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Just a quick and dirty trip report here...
Duration: 3:15 hrs.; 7:45 am – 11:00 am pm
Summits: Brother 1
Route: Garden, Trail to brothers until first stream crossing. Bushwhack right side until Slide Brook, Follow series of forks from slide brook beginning at 1,950’. Slide bottom at 2,230’. Exit via ledges on southern side. Trail from Brother 1 back to Garden TH.
Total Mileage/Vertical Ascent: 3.0/1,620'
Trail Conditions: Rain/Mist
Temperature: 50’s
Partner: Rico
Diet: 1 powerbar, ½ litre water
Clothing: Long sleeve synthetic shirt, rain gear, Merrill watershoes
PICTURES HERE.
___
So, I’m working a the Deer Brook Lean-to rescue a few weeks ago with Rico and a plethora of others and Rico mentions seeing a possible new slide on the northeastern side of the Brothers. I could feel myself shaking with post winter anticipation. *** Does anyone know when this slide occurred? ***
The two prior weeks leading to may 15, 2011 were host to inches of rain and record flooding in NY and VT. The week leading prior however contained days of stunning beauty. Rico and I planned a hike of the slide and I hoped for the Adirondack blue skies that I could occasionally see during the week from my office.
Flood warnings for the 15th and 16th began as the beautiful skies ended on Friday. We were undeterred and figured it couldn’t be any worse than last year’s ascent of Giants east face in the rain. On the positive side, it was within a mile of the Garden trailhead and an easy bushwhack through hardwood forests to the base.
Rico reported the bridge over slide brook on the way to Little Porter was barely usable with missing planks and on of the supporting beams less than an inch form plunging into the brook. The water was high this weekend as well. We opted to follow the trail to the Brothers to the first stream and bushwhack toward slide brook which we could hear over a small ridge. It was a pristine whack through a hardwood forest and used little energy.
The first tributary at about 1,950’ marked a decisive turn away from Slide Brook and upward to the southwest. Within feet, we encountered anther tributary and another and another…ad nausea. The wet weather filled even the most minor drainages with water. We lost count, but I saw what I believed to be the first Brother ahead and to the left so visual navigation became the key. The rain held off as we enjoyed our usual humor and the unusually loose bushwhack. Eventually, we came to a more considerable drainage and soon encountered the obvious slide bottom at about 2,230’.
Other than the lack of any satellite imagery for this slide, other signs of its newness included fresh streams over the forest duff, unconsolidated sediment, a plethora of sheared trees (some just budding) and un-aged wood and root systems. As we climbed, the slabs were delightfully free of algae as we expected. Every step was one of sure traction.
We were in no hurry, though the light rain began as we stepped on the slide, first as a mist, but not bad enough to deter photography. The bottom was intermittently cluttered with debris, rubble, mud and woody destruction. Little changed as we climbed but a bit more open slab and a couple fun ledges broke the terrain. The first contained a small dike, down which, poured the fresh runoff. The cool water was surprisingly comfortable on my feet given the 50 degree conditions. A bit higher as we neared the halfway point and another more rounded ledge.
We took a detour to the bottom of the cliff/ledges of the second Brother. It was only a couple hundred feet bushwhack from the slide path. Deer scat littered the sphagnum. After satisfying our curiosity, we came back to the slide in an area of renewed rubble. Much was of large proportion. The newness of the whole scene was intriguing. Fresh fractures and unweathered stone created uncountable diversions. Occasional areas of unconsolidated rubble moved a couple times underfoot, but cautious steps made for safe travel.
The upper half was the high point of the slide. The trigger point, still unseen at this point, obviously began near the top of the col. The right-hand side is ledge and cliff while the left contains a bit more vegetation, but at a steep grade. The effect was a funneling of the debris through a narrower channel than below the cliffs. A picturesque boulder, apparently balancing on a ledge made for dramatic pictures. Atop, one could see that it was firmly rooted and not balancing at all, however. As we entered the “channel” and neared the obvious col, several sets of rolling ledges appeared in the mist on the left.
It was to be the most challenging portion of the climb especially in the rain, now a bit more steady and to the point where it was consistently spotting the lens of my camera. The ledges were a contrast of water cleaned freshly exposed slab and patches of mud and debris. Small cracks aided the steep climb. As usual, Rico and I took different routes. Leaning against the rock in the runoff sent a rivulet down my rain jacket to my armpit. If hadn't already been awake, that would have done it.
I could also see the release point for the entire charade. Large boulders released and cascaded down (north) to the col where they were redirected and cascaded in a nearly straight lines to the northeast. The torn moss and new mud in various areas on the ledges were a dead giveaway.
Climbing off the ledges into the forest above was trickier yet. My longer legs aided me and a couple well rooted trees enabled me to muscle y way up. Rico, the hobbit, had a harder time overcoming the ledge. I sat above ready to aid if needed but thoroughly enjoying myself as he maneuvered his way up…using his face in the sphagnum to further his traction. Certain maneuvers looked almost...profane
At the top, about 700’ vertical feet higher and ¼ mile ground distance, the climb transitioned to a gentle walk over a myriad of beautiful mosses until we reached the top of the first Brother and trail a couple minutes later. We sat atop the first Brother in the rain watching the white clouds drift while imagining the splendid view of the Lower Range. From car to the top took only a couple hours and it was a nice climb without setting an entire day aside…and even in the rain!
Duration: 3:15 hrs.; 7:45 am – 11:00 am pm
Summits: Brother 1
Route: Garden, Trail to brothers until first stream crossing. Bushwhack right side until Slide Brook, Follow series of forks from slide brook beginning at 1,950’. Slide bottom at 2,230’. Exit via ledges on southern side. Trail from Brother 1 back to Garden TH.
Total Mileage/Vertical Ascent: 3.0/1,620'
Trail Conditions: Rain/Mist
Temperature: 50’s
Partner: Rico
Diet: 1 powerbar, ½ litre water
Clothing: Long sleeve synthetic shirt, rain gear, Merrill watershoes
PICTURES HERE.
___
So, I’m working a the Deer Brook Lean-to rescue a few weeks ago with Rico and a plethora of others and Rico mentions seeing a possible new slide on the northeastern side of the Brothers. I could feel myself shaking with post winter anticipation. *** Does anyone know when this slide occurred? ***
The two prior weeks leading to may 15, 2011 were host to inches of rain and record flooding in NY and VT. The week leading prior however contained days of stunning beauty. Rico and I planned a hike of the slide and I hoped for the Adirondack blue skies that I could occasionally see during the week from my office.
Flood warnings for the 15th and 16th began as the beautiful skies ended on Friday. We were undeterred and figured it couldn’t be any worse than last year’s ascent of Giants east face in the rain. On the positive side, it was within a mile of the Garden trailhead and an easy bushwhack through hardwood forests to the base.
Rico reported the bridge over slide brook on the way to Little Porter was barely usable with missing planks and on of the supporting beams less than an inch form plunging into the brook. The water was high this weekend as well. We opted to follow the trail to the Brothers to the first stream and bushwhack toward slide brook which we could hear over a small ridge. It was a pristine whack through a hardwood forest and used little energy.
The first tributary at about 1,950’ marked a decisive turn away from Slide Brook and upward to the southwest. Within feet, we encountered anther tributary and another and another…ad nausea. The wet weather filled even the most minor drainages with water. We lost count, but I saw what I believed to be the first Brother ahead and to the left so visual navigation became the key. The rain held off as we enjoyed our usual humor and the unusually loose bushwhack. Eventually, we came to a more considerable drainage and soon encountered the obvious slide bottom at about 2,230’.
Other than the lack of any satellite imagery for this slide, other signs of its newness included fresh streams over the forest duff, unconsolidated sediment, a plethora of sheared trees (some just budding) and un-aged wood and root systems. As we climbed, the slabs were delightfully free of algae as we expected. Every step was one of sure traction.
We were in no hurry, though the light rain began as we stepped on the slide, first as a mist, but not bad enough to deter photography. The bottom was intermittently cluttered with debris, rubble, mud and woody destruction. Little changed as we climbed but a bit more open slab and a couple fun ledges broke the terrain. The first contained a small dike, down which, poured the fresh runoff. The cool water was surprisingly comfortable on my feet given the 50 degree conditions. A bit higher as we neared the halfway point and another more rounded ledge.
We took a detour to the bottom of the cliff/ledges of the second Brother. It was only a couple hundred feet bushwhack from the slide path. Deer scat littered the sphagnum. After satisfying our curiosity, we came back to the slide in an area of renewed rubble. Much was of large proportion. The newness of the whole scene was intriguing. Fresh fractures and unweathered stone created uncountable diversions. Occasional areas of unconsolidated rubble moved a couple times underfoot, but cautious steps made for safe travel.
The upper half was the high point of the slide. The trigger point, still unseen at this point, obviously began near the top of the col. The right-hand side is ledge and cliff while the left contains a bit more vegetation, but at a steep grade. The effect was a funneling of the debris through a narrower channel than below the cliffs. A picturesque boulder, apparently balancing on a ledge made for dramatic pictures. Atop, one could see that it was firmly rooted and not balancing at all, however. As we entered the “channel” and neared the obvious col, several sets of rolling ledges appeared in the mist on the left.
It was to be the most challenging portion of the climb especially in the rain, now a bit more steady and to the point where it was consistently spotting the lens of my camera. The ledges were a contrast of water cleaned freshly exposed slab and patches of mud and debris. Small cracks aided the steep climb. As usual, Rico and I took different routes. Leaning against the rock in the runoff sent a rivulet down my rain jacket to my armpit. If hadn't already been awake, that would have done it.
I could also see the release point for the entire charade. Large boulders released and cascaded down (north) to the col where they were redirected and cascaded in a nearly straight lines to the northeast. The torn moss and new mud in various areas on the ledges were a dead giveaway.
Climbing off the ledges into the forest above was trickier yet. My longer legs aided me and a couple well rooted trees enabled me to muscle y way up. Rico, the hobbit, had a harder time overcoming the ledge. I sat above ready to aid if needed but thoroughly enjoying myself as he maneuvered his way up…using his face in the sphagnum to further his traction. Certain maneuvers looked almost...profane
At the top, about 700’ vertical feet higher and ¼ mile ground distance, the climb transitioned to a gentle walk over a myriad of beautiful mosses until we reached the top of the first Brother and trail a couple minutes later. We sat atop the first Brother in the rain watching the white clouds drift while imagining the splendid view of the Lower Range. From car to the top took only a couple hours and it was a nice climb without setting an entire day aside…and even in the rain!
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