Beginner level slide. Tricky approach and strenuous exit.
This trip is a perfect example of how we can stand upon the shoulders of those who went before us in order to go and see ever further.
It all started with Electricman’s explorations of the east side of Marcy looking for a way up around the great crack to the slide. He didn’t make it but he came very close. Mudrat and MarkL built upon Eman’s foundation and they made it up. Kevin was kind enough to email me a picture of Marcy east from Haystack with their route drawn in as a series of dots. That picture would be the only navigational tool we would use all day.
This trip was for me the keystone of 3 days of slide climbing and exploring. It was by far the most ambitious in scope and in spite of the photograph I considered it anything but a done deal. Glen was much more optimistic.
We prepared our packs the night before and set our alarms for 4:30. At 5:45 we started out from Elk Lake at a brisk but controlled pace. We were psyched and tightly focused on the hike and as such the miles melted away in the cool morning. We took a break at Panther Gorge at 9:30 and began the rock hop/bushwhack northwards. After 30 minutes we began to get views of the great set of cliffs that line the east side of Marcy. A little later we were able to discern where the crack should be. We found a drainage and headed straight for Marcy.
I had read through Mudrat and Mark’s TR only once but Glen had studied it carefully, reading it 4 times so I listened carefully to what he had to say about this drainage and that drainage. In short order we found ourselves climbing a steep slab right up to the magnificent crack with its overhanging cliff to the left. We spent some time taking pictures and being blown away by this amazing feature. We also discussed the possibilities of climbing the moderate looking chunky rocks mixed with some trees to the crack’s right.
Just as Kevin mentioned in his TR, it was impossible to tell what the climbing would be like higher up. Considering that neither of us are climbers and that we were there to experience the environment more than the climbing itself we sagely down-climbed the drainage about 100 feet and headed climber’s left to the bulgy looking slabs in the close-up picture we had. There are a multitude of possible routes across this apron of rock that lies at the foot of the huge cliffs and of course it was impossible to tell which way Mudrat and Mark went. Our route may not have been the best because it involved a move that was fairly easy but involved about 2 minutes of exposure to a potentially very nasty landing down below.
It is very important to understand that when you go out scrambling around with no gear or skills as some of us like to do just how easy it is to suddenly find yourself in a very dicey situation. You always have to keep looking down over your shoulder to make sure there’s more than air below you.
Anyway, we crossed the tricky part, climbing successively to the “next level” up a series of ledges and traversing towards the slide. The trick was to hit it just right. Too low and we would walk into the steep crack. We went too high and found ourselves cut off from the slide by a cliff. To get around the cliff we dropped back down a level or two, pushed right and there we were on the slide, just above the lip that spilled over to the top of the crack.
At this point all the tension that had been building up for the past 24 hours was released. The crux of the trip was in getting onto the slide and that was done. The views across to Haystack were unbelievable and we could see people silhouetted against the sky all the way from Little Hay to the summit.
The slide itself was not very long but our main interest was in the views that kept opening up as we ascended. We could see wave upon wave of ridges and summits in the crystal clear September air. Once we got off the slide we did the Marcy crawl and the Marcy swim through very thick balsams. (balsams were much preferred to spruce however).
Very slowly and with large expenditures of energy we pushed our way upwards to tiny outcrops of rock, back into the balsam sea and finally made it to where open channels became easier and easier to find. The views were absolutely spectacular and the vegetation lush and emerald green in the afternoon sun. We were headed for a big rock-the worthy rock Glen kept calling it- and initially we thought we’d still have a long ways to go from the rock to the summit but Haystack was now well below us. Then we saw a cairn and a few minutes later some hikers only 20 feet away. We were at the top! It was 3:05 PM and based on Mudrat’s report we had estimated our arrival at the summit to be 3:00. The 0.5 mile whack from the slide to the summit took exactly 2 hours.
I was sitting in a relaxed heap savoring the experience while Glen went off to take some pictures. A summit steward came over.
I decided it was time to let Lester out.
I was filthy, my pants torn nearly to shreds and my soaking wet hair was awry. I picked up a stone, dropped it, picked it up, dropped it etc. etc.
-I just bushwhacked up here from Panther Gorge
-Awe-some! I guess you’ve been on Marcy before and talked to a summit steward?
-Oh yeah, me ‘n’ Lester here have been up here 15 times before.
-You and who?
I indicated with my chin empty space beside me.
-This here’s my friend Lester.
- Uh huh, I see (not seeing it at all and fingering her radio)
Squeezing the rock so tightly my knuckles are white -What’s a matter? You don’t have to worry about me.
Pause
- Lester’s the one you should be worried about.
-(looking pretty nervous ) Oh?
-Yeah. He makes me do things.
That did it. She got up and got the hell away from me down the Van Ho about 100 feet and started talking into her radio brushing past Glen on her way.
Glen: what’s up with the summit steward? She looks like she’s seen a ghost.
-I don’t think she likes Lester. Anyway, it’s 3:30 and we have 11 miles to go. We better get moving.
After a long and peaceful walk we arrived at Elk Lake at 8:30.
-PICTURES Part One-
-PICTURES Part Two-
This trip is a perfect example of how we can stand upon the shoulders of those who went before us in order to go and see ever further.
It all started with Electricman’s explorations of the east side of Marcy looking for a way up around the great crack to the slide. He didn’t make it but he came very close. Mudrat and MarkL built upon Eman’s foundation and they made it up. Kevin was kind enough to email me a picture of Marcy east from Haystack with their route drawn in as a series of dots. That picture would be the only navigational tool we would use all day.
This trip was for me the keystone of 3 days of slide climbing and exploring. It was by far the most ambitious in scope and in spite of the photograph I considered it anything but a done deal. Glen was much more optimistic.
We prepared our packs the night before and set our alarms for 4:30. At 5:45 we started out from Elk Lake at a brisk but controlled pace. We were psyched and tightly focused on the hike and as such the miles melted away in the cool morning. We took a break at Panther Gorge at 9:30 and began the rock hop/bushwhack northwards. After 30 minutes we began to get views of the great set of cliffs that line the east side of Marcy. A little later we were able to discern where the crack should be. We found a drainage and headed straight for Marcy.
I had read through Mudrat and Mark’s TR only once but Glen had studied it carefully, reading it 4 times so I listened carefully to what he had to say about this drainage and that drainage. In short order we found ourselves climbing a steep slab right up to the magnificent crack with its overhanging cliff to the left. We spent some time taking pictures and being blown away by this amazing feature. We also discussed the possibilities of climbing the moderate looking chunky rocks mixed with some trees to the crack’s right.
Just as Kevin mentioned in his TR, it was impossible to tell what the climbing would be like higher up. Considering that neither of us are climbers and that we were there to experience the environment more than the climbing itself we sagely down-climbed the drainage about 100 feet and headed climber’s left to the bulgy looking slabs in the close-up picture we had. There are a multitude of possible routes across this apron of rock that lies at the foot of the huge cliffs and of course it was impossible to tell which way Mudrat and Mark went. Our route may not have been the best because it involved a move that was fairly easy but involved about 2 minutes of exposure to a potentially very nasty landing down below.
It is very important to understand that when you go out scrambling around with no gear or skills as some of us like to do just how easy it is to suddenly find yourself in a very dicey situation. You always have to keep looking down over your shoulder to make sure there’s more than air below you.
Anyway, we crossed the tricky part, climbing successively to the “next level” up a series of ledges and traversing towards the slide. The trick was to hit it just right. Too low and we would walk into the steep crack. We went too high and found ourselves cut off from the slide by a cliff. To get around the cliff we dropped back down a level or two, pushed right and there we were on the slide, just above the lip that spilled over to the top of the crack.
At this point all the tension that had been building up for the past 24 hours was released. The crux of the trip was in getting onto the slide and that was done. The views across to Haystack were unbelievable and we could see people silhouetted against the sky all the way from Little Hay to the summit.
The slide itself was not very long but our main interest was in the views that kept opening up as we ascended. We could see wave upon wave of ridges and summits in the crystal clear September air. Once we got off the slide we did the Marcy crawl and the Marcy swim through very thick balsams. (balsams were much preferred to spruce however).
Very slowly and with large expenditures of energy we pushed our way upwards to tiny outcrops of rock, back into the balsam sea and finally made it to where open channels became easier and easier to find. The views were absolutely spectacular and the vegetation lush and emerald green in the afternoon sun. We were headed for a big rock-the worthy rock Glen kept calling it- and initially we thought we’d still have a long ways to go from the rock to the summit but Haystack was now well below us. Then we saw a cairn and a few minutes later some hikers only 20 feet away. We were at the top! It was 3:05 PM and based on Mudrat’s report we had estimated our arrival at the summit to be 3:00. The 0.5 mile whack from the slide to the summit took exactly 2 hours.
I was sitting in a relaxed heap savoring the experience while Glen went off to take some pictures. A summit steward came over.
I decided it was time to let Lester out.
I was filthy, my pants torn nearly to shreds and my soaking wet hair was awry. I picked up a stone, dropped it, picked it up, dropped it etc. etc.
-I just bushwhacked up here from Panther Gorge
-Awe-some! I guess you’ve been on Marcy before and talked to a summit steward?
-Oh yeah, me ‘n’ Lester here have been up here 15 times before.
-You and who?
I indicated with my chin empty space beside me.
-This here’s my friend Lester.
- Uh huh, I see (not seeing it at all and fingering her radio)
Squeezing the rock so tightly my knuckles are white -What’s a matter? You don’t have to worry about me.
Pause
- Lester’s the one you should be worried about.
-(looking pretty nervous ) Oh?
-Yeah. He makes me do things.
That did it. She got up and got the hell away from me down the Van Ho about 100 feet and started talking into her radio brushing past Glen on her way.
Glen: what’s up with the summit steward? She looks like she’s seen a ghost.
-I don’t think she likes Lester. Anyway, it’s 3:30 and we have 11 miles to go. We better get moving.
After a long and peaceful walk we arrived at Elk Lake at 8:30.
-PICTURES Part One-
-PICTURES Part Two-
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