Colden - Up the Trap Dike!

[Tom Rankin]

I love scrambles, and when Laurie mentioned doing the Trap Dike, I knew we would do it eventually. Eventually came yesterday.

We got to the Loj around 7:30 and started out to Marcy Swamp. Who was there but HarryK ?!?! And then we recognized Ajtiv, Cantdog, and the Sikes! And to top if off, they were going to Colden too!

We reached the base of the slide around 10:30, after swinging around Avalanche Lake. The weather was clear, dry and sunny. Most of the time, we were in the shade as we scrambled up. There was only a trickle of water, and we were able to avoid wet spots almost completely. Having had some technical climbing experience, I did this climb with relative ease. There were only a few places that I had to use an upper body move. The views looking back down to the lake were pretty cool.

As for getting to the summit, that was a little adventure. The rocks eventually gave way to low pine trees. There was a pretty obvious herd path to follow. We stayed to the right as we went up, but soon the herd path just petered out to nothing. I noticed that we were in a secondary ravine, and the main ravine was to our left. So, we bushwhacked up and to the left until we hit a good herd path. This took us to the col between the summit and the false summit. From there, it was a short walk to the top. We met the VFTT crew just as they were departing the summit area, so we had congrats all around.

HarryK suggested that we could have exited the ravine and clibmed up the face of Colden. We were supposed to find a cairn, but we never saw one. The herd path straight to the col is pretty easy if you stay on the right one!

The views from Colden are amazing! You can see the great Range, Giant, Marcy, Skylight, Gray, Algonquin, Wright, Iroquois, Santanonis, Whitefcae, Sewards, on and on!

We walked back down to Lake Arnold, got some water, and headed down to the Lean-to near Avalance Pass. A quick break here, and back out to the Dam. Then the last stretch back to the car, a few cold ones, and a hot shower!

What a great day!

Pics:

http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p1.jpg - Marcy swamp - still a nice view
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p2.jpg - The Dam
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p3.jpg - Close up of damaged part of Dam
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p4.jpg - Avalanche Lake - Colden to the left
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p5.jpg - Looking down the Dike
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p6.jpg - Looking up the Dike
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p7.jpg - Looking up to the side
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p8.jpg - The Great Range
http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/p9.jpg - Lake Colden adnd Flowed Lands

 

[AntlerPeak]

Tom, my buddy's 46th was a climb up the trap dike what an exhilerating day that was. Those we knew who had gone before us had reported you exit the dike when the walls are head high. No one ever explained if head high meant 6 foot two inches or five foot six inches. I didn't think it matters that much. Once out on the slide the views were awesome. The slide was pitted rock reminding me of an egg crate. It was steep but easy walking though you were often looking at the bottom of the feet of the guy ahead of you.

It sounds like you ended up on or near the "gray green hump" which I have heard is a spot to avoid. Great trip though isn't it?

 

[Tom Rankin]

Tom, my buddy's 46th was a climb up the trap dike what an exhilerating day that was. Those we knew who had gone before us had reported you exit the dike when the walls are head high. No one ever explained if head high meant 6 foot two inches or five foot six inches. I didn't think it matters that much. Once out on the slide the views were awesome. The slide was pitted rock reminding me of an egg crate. It was steep but easy walking though you were often looking at the bottom of the feet of the guy ahead of you.

It sounds like you ended up on or near the "gray green hump" which I have heard is a spot to avoid. Great trip though isn't it?

That sounds about right. Great trip indeed. It's my 3rd time up Colden (all 3 from different ways) and the views keep getting better every time!

 

[TCD]

I'm so spoiled by the beauty and elegance of Trap Dike that it's about the only way I climb Colden anymore. You can definitely avoid all the herd paths and scrub growth at the top by exiting right onto the slide. Then you will have a clean trip, mostly or entirely on rock, all the way from the lake.

In general, there are two exits from the dike onto the slide: the early exit, and the late exit. The early exit avoids all herd paths and gives you a clean rock trip, but the slide is a tad steep and exposed in a couple spots. It is great rock, and I've never had a problem on it with regular trail runners, but it does depend on your comfort level. The late exit follows a short herd path for a couple hundred feet through some tight woods, and then pops out onto the slide. This is also a great route. I've never done the "dike all the way to the top" trip, because the clean rock is so much fun. But it's a good back up route if it rains by surprise while you're up there.