Adirondack Slide Climbing stories.

[mavs00]

Perhaps this is on of those junky, inappropriate posts (I'll let you be the judge), but with 11 straight days of wall-to-wall sunshine and temps in the 50s-60s and now 70s, my mind is rapidly transitioning to MY FAVORITE season of all, Adirondack SLIDE season. Sure, it’s a little early yet, but the time will soon be upon us when the snow up high is gone and the rocks are dry and ready for scaling.

I thought to get ready, we could share some of our favorite slide stories, or even some of our favorite slides to climb in the Adirondacks. That’s right, put away the snowshoes, hang up the crampons, it’s time to start thinking about enjoying what the warmer weather will bring. I’ll start with a story.

Last year, myself and two other VFTT friends were headed up Chicken Coop Brook slide on Basin. We had a pretty good idea on where to go, based on the info of another (well respected) VFTT poster. Well, like all good bushwhackers, we had taken meticulous notes of the directions given . Sure enough, we zigged when we should’ve zagged and soon found ourselves at the base of a long, very steep, open rubble slide.

Whew, that was a pretty steep one and pretty sloppy with all the rubble. After a long, narely, steep bushwhack to the range trail, we summited out and finished what was another great day in the mountains. Once we got home and I sent my GPS data to the person that helped us, she was like “why did your track go off that way, that’s not where the slide is” DOH…….. We climbed the wrong slide. We climbed a slide all right, just not one that you’ll find in any of the books. I lovingly refer to it as “wrong turn” slide.

Okay, pretty lame I know, but that’s one of my slide stories. Okay, I know there are others out there, LETS HEAR SOME ADIRONDACK SLIDE STORIES.

The view halfway up "WRONG TURN" Slide

 

[Peakbagr]

Tim,

I missed the correct turn for the east side Santanoni slide while leading a club trip and ended up at Bradley Pond leanto. The group had a HUGE and deserved laugh at my expense. It was memorialized with a framed, caricature drawing of me scaling the back of the leanto, with the date. It was presented at the annual chapter dinner with about a 100 folks present. My face still hurts from the laughing.

Alan

 

[TCD]

A few of my favorites (and maybe everyone else's):

Trap Dike and Slide on Colden (early exit);

Lake Arnold Slide on Colden;

Eagle Slide on Giant.

TCD

 

[mike1889]

The Nippletop Slide on its west slope is nice. It's fairly easy to reach via a half mile bushwhack from Elk Pass. There's no other slide to confuse it with. I led a group up this slide once and it was a little wet in places. One person was really nervous at some of the steeper spots, and we had to tell her where to place her steps. It took a while but we all made it safely. It's a gorgeous slide with amazing views all the way up. From the top of the slide, it's a relatively easy bushwhack to the summit, probably about 10-15 minutes.

 

[woodstrider]

Dix Slide climbed by accident...

well, maybe not quite an accident. I was trying for the top of Dix, the second time in two days as the first time was in a thunder storm and I had missed the views- and the rest of the range. I decided to try the slide for a bit as the trail is such a mess, especially lower down. I started up the slide at the bottom, near where the trail crosses and just continued straight up. At one point I even knew I was near the trail and could easily cross over to it, but I decided to continue up the slide for a little while longer. Soon I was confronted with a choice as the slide split off into "fingers". I was trying to recall what Barbara McMartin has written and I choose the less wet path, which turned out to be too far left. I loved the views on that beautiful day, first across to the Colvin Range and then as I got higher over that range to the Great Range. Nearer to the top, where this splinter finally played out I had to mantle up some steep shelves- a slip would have meant a tumble all the way down to the bottom, so clearly seen from my lofty position. Finally the slide disappeared and I was left to find my way to the top of the ridge. I followed a faint herdspath path back to the trail, passing an abandoned camp (collapsed tent, sleeping bag and pad- old and rotten and left to moulder away. Luckily no bodies). I continued on to do Hough, South and East Dix and returned the same way- except I took the trail all the way down.

In retrospect I feel guilty about trampling the vegetation up there (I'll probably take a few hits from the members out there for this, but...). I would have gone down, but truth be told- I was too afraid. I'll go up just about anything- so long as I don't have to go down it.

 

[Everest NBD]

Ok Ive done 3 slides and have done one twice. I would have to say my favorite (so far) would be the Macomb slide just because of the thrill of climbing somthing so steep and not seeing 5 feet in front of me (first time) and then going back and doing it again with a cloudless sky.

Second time it looked like this:

 

[percious]

The Macomb slide is beautiful. I love how the surrounding mountains frame Elk Lake. Last year we climbed it in April, and apon approaching the slide we were able to take our shirts off and bask in the sun. Doesn't get much better than that.

-percious

 

[rhihn]

Ok Ive done 3 slides and have done one twice. I would have to say my favorite (so far) would be the Macomb slide just because of the thrill of climbing somthing so steep and not seeing 5 feet in front of me (first time) and then going back and doing it again with a cloudless sky.

Second time it looked like this:

Nick, nice perspective on the Macomb slide in your picture! I've been there twice and I was fortunate to have had good weather both times. When it was free, I especially enjoyed a nice lunch on the rock outcropping at the top of the slide and the view out toward Elk Lake.

 

[lumberzac]

The first two High Peaks I climbed were also slide climbs. My first High Peak, Dix, was climbed by the same slide mentioned in Woostrider’s post, but we ended up taking the right most finger. I remember being terrified and amazed by what was in front of me. I was almost instantly hooked on hiking the High Peaks that day.

My second climb was East Dix up the Great Slide. I remember this climb being much easier until having to descend the slide after reaching the summit. I feel lucky that I got to sign the logbook in the canister before it was removed.

The funny thing is I have only done one slide climb since and that was last fall when I reclimbed East Dix.

 

[Neil]

I climbed the great slide on Grace twice last summer. The first time we made the mistake of getting on the wrong slide. We thought there was only one slide but indeed there are two that run side by side. When we ran out of slide we hit snow fence bushwhacking conditions. My friend had to remove his pack to get through one spot. That didn't jive with what I'd read on Adirondackjourney.com one bit. Walking to the summit we saw where we had gone wrong and descended the correct route. Returning the following week we met some people half way up the Boquet who were returning to the highway. They had made the same mistake as we had but had turned back before the summit. (They looked pretty honest so I asked if they would mind moving my car to the Round Pond TH. This encouraged us to do do a traverse over to Dix.) So, I have climbed both slides on Grace.

My favourite slide climb was the one on Wright after the long and rewarding, view-wise, bushwhack up the brook. Finding a chunk of airplane on the slide was a cool bonus. The 50 foot band of horrendous cripplebush at the top was not such a cool thing.

 

[masshysteria]

Wrong Turn Slide......I like it Tim!

My most memorable slide was not in the ADK's, but in the Berkshires. I climbed down the "Indian Head" slide on the east face of Greylock, only a year after it came down, circa 1991. There were some spots that were not passable due to steepness, or loose ruble, and there were quite a few rock falls that were caused by me, and some that weren't. A huge ruble pile in the gully at the base of the slide made it quite impressive.

My favorite ADK slide would be the slide on the east face of Giant. There's a trail off of the RRP Trail that takes you over to it. There is a pretty sheer drop from it, which I did lose a water bottle to.

 

[percious]

Mass-

You got pictures of that? That slide has always intrigued me.

MY favorite slide hike was on the backside of Giant, a mile long slide with magnificent views of Vermont. 1 mile bushwhack in, 1 mile bushwhack out. Remote, solitude, beauty. The works!

-percious

 

[Skyclimber]

Eagle Slide of Giant

My worst slide climb was the Eagle Slide of Giant. I had wanted to do it for a couple of years. Finding a book, on how to do it, my partner and I attempted it alone. Following Roaring Brook and finding the slide was fairly easy enough. All that rock hopping up the brook, kind of hard on the feet, but always liked to rock hop up a brook. As we got about half way up, my partner started to slip, losing his footing and started sailing down the slide, to where he was stopped short maybe 50' below by a lip in the rock. I felt totally helpless as there was no way to get down to him. It was one of those slides that was a one way street, UP. This was one I wouldn't ever descend. After the initial shock of the "fall" he started heading upwards towards me. He ended up getting a massive rock burn down the calf of his leg, which required medical treatment and a healing process of about 3 months. We started ascended the slide again, which got steeper and steeper. It seemed almost vertical to where we ended up taking our shoes off, barefooting it, as to get more stable footing. My partner then hooked our packs on ropes to pull them up, as we wanted to be packless in order to go further, as we had reached an extreme steep section in the rock. We did get to the top of slide and came out about 20 minutes from the summit. It was quite scarey and it is one of those slides I would never do again. I do believe we were to far to the left of it, considering there were others way over to the right of us ascending it, with no problem. It was one of those climbs, that I dubbed, "being thankful to be alive."

 

[beverly]

Eagle Slide

The Eagle Slide is a wonderful slide climb - difficult but emminenently doable. Use climbing shoes. I'm no expert, but have climbed many slides. It is steep. And majestic.
Have done it twice and wait for the next time.

 

[Skyclimber]

There are many wonderful slide climbs out there with great rewards. The Whiteface Ski Center Slide, I would keep off of in the Spring of the year. It's a breeding ground for black flies. The first time we did it, my ankles turned black and blue from the millions of black fly bites all around them, that caked inside of my socks. There was so many of them that they actually became scarey as they were eating us up alive. Even a bug net didn't help, nor a whole brand new can of bug spray.The second time we did it, in the Spring was another vicious attack of black flies to be had. I believe that was my last time too.
You may also like the Lake Placid Slide of Whiteface. Steep little bugger, but "oily" in spots. But the views are awesome. Easy to find from the Connery Pond Lean-To, following the brook nearby there up to the base.
The Ermine Slide of Santanoni, is one of the easiest slides to climb, but rewarding. Even if you just do the slide and turn around, at the headwall, as we have on two occasions. Camping at Ermine Brook. Not enough energy after to do Little Santanoni as was included in the plan. Alot of horse flies!
Have to agree with Neil on the Wright's Slide. It entitles you to see more of the Plane Crash remains. But thick to get too.
I think you would like the Trap Dike on Colden and the Felspar Slide of Colden. Both manageable, but dry spells are best for the Dike or any slide climbing. We once went up the Dike, down the Felspar Slide, up Algonquin. What a trip!
The Nippletop Slide from Elk Pass is real steep in the beginning and towards the end. It's a challenge and that is another slide, I never had interest in doing again. It was scarey for me as well as the Eagle Slide.
You may also like the North Slides of Dix, on the Hunter's Pass side. They are challenging and the rewards of the views!
Nye Slide from Averyville Rd, making a through trip over Nye back to ADK Loj. The hike was pleasant, but the Nye Slide is overgrown, steep towards the end of it.
Bennie Brook of Lower Wolf.
East Dix Slide from the Bouquet one of my favorites.
North Face of Gothics. (never done)
Cliff Slide from the Old Yellow Marcy Trail (never done) attempted but never found the slide but a great bushwhack to Cliff's Summit. One of my most memorable trips there.
Emmons Slide from Ouluska Pass (never done)
Many on Giant-Tulip/Bottle/Eagle (only Eagle I've done)

It is a great sport but not for the faint of heart. All the exposure.

 

[proszach]

Is that early exit thing up the Trap Dike a common mistake?? Cause that's exactly what we did when we climbed it, putting us in quite a steep and hairy situation. Easily the most scared I've ever been out in the mountains, thinking I was going to tumble after slipping on a rock climb that should have had ropes involved. Next time I go up there I'm going to make sure I go plenty far up the Trap Dike before heading onto the slide.

 

[Umsaskis]

Macomb slide was fun, but rather icy when I did it in late October 2002. At the beginning of the day I wasn't sure if I was going to go around all the Dix's as well, but when I got to the slide I decided I'd better since I didn't want to come back down the slide.

 

[Skyclimber]

Is that early exit thing up the Trap Dike a common mistake?? Cause that's exactly what we did when we climbed it, putting us in quite a steep and hairy situation. Easily the most scared I've ever been out in the mountains, thinking I was going to tumble after slipping on a rock climb that should have had ropes involved. Next time I go up there I'm going to make sure I go plenty far up the Trap Dike before heading onto the slide.

There used to be a cairn at the top of the Dike to direct a person to where to exit it, out onto the slide.
We once went in when it was quite wet, in which the waterfall was absolutely that, a waterfall. We ended up hooking up to harnesses and ropes in order to ascend the Dike safely. We should had left the dike when we knew that it was too dangerous to climb. Young and foolish.
However it is one of my favorite climbs in the High Peaks.

 

[professor]

Which Giant slide do you end up on if you pretty much head straight up from Roaring Brook? I did that years ago, and found it exhilarating, but a few sections were a bit hairy. I have since climbed the E. Dix Great Slide, and the Macomb slide, and they were far more mellow. How would the Bennie's Brook slide compare to these in terms of difficulty? I am considering taking my 11-year old daughter up that one, since its approach hike isn't as long as many others in the adk's.

 

[mavs00]

Which Giant slide do you end up on if you pretty much head straight up from Roaring Brook? I did that years ago, and found it exhilarating, but a few sections were a bit hairy. I have since climbed the E. Dix Great Slide, and the Macomb slide, and they were far more mellow. How would the Bennie's Brook slide compare to these in terms of difficulty? I am considering taking my 11-year old daughter up that one, since its approach hike isn't as long as many others in the adk's.

It's AWESOME, my kids did it with us (ADKatie and I) and they were like 10 & 12 at the time. It's practically a wide sidewalk. I little steep up top, but nothing too bad.