Panther, Couchsachraga, and...Panther?!!!

Gandalf · 07-26-2005, 02:07 PM

July 23, 2005

This was my first Adirondack hike in quite some time in which all of my objectives were not met, but the day's experience was very enjoyable nevertheless. Wishing to get an early start (as I had on my 7/4 hike of Allen Mountain) I left Lake Placid at 2:45 and arrived at the Bradley Pond Trailhead in Upper Works at 4:00. The moon, just past full, was shining brightly in a clear sky upon the gravel road. About a mile in, I caught a good glimpse across a beaver clearing of what I believed was Wallface in this light.

Soon I had turned off the road onto the DEC trail, crossed Santanoni Brook on an elaborate bridge, and climbed along trail to the pass between Henderson and the Range I wished to climb on this day. At 5:15 I switched off my headlamp and noted the increasing mud along the trail, though stringers and rocks allowed for easy navigation for the most part. I took a few quick pictures by the spot where the trail edges right to the side of the brook. Eventually the grade slackened and the trail grew wetter yet, but despite some rain from the evening before, conditions never required gaitors or presented a real obstacle to forward progress. Immediately after a large blowdown, I came upon the sway-backed rock and the beginning of the herd path.

Turning west, I crossed the beaver pond and encountered a few campsites before Bradley Pond appeared through the trees. Climbing steadily, I passed the Panther cliffs on my right and bypassed one slightly confusing depression before reaching Panther Brook. Skinning a knee here, I filtered water before re-crossing and began a relentless, though never overly steep ascent to the three way intersection just below Times Square. Here I went right, navigated some mud on the path and was soon climbing the bare rock offering excellent views of Santanoni, Couchsachraga, and the Sewards before reaching Panther's summit at 7:30.

After a quick breakfast, I took some pictures in the wonderful morning light and retraced my steps to the three way junction. Going straight, I reached Times Square in about a minute and had no trouble finding the path leading west to Couchsachraga. This path was narrow and the intruding coniferous branches heavily laden with water. I was moving at a pace, though, where the drenching actually felt pretty good. Knowing how long many people took on the roundtrip of this mountain, I pushed on with all possible speed, only pausing once to take a nice picture north of the Cold River valley and the Sewards beyond. I bypassed some cliffs on the left and soon came to a swamp. Pushing straight through this with the aid of a few fallen trees and a long branch I used to test the ground, I soon reached the other side and began the three hundred foot ascent of the lowliest "46"er. I reached the summit rock (and memorably carved summit sign) at 9:15, a little over an hour from Times Square.

I only spent about eight minutes here, but the views (hindered as they were by trees in every direction) were better than I had anticipated. I didn't expect to see Whiteface, far off as it is to the NNW. A few glimpses of Long Lake appeared west and south as I soaked in the splended isolation, drying in the climbing sun. This place, so much more so than the Marcys and Algonquins 1300' and more higher, captures perfectly why I hike. The Panther-Santanoni ridge beckoned to the east beckoned however, and I was soon off in quest of it.

Almost half-jogging the easier sections, I eventually regained Couchie's swamp and my handy makeshift testing pole. Picking my way across, I paused near the far cliffs to change socks and to secure (or so I imagined) my wet pair to a middle loop outside my pack. I ran into some other hikers for the first time on this 800' stretch of climbing. A few sections just west of Times Square were quite muddy, but nothing to worry about. A minute or two past 10:30 I found myself back at this famous launching point for the various High Peaks in the range. My goal was three hours roundtrip for peak #2, and I'd beaten it by a half an hour.

Buoyed by my progress, I took what I thought to be the path to Santanoni and strode along it confidently. However, this quickly petered out into a dead-end. Impatiently I cast about for another path, and soon found one to the left. At this stage I was meeting and talking briefly with other hikers (couples mostly), exchanging information about Couchie and pleasantries about the weather when it would've been smarter to slow down and get a grip on my situation. However, my current path was clearly well-travelled and I was still intent on speed, wishing to have the time to relax on Santanoni and to take many pictures. Thus it was that I pushed on for a while before I began to notice a few things that didn't make sense. The path to Santa should've been dropping into a col, but I didn't notice this happening. I spied some cliffs ahead, but I didn't think I should've been that close to any open ledges upon the mountain. I took my Garmin GPS out of my pocket, changed the page, and found to my astonishment that I was quite near the little flag for Panther Peak! Disbelieving at first, I suddenly noticed that the sun was shining behind me rather than ahead of me as should've been the case for one going south at that hour.

Quite close to the viewing ledges now, I quickly made my decision. Rather than hurry back to Times Square to renew the haste and confusion of trying for all three summits, I would just reclimb to Panther's best ledge, enjoy a leisurely lunch, allow plenty of time for breaks and photos on the long way back to my car, and come back for Santanoni another day. Viewing that mountain while eating, I marvelled that I had noticed neither my path swinging steadily around to the left, nor Times Square which I must've encountered!

A bit before 11:30 I began the hike out. I passed more hikers now, giving advice (when sought) and relating my story of climbing the wrong mountain. One fellow observed that I had only one sock hanging from my pack, and to my consternation I found that he was right. Somehow the other had come free! With luck I will find it again as I'm currently planning to return to the Range soon, or someone else will spot it and pack it out as garbage. That's a detail I likely would've attended to at lunchtime if my mind hadn't been on other things!

I took more photos of the Panther cliffs and Bradley Pond during my descent to the DEC trail which I reached at about 1:00 in the afternoon. The sun was bright, but breezes from the northwest persisted throughout a day which never became uncomfortably hot. Pausing occasionally for Gu breaks, I soon came upon areas which had been dark when I first hiked them in the early AM. I took some pictures of bridges, beaver meadows, and occasional mountain glimpses on the way back to the road. For the first time all day some bugs annoyed me here, but insufficiently to warrant a DEET application. At 3 o'clock I reached the gate, signed out at the register, and drove out of a lot which had become surprisingly full after a great day (though not without its lessons) of hiking in the Adirondacks.

Pictures. Only pics #26-51 (the end of the album) apply to this hike...my apologies for that!

Rik · 07-26-2005, 02:50 PM

Nice report. Good luck with Sant. I have a related story:
Last summer my winter hiking partner and I went up to this range with thoughts of all three since he hadn't done any of them. We decided to do Couch first so that if we had to come back we would have done that one. No issues to Couch and back so we went up Panther. It was a nice day and lying on the rocks near the summit felt great. We had some lunch and I convinced him to hang out and enjoy the day. I told him we would come back for Sant sometime. He agreed. Well we never made it back last summer so this past winter when it came time for me to climb Couch for 46W we, along with another guy, broke trail up to Times Square where they went to Sant and I went to Couch. None of the trails were broken so they had to break over to Sant while I had to break over to Couch. I got off course and took a very round about way to Couch and back. I sure was wishing I had gone to Sant with him last summer so I would have had help breaking trail to Couch. Ended up being the hardest hike I've done to date. Harder than the Great Range in a day. Harder than Seward in April. He jokes about going back for Couch next winter for his 46W and I'm just starting to come around to the idea. During this hike I actually thought of slowing down/stopping my quest for 46W. Of course I was back out a week later.

Gandalf · 07-27-2005, 02:04 PM

Yikes, I can only imagine trying to break a trail to Couch by yourself in the winter! That path is dense enough in many places in the summer, without large clumps of snow hitting you in the head with each step forward that you take! :shock: Assuming that one could find where the path is supposed to be, of course...

Silverback · 07-27-2005, 06:49 PM

FWIW.

Bummer about Santa. The Santa herd path starts, essentially, where the Couch path starts from Time Square. Where you turned right for Couch, turn left, instead for Santa (behind the boulder). It is only two hours r/t from there.

The views from Santa are, by far, the best of the three.

Was the Couch sign attached to anything? When I was there in June, it was on the ground. I reset it on some dead branches at that time. The way some clowns are ripping off signs, I expected it to be long gone.

Gandalf · 07-28-2005, 07:32 AM

The Couch sign was nailed to a tree about six or seven feet up. I think that's the coolest summit sign I've ever seen...got a picture of it set as my computer background.

I'd certainly read the various descriptions of Times Square often enough...I just got incredibly careless. Either that, or Couchie temporarily shifted the path away as my penalty for having made good time and thought optimistic thoughts up to that point.... :idea:

Silverback · 07-28-2005, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandalf

I'd certainly read the various descriptions of Times Square often enough...I just got incredibly careless. Either that, or Couchie temporarily shifted the path away as my penalty for having made good time and thought optimistic thoughts up to that point.... :idea:

Couch will do things like that. I don't know if you read my trip report from June, but I believe that mountain has a life force of its own. No doubt she punished you for catching her off guard and summitting before her standard time

Sometimes, late at night, I can still hear her laughing at me :?

That little maze around T/S can get confusing if you approach from a different direction. I remember when I was returning from Santa and commented to my son that "we should be at Times Square by now". He pointed to his left and said "we just past it". I had made a turn on one of the paths just before the boulder and probably would have been half way to Panther before I realized where I was.

Bottom line is that I can easily see how someone can get sidetracked up there. Good news is that you have a gem to return to when you do get back up there. As I said Santa has some great views.

masshysteria · 07-28-2005, 09:44 AM

The summit sign on Couch is a very fine piece of woodworking. It even has a 'breadboard' end on it. I'm surprised it's still there, but then again, the distance and pain required to reach Ms. Couch would weed out any potential sign stealers.

Mike, she's still hounding you? I think you need to visit her again and confront this little vixen!

Gandalf, it seems the Santa's do have their own agenda. I think a small percentage of those who enter with the hope of visiting all three jewels, end up reaching their goal. She's a tough range for sure.

Silverback · 07-28-2005, 02:14 PM

Yeah Tom, she still haunts me.

I said I would go back only to see Santa and Panther, but I'm afraid the siren song of Couch may be too much to resist.

lumberzac · 07-28-2005, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverback

Yeah Tom, she still haunts me.

I said I would go back only to see Santa and Panther, but I'm afraid the siren song of Couch may be too much to resist.

LOL. I've been on Couch twice and can see myself going back to it when I try and get a view from Panther. I'll have to find another newbie though. So far I know two people who's first high peak was Couch, one on each trip that I hike that mountain.

Gandalf · 08-23-2005, 11:34 AM

Well, I went back for Santanoni on 8/11 and couldn't believe how obvious the Times Square turn-off was. Perhaps not Van Hovenberg obvious, but at least Phelps Trail obvious. Hmmph.

I was socked in on the summit at 8:30, but within a half an hour of leaving the mists burned off and great views were available to the surprising number of others who were hiking the range on that Thursday. I don't think that mountain likes me.

AlpineSummit · 08-23-2005, 09:36 PM

That same sign was there last summer too, when the Mrs made her visit - I was surprised & pleased to see it still there 2 weeks ago. It is unique.

Happily, the sign demolishing fad seems to have ended or at least slowed way down. I don't really like 'em, but my cohorts are the guys who put 'em up and it's rotten to have 'em torn down.

As for goofing up to go to Santanoni, well it takes a good man to admit it! And when you do get there you will see that someone else goofed there too: the bolt in the rock says 'Panther'

edit: whoops, I am a few weeks late on this reply - but I bet they haven't changed that bolt yet anyway

07-26-2005, 02:07 PM	#1
Gandalf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 119	Panther, Couchsachraga, and...Panther?!!! July 23, 2005 This was my first Adirondack hike in quite some time in which all of my objectives were not met, but the day's experience was very enjoyable nevertheless. Wishing to get an early start (as I had on my 7/4 hike of Allen Mountain) I left Lake Placid at 2:45 and arrived at the Bradley Pond Trailhead in Upper Works at 4:00. The moon, just past full, was shining brightly in a clear sky upon the gravel road. About a mile in, I caught a good glimpse across a beaver clearing of what I believed was Wallface in this light. Soon I had turned off the road onto the DEC trail, crossed Santanoni Brook on an elaborate bridge, and climbed along trail to the pass between Henderson and the Range I wished to climb on this day. At 5:15 I switched off my headlamp and noted the increasing mud along the trail, though stringers and rocks allowed for easy navigation for the most part. I took a few quick pictures by the spot where the trail edges right to the side of the brook. Eventually the grade slackened and the trail grew wetter yet, but despite some rain from the evening before, conditions never required gaitors or presented a real obstacle to forward progress. Immediately after a large blowdown, I came upon the sway-backed rock and the beginning of the herd path. Turning west, I crossed the beaver pond and encountered a few campsites before Bradley Pond appeared through the trees. Climbing steadily, I passed the Panther cliffs on my right and bypassed one slightly confusing depression before reaching Panther Brook. Skinning a knee here, I filtered water before re-crossing and began a relentless, though never overly steep ascent to the three way intersection just below Times Square. Here I went right, navigated some mud on the path and was soon climbing the bare rock offering excellent views of Santanoni, Couchsachraga, and the Sewards before reaching Panther's summit at 7:30. After a quick breakfast, I took some pictures in the wonderful morning light and retraced my steps to the three way junction. Going straight, I reached Times Square in about a minute and had no trouble finding the path leading west to Couchsachraga. This path was narrow and the intruding coniferous branches heavily laden with water. I was moving at a pace, though, where the drenching actually felt pretty good. Knowing how long many people took on the roundtrip of this mountain, I pushed on with all possible speed, only pausing once to take a nice picture north of the Cold River valley and the Sewards beyond. I bypassed some cliffs on the left and soon came to a swamp. Pushing straight through this with the aid of a few fallen trees and a long branch I used to test the ground, I soon reached the other side and began the three hundred foot ascent of the lowliest "46"er. I reached the summit rock (and memorably carved summit sign) at 9:15, a little over an hour from Times Square. I only spent about eight minutes here, but the views (hindered as they were by trees in every direction) were better than I had anticipated. I didn't expect to see Whiteface, far off as it is to the NNW. A few glimpses of Long Lake appeared west and south as I soaked in the splended isolation, drying in the climbing sun. This place, so much more so than the Marcys and Algonquins 1300' and more higher, captures perfectly why I hike. The Panther-Santanoni ridge beckoned to the east beckoned however, and I was soon off in quest of it. Almost half-jogging the easier sections, I eventually regained Couchie's swamp and my handy makeshift testing pole. Picking my way across, I paused near the far cliffs to change socks and to secure (or so I imagined) my wet pair to a middle loop outside my pack. I ran into some other hikers for the first time on this 800' stretch of climbing. A few sections just west of Times Square were quite muddy, but nothing to worry about. A minute or two past 10:30 I found myself back at this famous launching point for the various High Peaks in the range. My goal was three hours roundtrip for peak #2, and I'd beaten it by a half an hour. Buoyed by my progress, I took what I thought to be the path to Santanoni and strode along it confidently. However, this quickly petered out into a dead-end. Impatiently I cast about for another path, and soon found one to the left. At this stage I was meeting and talking briefly with other hikers (couples mostly), exchanging information about Couchie and pleasantries about the weather when it would've been smarter to slow down and get a grip on my situation. However, my current path was clearly well-travelled and I was still intent on speed, wishing to have the time to relax on Santanoni and to take many pictures. Thus it was that I pushed on for a while before I began to notice a few things that didn't make sense. The path to Santa should've been dropping into a col, but I didn't notice this happening. I spied some cliffs ahead, but I didn't think I should've been that close to any open ledges upon the mountain. I took my Garmin GPS out of my pocket, changed the page, and found to my astonishment that I was quite near the little flag for Panther Peak! Disbelieving at first, I suddenly noticed that the sun was shining behind me rather than ahead of me as should've been the case for one going south at that hour. Quite close to the viewing ledges now, I quickly made my decision. Rather than hurry back to Times Square to renew the haste and confusion of trying for all three summits, I would just reclimb to Panther's best ledge, enjoy a leisurely lunch, allow plenty of time for breaks and photos on the long way back to my car, and come back for Santanoni another day. Viewing that mountain while eating, I marvelled that I had noticed neither my path swinging steadily around to the left, nor Times Square which I must've encountered! A bit before 11:30 I began the hike out. I passed more hikers now, giving advice (when sought) and relating my story of climbing the wrong mountain. One fellow observed that I had only one sock hanging from my pack, and to my consternation I found that he was right. Somehow the other had come free! With luck I will find it again as I'm currently planning to return to the Range soon, or someone else will spot it and pack it out as garbage. That's a detail I likely would've attended to at lunchtime if my mind hadn't been on other things! I took more photos of the Panther cliffs and Bradley Pond during my descent to the DEC trail which I reached at about 1:00 in the afternoon. The sun was bright, but breezes from the northwest persisted throughout a day which never became uncomfortably hot. Pausing occasionally for Gu breaks, I soon came upon areas which had been dark when I first hiked them in the early AM. I took some pictures of bridges, beaver meadows, and occasional mountain glimpses on the way back to the road. For the first time all day some bugs annoyed me here, but insufficiently to warrant a DEET application. At 3 o'clock I reached the gate, signed out at the register, and drove out of a lot which had become surprisingly full after a great day (though not without its lessons) of hiking in the Adirondacks. Pictures. Only pics #26-51 (the end of the album) apply to this hike...my apologies for that!

07-27-2005, 06:49 PM	#4
Silverback Missing My Mountains Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Victor, NY Posts: 179	FWIW. Bummer about Santa. The Santa herd path starts, essentially, where the Couch path starts from Time Square. Where you turned right for Couch, turn left, instead for Santa (behind the boulder). It is only two hours r/t from there. The views from Santa are, by far, the best of the three. Was the Couch sign attached to anything? When I was there in June, it was on the ground. I reset it on some dead branches at that time. The way some clowns are ripping off signs, I expected it to be long gone. __________________ #5585

07-28-2005, 09:44 AM	#7
masshysteria Berkshire County Delegate Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Washington Mass. Posts: 1,113	The summit sign on Couch is a very fine piece of woodworking. It even has a 'breadboard' end on it. I'm surprised it's still there, but then again, the distance and pain required to reach Ms. Couch would weed out any potential sign stealers. Mike, she's still hounding you? I think you need to visit her again and confront this little vixen! Gandalf, it seems the Santa's do have their own agenda. I think a small percentage of those who enter with the hope of visiting all three jewels, end up reaching their goal. She's a tough range for sure. __________________ https://picasaweb.google.com/masshysteria1958

07-28-2005, 02:14 PM	#8
Silverback Missing My Mountains Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Victor, NY Posts: 179	Yeah Tom, she still haunts me. I said I would go back only to see Santa and Panther, but I'm afraid the siren song of Couch may be too much to resist. __________________ #5585

08-23-2005, 09:36 PM	#11
AlpineSummit Northern Lights Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Winter Sooo Suks.......... Posts: 1,320	That same sign was there last summer too, when the Mrs made her visit - I was surprised & pleased to see it still there 2 weeks ago. It is unique. Happily, the sign demolishing fad seems to have ended or at least slowed way down. I don't really like 'em, but my cohorts are the guys who put 'em up and it's rotten to have 'em torn down. As for goofing up to go to Santanoni, well it takes a good man to admit it! And when you do get there you will see that someone else goofed there too: the bolt in the rock says 'Panther' edit: whoops, I am a few weeks late on this reply - but I bet they haven't changed that bolt yet anyway __________________ Walk Softly

07-26-2005, 02:50 PM	#2
Rik Village Idiot Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Where the Truth Lies Posts: 2,576	Nice report. Good luck with Sant. I have a related story: Last summer my winter hiking partner and I went up to this range with thoughts of all three since he hadn't done any of them. We decided to do Couch first so that if we had to come back we would have done that one. No issues to Couch and back so we went up Panther. It was a nice day and lying on the rocks near the summit felt great. We had some lunch and I convinced him to hang out and enjoy the day. I told him we would come back for Sant sometime. He agreed. Well we never made it back last summer so this past winter when it came time for me to climb Couch for 46W we, along with another guy, broke trail up to Times Square where they went to Sant and I went to Couch. None of the trails were broken so they had to break over to Sant while I had to break over to Couch. I got off course and took a very round about way to Couch and back. I sure was wishing I had gone to Sant with him last summer so I would have had help breaking trail to Couch. Ended up being the hardest hike I've done to date. Harder than the Great Range in a day. Harder than Seward in April. He jokes about going back for Couch next winter for his 46W and I'm just starting to come around to the idea. During this hike I actually thought of slowing down/stopping my quest for 46W. Of course I was back out a week later. __________________ This post is for entertainment purposes only.

07-27-2005, 02:04 PM	#3
Gandalf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 119	Yikes, I can only imagine trying to break a trail to Couch by yourself in the winter! That path is dense enough in many places in the summer, without large clumps of snow hitting you in the head with each step forward that you take! :shock: Assuming that one could find where the path is supposed to be, of course...

07-28-2005, 07:32 AM	#5
Gandalf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 119	The Couch sign was nailed to a tree about six or seven feet up. I think that's the coolest summit sign I've ever seen...got a picture of it set as my computer background. I'd certainly read the various descriptions of Times Square often enough...I just got incredibly careless. Either that, or Couchie temporarily shifted the path away as my penalty for having made good time and thought optimistic thoughts up to that point.... :idea:

08-23-2005, 11:34 AM	#10
Gandalf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 119	Well, I went back for Santanoni on 8/11 and couldn't believe how obvious the Times Square turn-off was. Perhaps not Van Hovenberg obvious, but at least Phelps Trail obvious. Hmmph. I was socked in on the summit at 8:30, but within a half an hour of leaving the mists burned off and great views were available to the surprising number of others who were hiking the range on that Thursday. I don't think that mountain likes me.

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