http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/ This is a discussion forum powered by vBulletin. To find out about vBulletin, go to http://www.vbulletin.com/ . en Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:20 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/ http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21539&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 10:41:54 GMT 5 am. sharp and Mastergrasshopper and I were on our way, walking down the Pine Pond Road from the Averyville parking lot. This would be my third and... 5 am. sharp and Mastergrasshopper and I were on our way, walking down the Pine Pond Road from the Averyville parking lot. This would be my third and final attempt at doing the 5 Sawtooths in a day and MS's first. It turned out to be a very long day, 21 hours of near continuous hiking with short summit and water breaks interspersed. However, we managed to do all five.


I really thought I had this thing wired after 30 summits and many criss-crossings, circumnavigations, explorations and recorded track-logs. When Dunbar and I did all 5 over two days on my last trip to the ST's three (or was it four?) years ago I remember nailing the traverse from 2 to 1 so well that it seemed like a picnic.

Anyway, I decided to give the mountains a fighting chance and the gps was to remain in my pack all day except for the "bushwhack by night" portion that was surely to come later on in the day. I also used it for the special corridor I had found through the final 300 feet of ascent on 4 and although some rearrangement of the decor had been done over the years the magic corridor was still pretty open. We made ST4 in five hours from Averyville and Glen was raving about the route.

After a quick summit break and some time later around noon we were on 2. Things were going very, very well. From 2 down to the drainage en route to 1 there is a fine line between a very difficult descent and a very easy one and we never found that line but we made it down intact. The ascent of 1 can be very gnarly and hellish but if you arrive right the north end of an evil shoulder you can round it smartly towards the north and ascend the final, extremely steep mossy slopes in a twinkling and find yourself at the summit clearing relatively unscathed. We ascended through very scrappy ST woods and came out at the south end of the shoulder and had to downclimb and do an end run around it. Sitting on top of 1, 3 hours from 2 and an hour “late”, I was thinking that at least Glen was getting a genuine feel for what the Sawtooths were capable of dishing out. We had been at it now for 10 hours and revised our time-of-day estimate for when we would be departing Sawtooth Three.

The weakest point in my mental chain was right in front of us. Hillman and I hiked from One to Five many years ago for Spencer, Allan and Brian's HH finish and had by pure luck nailed an easy route down through the cliffs, inside the evil shoulder and over to the base of Five whose 400 foot ascent we had casually walked up in 25 minutes. I had no tracklog or anything more than remembering that we had headed west off the summit and moved right at every drop-off down through the cliffs. After that I remembered a drainage and a fen but that was it. Long story short: it took us a long time to push our way through to the base of Five and the way up was bad until we moved laterally to the west and found clear sailing. Before the 400 foot ascent of Five I told Glen it was the most horrendous bit of bushwhacking I had ever done in my entire life. (this to counterbalance the failure for those channels to open up magically in front of me between 2 and 1.) By now were beginning to feel the day's exertions.

The descent of 4 went well enough but in retrospect we made a minor tactical error. There is a little col to pass through between 5 and 3. From 1 we had spied a nice descent route down 4 but didn't take into account that it would led us down about 300 yards north of the little col. Had we angled down towards it or traversed along the summit ridge of 5 before descending we would have avoided a very nasty rising traverse into the col through extremely thick woods. We lost a little more of our precious time and energy. Once through the col we arrived at a beautiful open fen through which a creek flowed. Three stood 800 feet above us all lit up in the late afternoon sun. Glen dug down and set a hard pace up. I was growing increasingly mindful of the wings of time and a with a very keen desire to be well down off of the NE summit ridge before the “headlamp hour” I had the gps up and running and could see we were heading straight into what looked like “bad luck and trouble” so we corrected the route and were on the summit after an hour's ascent. Randomscooter and Joe Cedar had gone over the route from Averyville to 3 several years ago and I had climbed it with Dunbar. We turned on the 50 waypoint route and stuck to the magic pink line on the screen like glue. The headlamps came on after we were down off the summit ridge and all we had left to do was a four mile whack to a three mile walk out along the old NPT. It was pretty slow and as we were leaving the summit ridge I surprised Glen when I said we'd be out after one in the morning. Most of the headlamp whack went surprisingly well thanks to the excellent tracklog. However, the section along Moose Creek was agonizingly slow and difficult and quite disheartening. Looking back on the entire hike it clearly defined the low-point of our day. Nevertheless, one thing was clear: every time we put one foot in front of the other we were closer to the old road that would lead us home. So we just kept on plugging. As we walked alongside a series of beaver dams I caught a mink in my headlamp beam as it slinked along by the water's edge. It froze there for a few moments. That was very cool.

It took us a while to find the old woods-road because I had re-named the wrong waypoint (ie. Number 22 instead of 20) but we found it sure enough. Our pace doubled, our energy output halved and our spirits rose. It was 2am when we got back to the parking lot for the longest day of hiking we had ever done. At that moment I felt like we had been given a sound thrashing by the Sawtooths but no matter how we felt or looked at it, it was done. We really had done all five. ]]> Adirondack Trip Reports Neil http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21539 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21538&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 03:16:54 GMT looking for drier trails and needing to explore the Waterville Valley for the first time, I came over here to NH to see what's up...this is a great trail....the Tecumseh trail from the parking lot of WV ski area...rocky and very dry, at least today....it was raining on my way home....NO issues...no ice or snow and a 'steady' up...seemed a bit longer than the 5 mile trip that it is, because there is no rest on the trail, but for one brook crossing early on....Ed would think he was on the Lake Arnold trail on this one...long straight sections with steady grade for nearly the whole way after the brook...2,200 ft climb...my 16th summit in the whites....coming back soon...
David S. ]]> New England Trip Reports rockbiter http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21538 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21537&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 03:16:13 GMT Late to bed, late to rise, late to start hiking. Jaco and I were both under the weather and definitely pokey about things today. However, we did... Late to bed, late to rise, late to start hiking.

Jaco and I were both under the weather and definitely pokey about things today. However, we did manage to head up from Denning to grab Table and Peekamoose on this cool gray day in May.

Jaco was not in the mood to hurry and I wanted to take a nap in the lean-to.
As a result we waddled along the trail, talking and laughing and meeting people along the way. 16 people and two dogs! Certainly not as bad as the last time, when the table was full with a count of 37 people met along the way.

I got to see a different side of Jaco today. Somehow, I missed this in the past few months but I am not surprised, really, as I know mountains do bring out different phases of people's personalities without warning.

Today I saw fully how my little boy has grown in the past year. One on one, no distractions, just Jaco and I hanging out like the best of friends. The clarity of his thoughts, the depth of his knowledge, his attention to detail and yes, without a doubt, his absolute love of laughter. He loves to laugh. He loves it when others laugh. He loves it when he is the cause of other people laughing! But, most of all, what I saw in this big mind of Jaco's was his ability to love unselfishly, his generosity and his compassion.

There was nothing in particular about how these things arose. It was just simple conversation, sitting and talking, walking and talking, eating and talking and between the rock hops, log jumps and uppy hugs, Jaco introduced himself to the world again. Here I am! I'm Jaco! Are you ready for me?

I have said this before and I will say it again. I am the luckiest guy in the world to have been able to introduce two wonderful little boys to the world of the beaten path where space exists to explore the world and the mind as one. When you mix the mountains and the explosively creative minds of growing young ones like my boys, flowers forever bloom, air is always fresh hearts are always in reach and love flows and grows.

HA! I hope I never get used to this!

Jaco (5 years 8 months) - 31 of 39 (8 to go!!)

pics ------> https://plus.google.com/photos/11498...84061793285857 ]]> Catskill Trip Reports Zer0-G http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21537 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21535&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 02:14:16 GMT I'll be hiking the Santanoni range early in June with a few friends. In planning and discussing our upcoming hike, I started to wonder, how people deal with the issue of black flies during the peak black fly season. I have had suggestions ranging from spray gear and clothing with an insect repellent; wear a head net; try to hike on a cloudy day; bath in deet; pretend it could be worse, they could be deer flies biting you. ]]> General Hiking Information aspiring46er http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21535 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21533&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 01:37:03 GMT Hey All, Curious about what the conditions would be like for Algonquin and Iroquois next week? We have a trip planned for the end of May and that... Hey All,

Curious about what the conditions would be like for Algonquin and Iroquois next week? We have a trip planned for the end of May and that hike was one of our thoughts. We are still trying to choose.

Thanks a bunch,

Blair ]]> Trip Planning. Questions and Answers. Kai was here http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21533 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21532&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 01:21:52 GMT Seymour: Snow starts ~3500 but never really has much of an effect on the hiking. Ward Brook: Snow seems to start lower, and the brook/trail is... Seymour: Snow starts ~3500 but never really has much of an effect on the hiking.

Ward Brook: Snow seems to start lower, and the brook/trail is very full of snow. Carried microspikes but never put them on. Snow was deep enough to posthole if you stepped in the wrong spot. It slowed us down, but didn't make the hike all that much more challenging.

Range: The range was the driest I've ever seen (as a matter of fact, the whole area was the driest I've ever seen it) so we made really good time. The muddy spots were still muddy, but it wasn't boot sucking mud.

The climb out from Calkins is still as big as I remember it, I still don't approve of them putting that climb there.

Cliff Notes: Expect ice/snow up high. ]]> Adirondack Trip Reports bignslow http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21532 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21531&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 01:12:22 GMT So since I was mildly non-plussed by last weeks general forum discussion, I decided to go hike the weekend away. Thursday evening I headed off to... So since I was mildly non-plussed by last weeks general forum discussion, I decided to go hike the weekend away.

Thursday evening I headed off to Upper Works only to find a full lot replete with college vans carryring racks of canoes. A quick check of the register confirmed that indeed the Lake Colden corridor was full of campers. On to plan B. Quickly. Now whats plan B?

Plan B turned out to be a quick drive down to Elk Lake and a moonlight stroll to Slide Brook, where me and my fellow companions crashed in on an already existing group of 3. They were off early for Panther Gorge in the morning, and I didn't even catch their names.

Friday morning after breakfast it was up the Macomb Slide. My second trip up that thing, and still I think its a fun place. Then on to South and East Dix. A brief interlude on East Dix enjoying the views turned into a small summit party when two older gentlemen arrived. We took this as out cue that we were falling behind and headed back towards South Dix to get on the herd path to Hough.

Walking out to Hough was plesent enough. It was warm, and there were no bugs. We caught some good glimpses of the route to the Beckhorn from the summit and peered down into the steep walls of Houghs slides.

On the way up the Beckhorn we passed two ladies who were staying at Lillian Brook. One mentioned to forums, though I declined to elucidate further conversation on the topic, and wished them a good afternoon.

Once on the Beckhorn it was only a short jaunt over to the Dix summit to complete my first go at getting all 5 Dixes in one day. Mission accomplished, and back down to Dix Pond via the Beckhorn to finish the circuit back to Slide Brook and a few good stiff belts of Scotch followed by some food and sleep.

Saturday morning found me hungry for more. As if the Dix circuit was only a tease. I probably should have parked at Clear Pond and humped my overnight gear the whole way with me, not camping, and going home afterwards. That would have shown me. BUt alas, no, I hatched phase 2 of the "plan" on the way back to the Elk Lake parking area. We would dayhike Armstrong and the Wolfjaws by going up Beaver Meadows, and down Wedge Brook.

And we did. Signing in at 1:30 in the afternoon, and being very lucky to find parking, we headed down the lake road to go see what those were like. I thought Beaver Meadow Falls were nice, and I also thought the ladder section before the Gothics col was cool, but sooner or later someone is gonna get roached on one of those ladders. A couple of them are shoddy as hell.

A quick stop on Armstrong and off to UWJ in the late afternoon glow. Of the two I definately preferred Armstrong, and the section between the two was a whole bunch of fun going in that direction. 6:30 found us in Wolf Jaws Notch looking at the sign for Lower Wolfjaw. Digging deep, we made the round trip up and back to LWJ in 50 minutes. Then down the Wedge Brook Trail to the West River Trail and out. Day 2 down, along with 8 peaks, ome of which are repeats for me.

Done yet? Pfft. Not a chance. After staggering out of the Ausable agter a burger and some beverages it was decided that 10 was a lot better number than 8 if you are counting how many high peaks you could try to do in 3 days. Since the weather was meant to go to crap during the second half of Sunday it was decided those two would be Street and Nye. Since I had never been down the Old Nye Ski Trail past the Rock Garden Trail to Mount Jo, it was also nice to finish up the weekend somewhere I hadn't been before.

I'll be honest. After the previous 2 days Street & Nye were a $hit show. For the first half of the climb up to the junction after crossing IPB I felt like I was walking in wet concrete. My legs just were angry at me. My nutrition hadn't been right for a third day of climbing, and I was having a tough time getting going. It was time for the liberal applications of the secret weapon for such instances. A share size bag of skittles, a half a roll of Spree, and a half litre of Tang later I was on the move again. Ready to tackle the massive blowdown fields of Nye. They are massive, too. Its amazing anything is still standing, and the rising wind and groaning of some of the standing deadwood made it so I didn't feel like hanging around too long. If some of that stuff continues to fall, pretty soon there may be some decent views from there.

Back down to the junction and off to Street. This is where the candy started to kick in, and good thing for that too. That little climb up to the summit of Street from the col was a lot harder than it should have been. After looking over at the incomming weather out towards Moose Pond and the Sawtooths, it was a quick haul off the Tang, a Snickers, and the program quickly switched to head back to the Loj before the rain comes.

We managed that part too, with the rain coming about 2 minutes after we drove past the parking lot kiosk at the entrance to the Loj.

3 days, 10 peaks, lots of miles.

I'll post back links to pics after I sort them and get them on my Picasa. Thats probably gonna take awhile because I shot about 250 pics, and nobody likes a photo dump. ]]> Adirondack Trip Reports Commissionpoint http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21531 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21530&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 01:10:49 GMT In an effort to keep the hiking up in between trips to the ADKS I went for a solo 19 km (~10 mile) hike in nearby Frontenac Provincial Park. ... In an effort to keep the hiking up in between trips to the ADKS I went for a solo 19 km (~10 mile) hike in nearby Frontenac Provincial Park.

Frontenac Park is nice park with about 10 or 11 trails ranging from 2km to 29 km. Nothing in regards to elevation but plenty of rocks and roots to negotiate dependng which trail you choose. A nice feature of this park is the Frontenac Challenge. If you hike all the trails between Sep 1 and Oct 31, you get a certificate and they have a BBQ for everyone to celebrate.

Today's trail was Big Salmon Lake Loop. It's a nice trail with a great lookout that looks out over the entire length of the lake. During the hike I saw 4 or 5 deer and some great birds, including a Baltimore Oriole with the most brilliant orange I've ever seen. It looked really cool against a dark green background.

It was a nice way to spend the day.

Blair ]]> Other Places Kai was here http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21530 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21529&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 20:20:30 GMT Well since my last trip involved snowshoes and I have been itching to get out and do some hiking, I decided that yesterday would be a great day to... Well since my last trip involved snowshoes and I have been itching to get out and do some hiking, I decided that yesterday would be a great day to take the wife out and do a quick shake-down/tune-up hike in preparation for longer and more difficult hikes this summer.

Primarily, all of my hiking has been done in the Adirondacks. I have lived all over the place, but never really been motivated to go hiking anywhere but there.

As the drive north from New Jersey is time consuming, I decided I may as well get over the fact that I live where I live and make the best out of the situation.

We got in the car around 7:30 and headed northwest to Worthington State Park and the Del Water Gap. We arrived at the parking area on I-80 and found that by 9:05 it was almost completely full. I was not highly optmistic, and I began to think that like all other things in New Jersey, I should expect hiking trails to be crowded as well. :rolleyes:

We started up the Mt. Tammany trail (red/white blazes) and quickly found that for a quick warm up hike, we were going to get what we came for. :)

For those unfamiliar with this "hill", the Mt. Tammany trail covers 1250 feet of vertical in approximately 1.5 miles arriving at the summit elevation of 1526 feet. This short but steep trail, with the exception of distance is likely close to vertical change found on many High Peaks.

My wife and I spent a short time on top, and after taking in some of the scenery, we decided to take the longer (2 mile), but less steep trail (blue blazes) down.

The trip covered about 3.5 miles and after stopping a few a more times to take some photos along Dunnfield Creek, we were back to the car in about 2.5 hours.

As it was only 11:30 or so, and having never visited Del Water Gap National Recreation Area before (and as a tax paying resident, I appreciate some of the places my hard earned money goes!!!) we decided to cross from New Jersey into Pennsylvania and take Rt 209 north to see Dingsmans and Silverstream Falls.

We arrived at the Dingmans Falls Visitor Center and had a quick chat with the forest ranger there. We told him it was our first visit to the park, and he quickly directed us to the trail to falls and after we told him that we had hiked Mt. Tammany, he suggested that we make the trip further along into the park to see the Raymondskill Falls as well, since we were only a few miles of driving away.

The trail to Dingmans Falls and Silverstream Falls is less of a trail and is actually a very well constructed boardwalk. The boardwalk winds through some beautiful rhododenron forests. Yup, after hiking all these years in the 'dacks, I thought rhododendron were some type of glorified landscaping. In all actuality, the trees are rather beatiful even without flowers and I feel a new appreciation toward them.

After only going maybe a tenth of a mile down the boardwalk, we came to Silverstream Falls, with its small but very picturesque 90 foot cascase through a narrow rock cut.

Fifteen minutues further down the "trail" we came the much larger Dingmans Falls. These falls flow down a 130 foot drop and into an almost "grotto"-like area surrounded by rhodendron. A staircase leads around and to the top of the falls for further views, and you then return the way you came back to the parking area for a mile of walking round trip.

Four miles up the road from the Dingmans Falls turnoff is a turnoff for Raymondskill Falls. Raymondskill Falls at 165 feet is the largest known falls in Pennsylvania. After parking in the designated lot, it is a short .15 mile hike to the base of the falls and then another .1 miles to the top (my best guess-timate). The falls are spectacular, and well worth the time to go and check out. :D

So one great hike and three spectacular waterfalls later, we are again in the car for the trek home. All in all a good day for our first non-ADK hike! ]]> Other Places Woj http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21529 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21528&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 20:05:17 GMT It was a beautiful day to be out for a hike :-) We started out from St. Huberts at around 8am and made it to the Gill Brook cutoff about an hour... It was a beautiful day to be out for a hike :-) We started out from St. Huberts at around 8am and made it to the Gill Brook cutoff about an hour later. The trails were fairly dry a got a bit muddier as we went, but no more mud than what we've gotten used to encountering. The mud going through Elk Pass wasn't bad either.

The ascent up to Nippletop was certainly steep and we started to encounter patchy snow and ice as we got closer to the summit, but it wasn't an issue at all. I was really glad we decided to do Nippletop first and climb up that very steep section because I'm not crazy about picking my way down trails like that. We were on the summit of Nippletop by about noon and enjoyed chatting with the 4 other people who were up there. I was pretty blown away by that amazing view of the Great Range.

Once we started to make our way towards Dial, we started encountering bigger patches of snow and ice that were a bit more difficult to navigate since the snow was so rotten, but we were able to stay on top of it for the most part. Once we descended enough and got a way from it, I certainly didn't miss it. We met back up with our Nippletop friends on Dial, rested there for a bit, then started to make our way back to the car. The hike back was nice and it was cool to see the forest growing back on the shoulder of Noonmark. We were back at the car by 4:30 and didn't feel anywhere close to as wiped out as I thought I would after a fairly long day like this. It feels good to be getting in better shape and I'm learning how to take better care of myself on a hike with plenty of water and lots of snacking. ]]> Adirondack Trip Reports Lostchord http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21528 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21527&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 18:40:28 GMT From what I can tell, there is a trail (Phoenicia East Branch Trail) that runs from the campground to CR 47...from which one could turn off and go to... From what I can tell, there is a trail (Phoenicia East Branch Trail) that runs from the campground to CR 47...from which one could turn off and go to Giant Ledge and Panther.

I couldn't find any posts showing anyone has hiked it this way. Has anyone? If so, could you give me a rough mileage, el gain, and time estimate?

Thanks ]]> General Catskill Hiking hobkyl http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21527 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21526&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 18:32:29 GMT I want to bring my 8 yr old son for his first camping trip in the Cats this weekend and was thinking of Terrace MTN. Does anyone know if that might... I want to bring my 8 yr old son for his first camping trip in the Cats this weekend and was thinking of Terrace MTN. Does anyone know if that might be a bad idea? I am familiar with most of the peaks in the Cats, just not Terrace. Thanks for any thoughts. ]]> General Catskill Hiking JerseyHiker http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21526 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21525&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 18:22:46 GMT For the past few years I have wanted to make a hike up to the summit of Ampersand Mountain. Several of my hiking friends had recommended this... For the past few years I have wanted to make a hike up to the summit of Ampersand Mountain. Several of my hiking friends had recommended this wonderful Adirondack gem to me in the past. The weather for Thursday was forecast to be sunny in the morning but with high winds. The parking area for Ampersand is approximately 8 miles west of Saranac Lake and is located on the right (north) side of the road. The trailhead is across the road (south). The trail is a very pleasant walk to the 1700 ft. elevation where the former observers’ cabin was located. From an elevation of 2400 to 2900 ft. the trail is much steeper but it is more like walking up a steep set of stairs. I was told that years ago an ADK team did extensive trail work in this area to make it much easier to ascend through this area. See the pics for a trail tour to and including the summit.


Ampersand Mountain summit



View from summit looking south (Ampersand Lake)

When I arrived at the summit (3352 ft.) the wind must have been gusting from 35 to 40 mph. I barely made it to the summit without being blown over, where I captured pics of the surrounding area. I was fortunate to have clear views with the sun out from behind the clouds. I wanted to stay there longer and have lunch but the wind was blowing so hard that I was afraid that anything loose would end up in the next county or country!! I had to wait between wind gusts to move from the summit back to the protective area below. I ended up having lunch just below the summit as several other hikers were heading to the top. I had a nice chat with Katie from Saranac Lake and we compared hiking experiences and related issues. The register showed 12 people signed in by mid-afternoon. On Saturday, when I drove by the Ampersand PA there were 30 cars parked on both sides of the road. Ampersand is a wonderful 5.5 mile hike that many people of all ages and condition can enjoy. It is no surprise that it is a very popular Adirondack mountain.

Cheers, Jim :D

Ampersand Mountain hike pics ]]> Adirondack Trip Reports Jim Kennard http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21525 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21524&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 15:05:32 GMT Last week I was *here*, on the tiny ledge center-frame, scouting the present hike: Image:... Last week I was here, on the tiny ledge center-frame, scouting the present hike:



From that ledge I saw these cliffs:



Yesterday I went there to explore them, counting on open views from their tops. It was a perfect day, the swales and valleys, all the concave land forms, awash in the pastel flames of new foliage, all the steeps and crowns, every convex feature, cloaked in the eternal balsam dark. Yet for about four hours of this hike my attention was not on the glorious insurrection of spring, but on the dead and down litter of a hundred springs past and the tortured stone among which it was moldering and tumbling and through which I was trying to climb. Terrain like this, which shows pretty much where I ascended:



Over the four hours spent on these slopes I covered perhaps a mile, which would have been frustrating if I had somewhere to be and far more painful had I pushed for speed in getting there through the thickets and downed wood. Not that I escaped without bruises and abrasions, but a little patience goes a long way in that kind of claustrophobic mess. And then, after a very difficult hour, at about 2,500 feet, a completely new and unexpected setting opened up: stands of cedar, many swooping out and up from the edges of the rock faces, and dense yet soft and rubbery shrub thickets. This shot was taken just a bit back from the cliffs:



The wide-open views from the cliffs were well worth the effort:



After arbitrarily declaring one vista the high point of the hike, a return plan took shape: Cross the ravine with its low central spine, climb out the other side and then try a descending traverse down the steep NW face. The route down into the ravine began in a high-walled glen between two towers, a wonderful place but with walls so close it was impossible to capture the overall impression in pictures. Once across and out, the descent down the face proved as difficult as the ascent had been. Several times I slid down a promising chute only to find myself perched over a drop where backtracking up and around was the only option.

At last I reached the open marshes in some idyllic and peaceful beaver habitat. As the furry beasts snored in their lodge, I sunned on a rock below their main dam and had a long and restful meal.



A rugged brook descent to Marsh Pond and an easy walk on the woods road back to the start filled the last two hours of this eight hour hike. I had to stop once more in a marsh to capture the play of the late-afternoon light.

I would never recommend this terrain as a route to get anywhere and I doubt many would consider it worth visiting in its own right, but its isolation and forbidding contours preserve a wild and unspoiled magic that made a satisfying day for me.

Oh, sorry, I left out the useful information: Not a single bug! Yet.

Pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/curugroth/StewartCliffs ]]> Adirondack Trip Reports Gregory Karl http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21524 http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21523&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 13:41:11 GMT Nstoker93 gave you report on M,G & S from Loj, nice meeting you and seeing you Joe yesterday. Have to say coming off Skylight was a blast, the snow was fun skiing down:)

Lake Arnold to Colden not bad but there was snow not sure of elevation and stayed with us all the way to Colden.

Trail from Lake Arnold to intersection on and off with snow but overall the trail was in great shape except in swap area, alot of water but negotiable and planks there to help you, only one area that if feels like log won't hold you but another underneath that braces it.

Trail to Lake Tear slushy snow all the way

Tabletop usually muddy self, some blowdown but no snow, Phelps overall in great shape.

Spring flowers popping out and watched a pine marten coming off Phelps before he disappeared in the woods, great day to be out.

Talked to the ranger coming off Marcy he was checking things out:tup:

Can honestly say ready for the snow to be gone in high peaks! ]]> Adirondack Trip Reports Highonlife http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21523