Nippletop Slide 07-30

I found this slide to be a LOT easier than what I expected based on what I’d heard and read. The Colden Slide (from Feldspar Brook) is a lot cleaner and more pleasing but I found the views to be a lot more interesting on Nippletop.

I headed down the drainage from Elk Pass following the intermittent herd trails that countless slide aficionados have made over the years. I was remembering ADKBen's experience of popping out on the slide almost half way up after a long and thick bushwhack. The trick here is to stay low, with the drainage. There are faint trails all along the creek's edge. For some reason I always tended to stray left and get above the creek so I kept making right turns heading down to the water.

This slide has got to be the easiest one to find in all the ADK's. It comes right down to the creek. The very first section looks quite daunting as it hulks over the puny, would-be slide climber but it yields quite easily to a zig-zag course and then levels off for a fair while. In fact, the next segment is quite overgrown with willows and is more like a bushwhack than a slide climb until you break out just below the steepest section which is the most aesthetically pleasing part of the climb. Fairly steep, but not dangerous by any stretch of the imagination, clean rock with plenty of hand and footholds. Looking behind us, we could gauge our vertical progress based on our position relative to Colvin and Blake.

After the steepest section we were at least half way up and the slide became quite rubbly not unlike Macomb's slide. The terrain alternated between nice clean slabs of rock and gravelly sections that made me think of some of the moraines I’ve hiked on out west. Topping out, the slide gets very narrow and rather steep but all sections are climbable thanks to the odd hand up.

Finally, we were on a very steep bushy section that led to the scratchy herd trail to the summit. It was funny to arrive having come through the back door (so to speak) and find all kinds of people there.

Pictures are right here.

First pix I've seen from that slide. It's been on my wanta-do list since my trail-hike to the top in 1998, when clouds obscured the view. I knew I'd have to return for the missed vista, and the slide seemed best for that second trip. Your informative report confirms that. I'm moving it up the list!

"This slide has got to be the easiest one to find in all the ADK's" Sure, rub it in I tried this hike last month and, long story short, somehow ascended the drainage that merges with the slide near the bottom. The drainage petered-out and I ended up bushwhacking to the summit. VERY thick and not recommended.

Rico,
I know exactly where you mean. In fact, we looked up that drainage and it was inviting. However, it didn't seem to go in the right direction so we followed the thicker, more overgrown route to the right. At one point while we shwacked up that right fork we even asked ourselves if the left fork wasn't the correct route after all.
However, in order to benefit from radio contact with Rik at the summit I had brought my Rino. (Initially I had planned on soloing the slide and felt safer with a radio contact). Just for the heck of it I stuck a couple of WP's into the unit (1- slide base- unnecessary, 2- slide top just west of the summit) and we saw that we were perfectly on route so we kept going. The rest as they say, is history.

(I can already hear the crowing of the pro-gpsers )

Very nice report neil. Looks like you guys had a beautiful slide climb. I am envious.

-percious

Ohmigod, Picture #9 in your slideshow is giving me vertigo sitting here at my computer! Yikes!

Nice pics and report

Another trip report that is making me think "Adirondacks!"
That slide looks pretty nuts...dizzying!

rico said:

"This slide has got to be the easiest one to find in all the ADK's" Sure, rub it in

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing!

Neil, I was thinking about your trip this weekend while I was hiking in the Catskills. Glad your climb went well. You got some really nice shots on the slide.

Rico, maybe next time, huh? I'd be interested in joining you if you decide to try it again. Looks like fun.

Oh yeah, and I agree with alpinista ..... picture 9 looks damn near vertical.

i12climbup -

I will definitely do the slide this year... heck, maybe this weekend. I now know EXACTLY where not to go!

rico said:

I now know EXACTLY where not to go!

Click to expand...

Now it's like a true or false question when you know which choice is false.

finding the slide

As I have said before - it's easy - just follow the bits of dried blood and torn flesh to find the beginning of the slide.

Wow! Great report and pics. I was in that neck of the woods yesterday and was thinking about your trip. This is the slide you can see from Colvin's summit? I was looking at it trying to understand how it could be climbable w/o technical gear. I guess it's not quite as verticle as it looks?

Matt

Mcorsar,
The slide is NOWHERE as steep as it looks from Colvin. From there the view is foreshortened making it look nearly vertical. In fact, from the top (photo #9 I think) we decided that if it was a downhill ski run it would be a blue square most of the way.

Neil - I disagree

The slide has spots that aren't easy. I think it is one of the tougher slide climbs. Doesn't McMartin rate it "for experts"? Don't have my book handy. When I did it in 2000, there were three of us. My two friends were ahead of me and one of them seemed to be "stuck" as I looked up to see why he hadn't moved. I yelled up: "What's the matter? Are you stuck? I yelled to my other friend with a laugh - "what's his problem - it looks like he's gonna cry". I was joking, but my friend was terrrified and didn't appreciate my attempt at humor. He has never let me forget my - uh - lack of compassion.

And when we went to Baxter that same summer to hike Katahdin he wouldn't go near the Knife's edge with me.

I'd love to reclimb it sometime. Did it 3x in the late 70's and early 80's. The rock was "sandpaper-y" and gritty. Very little rubble and no vegetation on it anywhere that I remember. Looks like more debris has come down. There was no fork in the slide, it just went straight up.
Your pictures were great, Neil.
I remember leading an outing club trip up the slide. One participant "persuaded" his significant other that she'd enjoy it. She was terrified of the rock step at the base to get on the slide and we had to virtually show the person where to put each hand and foot to get us the little cliff.
We were not happy with her hubby for talking her into the trip.

Beverly,
I don't know what to say. I am NO rock climber, I hate exposure. That said, I have done a fair bit of scrambling (my true passion) in the Cdn Rockies. Perhaps that changes my tolerance level. Whatever, I found this slide to be a long blissful, stress-less strip of joy.

Peakbagr,
My son Dominic wants to do Nippletop slide when he gets back from the Rockies. I'll be sure to let you know when we plan on going. (Gotta get those final 46er peaks behind us first though).

Neil -

I have to agree with you. I did the slide this past weekend, and would put it at a Class II slide hike with a couple of Class III pitches. There is some exposure, but only when there are ledges to stand firmly upon. I ended up doing one Class IV move at the very top, but that was due to my short "hobbit" legs not being able to reach the best foothold. Following the herdpath from the top of the slide to the summit was harder than the slide itself.

Neil said:

Beverly,
I don't know what to say. I am NO rock climber, I hate exposure. That said, I have done a fair bit of scrambling (my true passion) in the Cdn Rockies. Perhaps that changes my tolerance level. Whatever, I found this slide to be a long blissful, stress-less strip of joy.

Peakbagr,
My son Dominic wants to do Nippletop slide when he gets back from the Rockies. I'll be sure to let you know when we plan on going. (Gotta get those final 46er peaks behind us first though).

Click to expand...

Do you still want to go this winter ?

Tom Rankin said:

Do you still want to go this winter ?

Click to expand...

You bet! If you go the gathering we can talk about it then.

Rico, congrats on your trip!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention... I ALMOST made the same mistake on this hike by heading up the obvious drainage. Luckily, I noticed my error about 10 feet up!!! The slide (to the right) is totally hidden by overgrowth above that first pitch.

BTW, I had to change out of my sneakers into rock shoes above the first pitch. The sections of wet rock were like glazed ice.