Allen

[The Sikes]

We are off to do Allen...I have read alot on this but want to see if anyone has their 2 cents they want to add.

 

[Jean]

Watch out in the short slide you will encounter in the upper section. It is very slippery under wet conditions.
Have a great hike!

 

[The Sikes]

thanks....is the trail pretty straight forward?

 

[placidnay]

we did Allen a few weeks back...

As other posts have said you'll have no trouble finding the trail; there are several signs stating which way to go and which way not to go. We started at 7:45 am and finished around 6:30 with several breaks, had lunch at Skylight Brook and spent about 30 minutes on the summit. The slide is slippery, but it is all about taking your time.

The bugs were the worst I had ever expereinced, especially the deer flies. It was a hot day and no breeze though. If you go in the next week, it looks like cooler temps are ahead so hopefully they will not be as bad. There were two areas of berry patches that really cover the trail; they are probably only about 5-10 yards in length but we had to take care not to swat each other with the vines. If I did it again, I'd wait for a slight breeze, wouldn't bother with the bug spray and would wear a hat!

 

[Doc McPeak]

Very straightforward, just long.

At the summit, there are two must see viewpoints. One is to head due east (both have paths) drop down about 15' to an open view of the entire valley and drainage between Allen and the Pinnacle Ridge, with the Dixies behind. The other is due north, again a small drop and you get views right into Panther Gorgeous and Skylight, Red, Haystack, etc... Both are less than 100' walks.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Very straightforward, just long.

At the summit, there are two must see viewpoints. One is to head due east (both have paths) drop down about 15' to an open view of the entire valley and drainage between Allen and the Pinnacle Ridge, with the Dixies behind. The other is due north, again a small drop and you get views right into Panther Gorgeous and Skylight, Red, Haystack, etc... Both are less than 100' walks.

Based on my experience, I would say stay left at the top of the slide. If you go right, there is a faint herd path, but it is narrow and twisty. We went down the other side and had better luck.

 

[mavs00]

Watch out at you climb the brook, at spots it is VERY slick. There is some of type of algae or fungus that is real slick. Nothing to difficult, just be aware of your footing. We all took spills at least once or twice.

 

[Doc McPeak]

Watch out at you climb the brook, at spots it is VERY slick. There is some atype of algee or fungus that is real slick. Nothing to difficult, just be aware of your footing. We all took spills at least once or twice.

Very true. It is actually a rare occurance to not slip at least once on this oily algae. It is a rusty brownish color, and has a high oil content ... would be good for bio-diesel. Much slicker than the usual green moss ...

Tom may be right about the slide. I used the herd path to the right and didn't find it rough going at all. My last few trips have been in winter, so imagine how much fun the slide would be to butt-slide on a soft blanket of packed snow!

 

[Buffalogal]

I did Allen about a month ago. We hiked in and stayed overnight at Skylight Brook. The trail is very easy to follow. The first part is mostly on roads. Don't go up the side trail to Mt. Adams. There is a sign to Mt. Adams that just says "Trail," but someone has written "not Allen." All the meanderings on and off the roads are well-marked. After a while on the road, you go back into the woods, cross a neat suspension bridge, and then follow the trail through an area that I guess was damaged by Hurricane Floyd. It is a very open stretch, and the sun and bugs were relentless. Finally (and I mean FINALLY), you get to the turn off for the herd path to Skylight Brook and up Allen. There is a HUGE wooden carved sign indicating the way to go. The trail is clearly marked by what appears to be yellow coffee can lids. When you reach Skylight Brook, you'll know it. Its a major brook, and the crossing is kind of tricky, especially with kids and full packs. Then the trail leads straight up the mountain, and is really quite lovely. It follows Allen Brook, and you pass a nice little waterfall close to the bottom. Its steep, but not treacherously so, and the slide is not intimidating. I was there during very dry weather, so I had no problems with the mossy stuff. And there is plenty of room to negotiate around the slide where you need to. When you reach the top, the summit is off to the left. The summit is not much to speak of, but the views from the ledges are sweet. Have fun!

 

[Steve-o]

If you like raspberry's, you're in for a treat.

 

[Hank]

I agree with Tom and Mavs00 as they address the 2 main problems we had with the trail up the slide/brook on Allen. I did not fall but I did slip more than once. This is uber algae. A bad landing and you have a long way to travel to get home with an injury. The second point is to bear to the left at the top of the slide. I missed the cairn on the way up, following the faint herdpath on the right, knowing full well it was incorrect. But even this herdpath was marked and took us to the trail at the top. Going down, the correct path was obvious.

 

[ADKMan]

Not much more to add, I just thought I would give you a quick view of the summit (see my avatar)