the weekend with a mindset of aiming to get all three...as Rik, Eric, Rejean & I discussed on the way home, it was certainly a humbling experience. I was happy to have gotten Panther (#37, 11-W) with another group I attached to at TS, but was having many of the same thoughts on my descent- why am I doing this? Am I ever going to get to be a 46er, much less a Winter one? But ultimately, these thoughts were drowned out by the peaceful nature of the final walk out, with the wind subsided and the snow falling. They were completely eliminated by the great conversation and company back at Aunt Polly's.

It was great to meet all of you, and I look forward to hiking with you all again in the future.

[1ADAM12]

Bob Sorry you did not get Sant. I love your reports though....very descriptive!

[Skyclimber]

Nice avatar Adam!

[Eric]

Thanks Tom for organizing this weekend.
Like SplitRock said I had the mind set that I would be hiking both Panther and Couch. I felt so confident. All winter it had been week after week climbing with little difficulties, this was due to the winter we have had this year. It was hard coming down from TS having been defeated and at the same time pleased that I had summited Panther with others. At the start of the week I had planned in my mind that with staying in Newcomb I along with others would hike Couch and Panther then on Sunday Rik and I would hike Seward for my Winter-46. The Corey's road from what some said would be open until tuesday the 28th and now would be a good opportunity. Of course that was not the case. This past weekend on the Mtns was humbling and a lesson learned, a great experience, and a good time.
It was a great time at Aunt Polly's.

[Mavs00]

We followed eagerly, too eagerly! After about 45 minutes we caught up with the front runners. They were all wandering around looking for the way. It seemed we were on the wrong side of the ridge. Some said go left, some right. The wind was whipping and it was snowing hard now. It was still 0 F! After some discussion, most turned around and decided to attempt Santanoni proper.

Hey, Tom.............. I certainly don't mean to be a wise a$$ here if it comes accross that way, BUT.. Didn't anyone have a GPS that was "map enabled"? I know there are those that eschew those types of impliments, but had there been one, it might have kept you on "the right side of the ridge" and increased your chances of success on the weather day like the one you guys describe you had.

Like I said, I'm not busting stones and I admire the grit you guys showed out there. I'm just curious that given the conditions, no one would have had one out there with you.

Great job and glad you guys had fun.

[pete_hickey]

.. Didn't anyone have a GPS that was "map enabled"?. Those things don't really give you a route through the thick stuff, and I suspect that is what is the big problem. You start going in teh right general direction, then come up against some real thick stuff.

In summer, the herd path is easy to follow, in a REAL winter, the snow is deep enough to thin out (you're above much of it) the thick stuff, but this low-snow winter leaves you with the worst of both worlds.

[Rik]

Hey, Tom.............. I certainly don't mean to be a wise a$$ here if it comes accross that way, BUT.. Didn't anyone have a GPS that was "map enabled"? I know there are those that eschew those types of impliments, but had there been one, it might have kept you on "the right side of the ridge" and increased your chances of success on the weather day like the one you guys describe you had.



Now what fun would that be?
I think we may have been able to see our mistake sooner but I believe we would have made the same mistake to begin with. We didn't even take a compass out until after we had already followed a bad path for a ways. I think whether it was a compass or gps if someone had used one right from TS the mistakes may have been avoided but that path looked so inviting and it was so cold to play with maps and compasses and gps' and we had all been there before and... :blah:

[Mavs00]

Those things don't really give you a route through the thick stuff, and I suspect that is what is the big problem.

No, it won't part the the thick stuff for you, but a good "map enabled" GPS, with the right topo's installed, will tell you exactly where you are at all times. Since I've done that herd path several times and have actual track log data, I could have preprogramed it and followed within feet of my past routes, winter or not. Granted conditions on the ground will always dictate changes to a route, but if you know what your doing, it's east to compensate and adjust accordingly back into position.

It's like flying a plane instrument enabled. Granted, you may choose NOT to navigate that way, and many don't, but on a day like that one it sounds as if it could have helped. I don't always use one, but if I find myself trying to bushwhack through thick stuff, I find it saves alot of aggravation.,

With a good GPS and the knowledge of how to use it, who the heck needs trails or herds paths anyway :twisted:

[pete_hickey]

Since I've done that herd path several times and have actual track log data, I could have preprogramed it and followed within feet of my past routes, winter or not. That much? Sheesh. Now I know why I don'T like using them.

[Rik]

No, it won't part the the thick stuff for you, but a good "map enabled" GPS, with the right topo's installed, will tell you exactly where you are at all times. Since I've done that herd path several times and have actual track log data, I could have preprogramed it and followed within feet of my past routes, winter or not. Granted conditions on the ground will always dictate changes to a route, but if you know what your doing, it's east to compensate and adjust accordingly back into position.



Being within a few feet of a past route may or may not have been all that helpful. After pulling yourself out of several spruce traps on either side of your virtual path in those conditions knowing that you would be breaking trail all the way back to TS regardless of your route would have likely lead most to the same decision: another day. I'm not saying it couldn't have been helpful I just think it was more about conditions than navigating. Or maybe I'm just in denial since my new gps was at home on the kitchen table waiting for warm weather so I could learn how to use it?

[Neil]

I have a hard time visualizing Rik using a Gps. As for Pete, well.....do chickens have lips?

I've used one extensively for about a year and I have to admit I've been quite skeptical all throughout the year. But, my last few trips have convinced me that if you want to do big multi-peak days, whether bushwhacks or winter herd trails, and you want a minimum of muss and fuss with a M&C then you can't beat the thing with a stick.

Pete taught me a great compass trick when we did the Mac range. We were on our way back from Iroquois towards Algonquin and I asked what the recip of 245 was. Pete's answer: box the needle for a 245 bearing and go the opposite way. Doh!

[Rik]

I have a hard time visualizing Rik using a Gps. As for Pete, well.....do chickens have lips?



Hey, wait a minute, I can be as geeky as the next guy! Well, except maybe you and Mavs. :twisted:

So, anyone have the coordinates for the summit of Calamity?

[pete_hickey]

I have a hard time visualizing Rik using a Gps. As for Pete, well.....do chickens have lips?
..... But, my last few trips have convinced me that if you want to do big multi-peak days, whether bushwhacks or winter herd trails, And that's the base of it. My goal is not to get the peaks. It's to have a walk in the woods.....

How close was I to the summit of Iroquois? Remember?