ADK solo peakbagging traverse ... Heart Lake to St. Huberts Part 1

[Doc McPeak]

Phelps, Tabletop, Colden North Peak for dinner, Redfield, Skylight for sunrise, Marcy, Haystack, Blake, and Colvin

Disclaimer: Long winded account warning ...

My backpacking plans went from another section of the Long Trail with a friend to a solo daydream of thru-hiking a meaty loop of High Peak favorites. Dr. Ron had to postpone, but Dr. McPeak had to get out and play, so I perused my solo 46 list and came up with a hearty agenda sure to keep a smile on my face.

DAY ONE: A warm humid start to the trip, with trails and air soggy, dense, and literally dripping sweat faster than myself greeted my first backpack of the year. Solo, with provisions for five days, ultralight I was not. But anticipation and eagerness to rise to the challenge had me down the Marcy highway to the dam in about 45 minutes. The waters were raging over the ramparts and a quiet haze hung over TR, Colden, Wright and Avalanche mountains as I passed thru town. There were blue hints in the sky of good things possible, but hasn't that been the case all summer? I lugged up to the Phelps camp and went searching for a dry tent spot. Dry ended up defining itself as any bit of ground that didn't ooze water when I stepped on it...

With my bearcan full of goodies, I still had a little extra food for day two's lunch, and of course the Lexan full of Chianti for the following nights dinners... So, off I went to find a good safe larder for the extra provisions. A spot off a ways put my bag up 15' and 10' from either tree. My usual distance requirements that had yet to see me lose a morsel of food to Yogi and friends.

I plunked my Sigg full of Chardonnay in Phelps Brook, loaded up the pack with my afternoon snack of salsa and chips, as well as dinner's defrosting fixins, and off to Phelps I went. Slipping and sliding up the slick rocks, roots, and mud pits, I scampered up past the descending troops to find my summit table waiting for me, with the mountaintop now to myself. Great views of my next several destinations, and some ghostly serene looks at the MacIntyres and Avalanche. The clouds were thick and the sunbeams that made it through bounced around the peaks and valleys like wayward searchlights. Very nice visuals to get me excited for the days ahead. It is always fun to stand on a peak and chart out your next days moves...

Here are the pics for this section:
http://community.webshots.com/album/174701039sdTpBx

Dinner was exceptional, as it always is on night one. Stream chilled wine, pesto chicken quesadillas with roasted garlic salsa and gaucamole, the rest of the red corn chips and then a double shot of hot cocoa. Yum...

DAY TWO: Woke pretty early to find that my 15', 10'-10' rule had been violated! Oh no! Not the Chianti! It took me a minute to find the poor defensless sack laying in a heap, and my purple bottle... still full of the vino! After my last thread about Lexan dangers, the stuff repelled some sharp ursus fangs with ease. In fact, the bears had only walked away with my bread for lunchs PB&J's and my extra trailmix. They didn't even touch the boysenberry jam or julienned carrot sticks and red peppers? That's why I bring the fancy food! Bears hate that stuff.

More humidity, slipping and sliding, mudskipping and lugging had me up to Indian Falls in no time. I had debated TR but decided I didn't need to throw a bushwhack into the mix at the start of a long haul that was to follow. Converted to fannypack and then really got sloppy sloshing my way up Tabletop. The views were splendid though through all the little breaks in the trees and hidden gazing platforms. Again, people on the descent and a summit to enjoy by myself. Must be the solo reservations I had made for the week...

Here are the pics from this section:
http://community.webshots.com/album/174725560JoLcTB

Lunch was my PB and J materials, slathered all over some chocolate caramel turtles that were to be my afternoon snack. Somehow, they were a lot better than the old sandwich routine! I enjoyed these treats at the base of Indian Falls, which is a spot I had never actually visited, always being drawn to the mesmerizing views form above the falls. Which are better. From there it was off down the Lake Arnold-Indian Falls crossover trail, as slippery as the rest, followed by a climb back up (why do crossover trails always take away elevation for you to re-climb later?) to Lake Arnold. The campsites were all open, and still juicy from the recent rains, but a very pleasant little camping spot. I set up, hung some damp clothes to try in the flitting rays of sunshine, and packed the stove, utensils, and dinner supplies.

The climb up Colden was a fun trip up memory lane. I hadn't been up this way in several years and loved this meandering trail up cliffs, through open ridges on the minor peaks, and finally exiting on top the fabulous North Peak. I took a brief rest here and debated the time factor and whether I wanted to tromp over to the main summit or just lounge where I was. The Peakbagger in me had me flying down the trail! Until I ran into the quagmire pits in the col between the two peaks. I looked around, licked my lips in desire to start dinner and savor a glass of wine and did an abrupt about face.

Good move, for the wine would definitely have gone bad if I hadn't poured a glass immediately. Rock Hill Farm bread with pesto and a mix of muenster and cheddar, and some hot soup while drinking in the views of the MacIntyres on one side and Marcy and the great range on the other was quite the dinner table! And with Colden's north face completely taking up the view in front was just amazing. It's funny, from the North Peak you don't see any hint of all the scars and many slides that make this mountain so distinctive from nearly every other vantage.

Down to camp in 30 minutes, hot cocoa for desert and some fun stargazing out by Lake Arnold. Another couple clumped into camp and set up in the second designated spot just up the hill, with the girl looking ready to crawl into the mud and sleep right there and then. They had dayhiked Algonquin and wanted to also hit Marcy on their trip back to the Garden. A bit roundabout route ... but who was I to talk???

DAY THREE: Another morning of gray skies, with occasional glints of sunshine, and another wet march downhill to Fedspar Lean-to. There were a pair of packs awaiting their dayhiking masters, and soon mine had joined the gang. I fannypacked off toward Redfield, and found the trail a nice change. It was pretty dry! Where had all the blowdown gone!? Well, this route is quite a pleasure to hike now. Though certainly not as challenging as before, it was still a good tough climb. Lots of sun for the whole excursion until ten minutes before the summit, my hour on top, and about the first fifteen minutes down!

Well, you can't have everything... though a complete day of solitude was lovely. I didn't see anyone from the time I left Feldpsar until I returned. The two families camping nearby had taken my advice and gone for Marcy. As I looked at the skies and contemplated my next move, a whole troop of campers stormed into the LT. The Aussie in charge was about to order the guys out to find a campsite, but after hearing them ooh and ahh at how nice this 46er built LT was (and the racket they were sure to make that night) decided my next set of plans for me. I gave them full reign of the roost and told them to scram for fifteen minutes while I repacked my stuff. One of them proudly told me of their incredible journey of doing the whole Great Range with full packs, including the steep descent of Haystack into Panther Gorge, and then back up to Four Corners where they slackpacked Marcy and Skylight. Marcy in 21 minutes... oh to be young and crazy ...

My next move was up... I headed toward Four Corners, debating a trip to Panther Gorge, or searching out a secret midway camping spot I had been shown. Since I wanted to lug up and over Marcy with a full pack (something I've always wanted to do? ?) and check out the Snowbird site I chose the latter. The plan was to check out sunset from Skylight and stash the pack up at Four Corners for the morning haul. So up I went to the junction for dinner, and to watch the clouds storm in and cover the landscape like a sock. Oh well... it was a good plan on paper.

 

[Doc McPeak]

ADK solo peakbagging traverse ... Heart Lake to St. Huberts Part 2

DAY FOUR: Started very early, before four. I got up to say hello to the shrubs, and after a smattering of rain early that night, was completely amazed to see the waning blue moon shining and a full slate of stars a-twinkling. I looked around, and five minutes later was trucking the whole kit and kaboodle up to Four Corners. I got denied a sunset, so sunrise was going to more than make up for it... Or so I hoped.

Like Magellan, guiding myself by the stars and the moon, I skipped up the Skylight spur trail full of anticipation and wishful thoughts. At the first lookout my spirits soared and I staggered to a stop to drink in the most intense visual sight I have seen in the mountains. Behind the Great Range a deep red and orange fire was brewing. The sky was still purplish black and stars danced just above the inferno. Thinking that I may miss this magical moment, I practically sprinted the rest of the way up to treeline. Not to worry, for I was witnessing the birth of day, and not the end.

From the big boulder just out of the trees I could see everything from the Santanonis, Macs, Colden, The Range, and around to the Dixes. All shimmered in the surreal bluish twinge of starlight. All except Gray. Gray was immersed in the only cloud in the area. And it was heading toward Marcy, and toward me! Then it hit me, in my haste to clambor up to the summit, I had forgotten my rock for the summit cairn! Noooo...

I spun around, held my breath and finished the trek along the miniature golf course track (summit stewards have had too much time on their hands on Skylight!) When I turned back around, expecting the cloud to be nearly upon me, it was gone! Marcy had chewed it up and spit it out into Lake Tear. There was nothing in the sky except a growing palette of colors, a high ceiling of perfectly textured clouds, and mountains in every direction. To the south, the entire floor was a sea of fog, with all the minor southern peaks sticking up like islands. I've always wanted to see this phenomenum as well. Upper Works was a fog bank, with the Santanonis rising out of it. The Marcy swamp valley all the way down to the Boreas Ponds was probably the coolest sight. A swirling pattern of mist that seemed to wind and curl its way down the valley.

Here are the pics for this section:
http://community.webshots.com/album/176348580oeJIib

From Skylight, day comes up in an ENE axis, meaning it was growing right out of Gothics mighty crown. The three bumps of Basin framed it to the left, and Haystack framed it the right. Giant shimmered in a purple tone between Gothics and Haystack, and Hurricane and the Jay Range also held the purple background position between Basin and the magnificence of Marcy, which as it does in the daylight, really dominated the view to the north.

The sunrise took its sweet time, from my first glimpse at quarter of five, right until the sun peeked over Gothics at nearly six. From a wild inferno against a dark sky, to a carpet of pink clouds against a light blue and purple sky that stretched from the horizon all the way past the MacIntyres, to that nice splash of yellow into the drink mix, what an amazing hour and half atop one of my favorite peaks! Yahoo. Life doesn't get much sweeter.

So, after tearing myself off the summit, I tromped back down, fished out my pack and made a quick breakfast and mug of joe. I pumped water at the stream running right through the Four Corners Junction sign, heaved that puppy on my back and started the dreaded trudge up the steep southern face of Marcy. Time and again I had to stop to drink in the views, now able to see into a few of the other valleys and the blanket of fog below. Steep, and already with a peak under my belt, I made the lonely summit at 9:15 after a 45 minute mile from the junction. Not bad.

Well, of my last four visits to this crown jewel of the Adirondacks, this was my third time with the summit to myself... for a spell. At around 9:45 the first guy tromped up the marker, looked around for a couple of seconds, and then ran off back down the mountain!? I knew I was a little stinky from the trail, but.... Twenty minutes later a girl working the JBL shift came up for her first visit to Marcy, loving the nice empty summit. She took my picture and after greeting the next couple of parties, I shoved off toward my next destination: Mighty Haystack.

The loop around the horn, down and then up to the Little Haystack junction took several hours including a lunch break of Spinach Parm Hummus, with those carrots and red peppers spared by Yogi, and one slip on a slimy slab. Nice bruise from that one. And one broken branch heaving myself up a cliff. Nice scrape from that one. Taking the big pack off at Lil Haystack felt like heaven, and 23 minutes later, basking atop my favorite mountain in the Dacks was heaven.

Short lived this time though. The skies were gray, flat, and gloomy, storm clouds were brewing over Dix and Hough, and the only people on the mountain lounging on Lil Haystack had packed up and left. I didn't want to stiffen up and risk a boo boo knowing there probably wouldn't be another visitor up there until the following day. Besides, I thought, I had lounged for three hours basking in the sun eating grilled cheese with Alpine last time I was up there!

So, Skylight for sunrise, Breakfast at Four Corners, Marcy summit to myself, and ending the day atop Haystack. Now, that's a good day in the mountains!

DAY FIVE: A great nights sleep at the lovely Snowbird site and I was ready for the last day of my trek. Getting water is a highlight at this site. You hit the trail and have Basin in full view to the east, and Lil and Big Haystack to the west. Very very sweet.

Off I go, my pack now down to a somewhat manageable weight. It didn't seem to matter much as the Snowbird trail down to Bartlett Ridge is muddy, rooty, and full of crazy ladders that I swear were built by descendents of the guys who built the leaning tower of Pisa. Every ladder has its rungs hanging at about a fifteen degree side slope!?

Well, the views more than make up for the treacherous ladders. Some very unique and impressive angles on Basin, and its amphitheatre, Gothics and Pyramid's western flanks, and of course mighty Haystack above. And by the way, how many people go climb Little Haystack and don't take the extra 15 minutes to sit on that amazing summit in front of them!?!? I met about five different parties who commented that they climbed Little Haystack. They should take it off the map.... for people see it and think they're climbing a seperate mountain, which I guess they are. Anyways, I suppose it keeps erosion down a bit...

Here are the pics for this section:
http://community.webshots.com/album/176355800kyDGBn

The Snowbird gets really pretty after it leaves the steep ledges up high, winding through beautiful forests and crisscrossing Haystack Brook and other streams. Seldom trod, it makes for very pleasant walking, as does the Bartlett trail down to the Warden's camp below. Equally nice is the mile long Carry Trail conecting the Upper and Lower Ausable lakes. But in the back of my mind was a lurking fear. A deep rooted terror that had been born back in February.

For I would soon be climbing up one of the steepest trails in the High Peaks, with a full solo backpack! In February I experienced the hardest climb of my life up this accursed trail through a couple of feet of unconsolidated snow. Now I was huffing and puffing up this endless staircase of mud, sod, and slippery rocks. You've heard of false peaks, this one has false cols. Daylight, daylight, daylight everywhere and then it's gone. Replaced by more woods and trail. You get a solid half hour of this teasing before the slope gentles out and that sign jumps out at you. 1.1 miles to the Lake. And 1500+ feet of climbing. Ouch! Even though I had now reached this destination in an impressive 4 hours and 5 minutes ... still, OUCH!

Double ouch was climbing Blake, even with the fanny pack. But I needed it for the old summer round, and there are some very special, albeit partial views along the ridge. At one point, Colvin, Nippletop, and Dix line up like three brothers in a row. Very nice. And great views back at Colvin. And some of the steepest cliffs and root tangles in the mountains! It takes as long to descend as it does to climb those slippery devils, and I was feeling like someone had just dragged me through a mole hole backwards. Yes, double OUCH...

Okay, since I'm now whining. TRIPLE OUCH for the lower cliffs ascending Colvin. My pack at this point felt like it weighed 90 pounds and my legs, back, and arms felt like rubber. But the attack on you is brutal, yet short lived, and you soon hit the undulating ridge that brings you to one of the sweetest perchs around. The skies were fantastic, and the day of predicted rain was instead blue, cheery, and full of puffy clouds. From Allen around the horn to Macomb the sights were impeccable. I finished up my last pictures on my second card, ate some chocolate saved for the occassion and built back enough strength for the long walk out.

6 miles and two and half hours later, I was in soft cotton clothes and going down the road, feeling bad. 5 days, many mountains on different ranges, and many miles happily trudged. Just what the doctor ordered...

I'll edit in some webshots soon...

 

[masshysteria]

Doc, that had to be the greatest feeling for you, watching the sunrise on Skylight! That avatar looks fantastic. I can't wait to see the bigger shots, might make a new wallpaper. Thanks.

 

[Doc McPeak]

Here are pics from the trip:

http://community.webshots.com/album/174701039sdTpBx

http://community.webshots.com/album/174725560JoLcTB

http://community.webshots.com/album/176348580oeJIib

http://community.webshots.com/album/176355800kyDGBn

On my albums page are some pics from a bushwhack up Wrong Slide to Wright Peak which are pretty wild, too.

 

[Rik]

Nice pix doc! Sounds like a great trip. Too bad you couldn't bag a couple peaks while you were out!

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

Great TR and pics! I like the long-winded ones

 

[stoopid]

FANTASTIC Sunrise Shots!

Thanks for sharing the photos and trip. I won't be in the dacks until next weekend (2 full weeks without an ADK hike), and these make me less 'home sick'.

I love sunrise climbs, though usually at the expense of proper sleep . I hope to see the sunrise from many mountain tops in the coming years.