Algonquin / Wright March 25, 2005

[Guinness]

March 25th delivered mixed weather conditions. If you were on the summits before 10:00am, you were in high winds and less than 100 foot visibility. In the afternoon, you had clear skies and great weather. Since I am an early riser, I caught the worse weather.

Leaving the Adirondack Loj trail head at 6:45 am, I had a good start to accomplish my goal, Algonquin, Iroquois and Wright. The trail was well packed all the way to the 4000-foot level. There several sections of the trail were ice covered and the assistance of instep crampons became necessary. As I was reaching tree line, the winds were becoming apparent, and they were estimated around 30-40 mph sustained. Mixed in with the wind was a constant presence of ice crystals that blasted your exposed skin. Visibility was between 50 to 100 feet, just limited enough that you could not see from one cairn to the next. When I was about 200 feet from the summit, I looked back and could not see any signs of my route up.

I lingered long enough at the summit to look out in all directions before I retraced my disappearing steps. Since I could not see any trace of the route going over to Iroquois, I decided to go back. No sooner did I get back to tree line, that the weather patterns started to change and I could see between the coverage as much as a mile.

Heading over to Wright was much easier as I now had visibility up to two miles. Wind gusts still remain as well as an occasional cloud passing by which left you in a white out condition. I was back at camp by 12:30 and already the skies were clear and calm. Next time, I will wait for a later start.

 

[Neil]

Thanks for your report!
This is a tricky time of year.
I plan on attempting Ttop, Marcy and Gray on Sat. the 2nd. Was there any snow on the MD trail up to the split? You mentioned getting a later start. I was thinking of leaving the Loj as early as 4am to take max advantage of (hopefully) frozen trails.
Any thoughts?

 

[Guinness]

Hi Neil,

There was ice and hard pack on the trail up to the split. It was very poor footing on the way out as the warm weather melted the surface which them frooze. I used insteps to counter that. This time of the year is so unpredictable as weather is concerned. I have seen too many times where the morning weather is windy and calm by the afternoon. I would think that if you did Tabletop first, Marcy should have time to settle down - Good Luck.

Ed

 

[giggy]

WOW - What a difference from what we had in the whites this weekend - without a doubt - the best weather (winter/snow related) conditions - I have ever had - no question.

 

[MattC]

Great report Ed. Algonquin is one of the only two ADK high peaks I ever climbed, both of which I climbed as a child. I'd kind of like the MacIntyre Range to be my first "adult" high peak hike, just out of dumb old sentimentality. Wish I could have been w/ you, but I was finishing the Catskill 35 that day. ADK trips soon come.
Just on a weird note, my dad was visiting his mother (who is, suprisingly enough, also my grandmother) over the weekend. He told me they were looking through old photo albums on Saturday and he found a picture he took of me on an ADK summit, almost definitely Algonquin, when I was about 10. Cosmic, huh?

Matt