critter
New member
I hiked in to Uphill Brook LT from Upper Works on 1/6. The trail to Flowed Lands had many exposed rocks and icy patches. Other than the lack of snow, there were no major issues with the trail. Crossing Flowed Lands was a bit sketchy once on the other side of the main body of water due to thin ice. The trail from the Colden dam to the LT was much the same as the Calamity Brook trail.
After a pleasant night at the Uphill Brook LT, I climbed Colden via the Lake Arnold Trail. The trail was easy to follow and clear of blow down the whole way.
After a short break at the Feldspar LT (which is in great shape) I started for Lake Tear of the Clouds and Gray Peak. The trail up to the lake was easy to follow and in good condition. The start of the herd path was very easy to find as someone had recently been up Gray. The rest of the trail was easy to follow with no major obstructions. Just watch out for some of the steeper rocky sections with ice.
The trail from the Gray Peak herd path to Four Corners had no issues except for one downed tree that required getting down low to get past it. I made the ascent up Skylight in the dark but had no trouble following the trail up to the tree line. Above tree line I was able to follow the cairns with no real issues. Once I turned around from the summit to head back down the winds picked up but was still able to follow the trail back to the tree line. A few gusts through me off balance which made the decent interesting.
Sunday I headed back to Upper Works following the same route as I took in. The trip out was uneventful.
According to the NYSDEC Forest Ranger on duty snow shoes are now required when climbing any of the peaks in the area. You should be able to get away with just traction aids from the trail head to Lake Colden until we get a few more inches of snow. I would also recommend using poles and the necessary winter clothing and emergency gear. Overall it was a great weekend in the mountains. There were no views from the summits however I still had a great time and made it back in one piece.
After a pleasant night at the Uphill Brook LT, I climbed Colden via the Lake Arnold Trail. The trail was easy to follow and clear of blow down the whole way.
After a short break at the Feldspar LT (which is in great shape) I started for Lake Tear of the Clouds and Gray Peak. The trail up to the lake was easy to follow and in good condition. The start of the herd path was very easy to find as someone had recently been up Gray. The rest of the trail was easy to follow with no major obstructions. Just watch out for some of the steeper rocky sections with ice.
The trail from the Gray Peak herd path to Four Corners had no issues except for one downed tree that required getting down low to get past it. I made the ascent up Skylight in the dark but had no trouble following the trail up to the tree line. Above tree line I was able to follow the cairns with no real issues. Once I turned around from the summit to head back down the winds picked up but was still able to follow the trail back to the tree line. A few gusts through me off balance which made the decent interesting.
Sunday I headed back to Upper Works following the same route as I took in. The trip out was uneventful.
According to the NYSDEC Forest Ranger on duty snow shoes are now required when climbing any of the peaks in the area. You should be able to get away with just traction aids from the trail head to Lake Colden until we get a few more inches of snow. I would also recommend using poles and the necessary winter clothing and emergency gear. Overall it was a great weekend in the mountains. There were no views from the summits however I still had a great time and made it back in one piece.
