9/10 - 9/11 Elk Lake,Panther Gorge,Haystack,Marcy

[WCTDave]

This is the trip I have planned for this weekend. Is it realistic to leave Elk Lake trailhead by 6am and get up and down Marcy before dark? I will be staying in or around the Panther Gorge Lean-to and hiking out Sunday. I hope so, because either way my trip hedges on being about to get over Marcy in one day. I hike about 2mph with pack and 2.5-3 without. I'll be ditching the pack at Panther Gorge. Thanks for any advice.

 

[j sin]

Dave, I just came back a week ago from that area. I didn't get any hiking done for a variety of reason's. But if you get a good jump and dump your pack near the lean-to,and have lights for the way back to your pack you should be ok. The water was very high on the way out, due to all the rain last week. If you don't make it to the lean-to in good time you can always bag Haystack or Skylight as a alternate plan if you have not done them yet. Good luck on what ever you choose. j-sin

 

[ajtiv]

Dave,
I hiked this area a month ago
As a day hike, I stayed at Uphill Leanto, went up Grey from lake tear and bushwacked up Marcy and down and up little and big Haystack, had lunch and went down into Panther Gorge and up Skylight and back to the leanto at 5pm and backpacked out to Upperworks i got out just as usable light ran out.

I hike at the same speed you posted so without a doubt it is doable with longer breaks on ea and every summit. Be advised Panther Gorge is a long way down and up.
Have fun
Al

 

[WCTDave]

Thanks for the info. I am going to go for it, but I'll have backup options available if Marcy doesn't work out. I originally envisioned this being a 3 day trip: hike in, day hike Marcy/Haystack/Skylight, hike out...but time constraints force me to squeeze it into 2. I've never been South of Marcy so it's all new to me. I'll post how it turned out.