Sawteeth

[1ADAM12]

On June 4th I am heading up Sawteeth from the Ausable Club. What is the best trail to take in your opinion....the Weld or Scenic on the way up? Then from there I am heading over to Pyramid (never been there) Then up Gothics and possible Armstrong and Upper.

Thanks for the Advice!

Adam

[Neil]

It all depends on whether you want the views from the Scenic Trail on the way up or down. It's a beautiful route. I went up it and loved the steep climb but maybe you'd enjoy it more going down. I think going the way I did you get more anticipation of good things yet to come as your day progresses.

[lumberzac]

Zac, You want to answer this one? You've been up the scenic trail right?

Both are great. Up the Scenic over Pyramid, Gothics, Armstrong,... is a pretty long day. Of course you'll make great time with the bugs chasing you regardless of which way you go. :twisted:

All I can say is don't go up the Scenic Trail in winter. It wasn't fun at all.

[Mavs00]

Scenic trail surely is "scenic", but you can rest assured the leisurely connotation associated with scenic DOES NOT apply in this case ;)

[mike1889]

If you have enough time and are in good shape, take the scenic trail. It is much more interesting than the Weld trail.

[Neil]

If you have enough time and are in good shape, take the scenic trail. It is much more interesting than the Weld trail.

Descending the Weld trail (after doing all those summits) is a lot easier on the knees than the scenic trail would be.

[1ADAM12]

If you have enough time and are in good shape, take the scenic trail. It is much more interesting than the Weld trail.

Descending the Weld trail (after doing all those summits) is a lot easier on the knees than the scenic trail would be.

To me it does not matter which way I go up but I am not coming down either trail if I press on to Gothics and Armstrong. I will take one of the trails 34 or 33 back to lake road depending on how we are all feeling. I have already done Gothics and the rest of the range but my buddy wanted to bag a few peaks. After Sawteeth I will have completed the whole range and only have 16 more peaks left :)

As far as the bugs go I know its hit and miss. Last year i did Nippletop, Dial, Colvin and Blake the first weekend in June and the black flies were not an issue but the mosquitos were :shock:

[Skyclimber]

Scenic trail surely is "scenic", but you can rest assured the leisurely connotation associated with scenic DOES NOT apply in this case ;)

You got that one right! It's only a view of the Lakes at different elevations. Nothing to write home about, except for the steady grind of climbing to get to the top of Sawteeth. I did that trail only once and vowed never to do it again. It's been 14 years since I went up that %#%# route and I never went back that way. Of course though, I climbed Allen, just the day before, so that may have had, an impact on the enjoyment of that climb.

[AlpineSummit]

Gotta go Scenic trail or you're cheating yourself.

[pete_hickey]

One thing. The scenic trail sucks in the rain. At least that's my take on it.

[Neil]

My wife and her friend did Sawteeth yesterday. No views to be had. No snow going up the scenic trail but at the junction for trail #57 they took a wrong turn (sign gone, foggy). They went the wrong way for about 10 mins. before realizing they were off route. It was a good thing they had a compass! After Sawteeth (descending to the ST-Gothics col) there was snow that supported them as long as they stayed on the spine. The snow ran out part way down the Weld Trail.

[Everest NBD]

The scenic trail is extremly steep(I mean more than a 50 degree angle almost the whole way up), but the veiws of Colvin, Blake, and Lower Ausable Lake are great.

Also, definetely go down the weld trail because its a nice walk and Rainbow falls is right on your way down but thats just a veiw from the top if you want to see it from the bottom its a nice little .1 mile walk to the base(its amazing).

There was also some construction going on down in that section where the two trails split last time we went(last summer) so the scenic trail might be closed.

[1ADAM12]

If I am to climb up the Weld Trail where is the last place I can filter water? Is there a place above Rainbow Falls?

Thanks,
Adam

[Mavs00]

Yes, the trail follows the brook that "creates" Rainbow Falls for a ways above it. I seems to remember a little pool just around the spot where the trail heads away from the brook.

It's been a few years, so don't quote me about the "pool", it was really just a nice big spot to filter water.

[hiking machine]

I did this hike last summer and bookended the hike with two waterfalls. Hit Rainbow Falls on way up, did Sawteeth, Pyramid, Gothics and Armstrong and then took Beaver Meadow Falls trail down to Lake Road. It was one of the sweetest hikes I have ever done, especially since it was a beautiful day.

Chris Sausville #5237*