Basin and SaddleBack (Chicken Coup)

[skiguy]

Having done these peaks a long time ago (26 years) under very dry early fall conditions, and remebering it to be a very nice hike I was thinking about going back this Winter. I also remember the famed cliff area on Saddleback. Is there an easier route around this section used in Winter? Also what exactly is the Chicken Coup?

 

[RTSpoons]

Chicken Coop Brook

If you use the search link at the top of the page, you will find plenty of information regarding this trail.

 

[Peakbagr]

Head into the Johns Brook Valley. A short distance after you pick up the Phelps Trail towards Marcy or H'stack, you'll cross a good sized drainage that comes from the Saddleback-Basin col. Shallow in the bottom, steeper at the top, excellent winter route.
A hiking buddy of mine a ways back skiied it in mid winter, carving nice turns and taking jumps over the waterfalls and downs.
Have fun.

 

[skidoc22]

Ccb

Chicken Coop Brook lies between Basin and Saddleback. It is a nice route to the col between but does not help avoid the Saddleback cliff nor the steep ledgy spots on Basin. We used it to descend from the col after climbing Haystack and Basin to avoid the Saddleback cliff. It comes out right near the Bushnell Falls lean-tos. I thought Saddleback was much more readily done from the Orebed trail in the winter and can easily be tagged on to a hike of the lower Great Range. Only about 0.5 mile from the col to the summit IIRC.

 

[skiguy]

Head into the Johns Brook Valley. A short distance after you pick up the Phelps Trail towards Marcy or H'stack, you'll cross a good sized drainage that comes from the Saddleback-Basin col. Shallow in the bottom, steeper at the top, excellent winter route.
A hiking buddy of mine a ways back skiied it in mid winter, carving nice turns and taking jumps over the waterfalls and downs.
Have fun.

Thanks for the replies. Glad to hear that there is some skiing potential. After doing some searching I found THIS great trip report by alavigne . Looks as if the upper reaches of the brook could have some AVY potential. Has or does anyone know about any activity in that area. On another note I also see that there is a recent Trip Report that mentions Pin Pin being seen in the area levitating over the Saddleback Cliffs Gotta love that guy!

 

[Doc McPeak]

Has or does anyone know about any activity in that area.

skiguy, the last report I heard was from a month or two back. Still a ton of blowdown from the 05-06 winter storms. So, be extra careful skiing until there is a very deep snowcover. The ski-to-die guys do ski those slides on Saddleback, though. You may find some tracks to follow. It is a very nice gully, and is the brook that flows past Bushnell Falls lean-to before joining John's Brook.

 

[Peakbagr]

I forgot to mention that. There are always trees across the drainage, and good advice to wait until good snowcover ski right over them.

 

[skiguy]

Thanks for the advice here. Just like you've said wait until good snow cover...but maybe not too much... which I think is what alavigne's report shows he did in climbing this route in general. Like much of a true Mountaineering Route under the ideal situation the "COOP" ( I think I spelled it right this time) seems to be a balance of good cover..but not too much...and good temps. Anyone have more info on the SaddleBack Cliffs which I assume is subject to much of the same conditional state mentioned above. As I said in my original post it has been a long time since I did this Hike /Climb and it was dry as a bone when I did it. Not being a total levitating guy like Pin Pin my intuition is to bring a bit of cord.

 

[ColdRiverRun]

As an interesting side note, I happened to be looking at copies of maps from the 1920's the other night and the route up to get Saddleback and Basin was the brook. No trials shown from the other directions. Think about that while going up.

 

[skiguy]

As an interesting side note, I happened to be looking at copies of maps from the 1920's the other night and the route up to get Saddleback and Basin was the brook. No trials shown from the other directions. Think about that while going up.

Very Kool..Now the question of it's namesake. Where did the Chickens come from? Where there actually Chickens or were you a Chicken if you would not do that Trail?