Colvin & Blake 1/18/2005

[Neil]

A great day in the Colvin Range
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Dear reader:I hope you like long long winded TR's cuz I just don't know how to be concise!
Shayne (Spaddock) and I met at the Ausable Club at 7:30 yesterday and I think we both wondered what the heck we were doing there with the mercury reading –10F. When I got gas near the border the wind cut through me like a knife and when I drove through Keene Valley the snow was blowing horizontally off the rooftops.
What a surprise when a 3rd car pulled in bearing Quebec plates and one person got out. Turns out Stéphane was headed to Blake and planned on doing Nippletop as well.

Carrying our skis, we bore the brunt of the wind as we walked along the exposed golf course. Interestingly, the wind was coming from our right. We didn’t waste any time at the TH and began skiing the road. Stéphane walked and there was no difference in our speeds. Once at the junction we ditched the skis. Shayne couldn’t wrap his brain around not bringing snowshoes so he donned his Evo’s and, having left my snowshoes at home, I bare booted. Stéphane cruised. Any concerns and worries we had about the weather were quickly dispelled. With toe warmers in place and keeping a good pace I was toasty warm. And there was not a breath of wind, not even in the treetops! We could see that were on a collision course with the sun. It and we gained elevation and once we broke out into full sunshine we knew the day was going to be a real gem.

Just before the Elk Pass junction I put on my crampons and as we ascended we got better and better views of Giant’s slides and the Great Range. I sure wouldn’t have wanted to be on the Nippltop Slide just then. It was in the shadows and covered with blue ice. Just near the top of Colvin there’s a difficult short step. It took 3 full minutes with snowshoes and 3 seconds with crampons. The view from the summit was superb. However, we were sweaty, the wind was blowing and the thermometer read –23C so we headed straight for Blake. (I had plenty of ice stuck to my hair around my forehead and when I put my hat on and cinched it tight the ice was plastered against my skin and proceeded to melt. Probably a good treatment for a hangover.)

We were in full sunshine all the way down to the col and Shayne eventually put his crampons on. It was very gloomy in the col and we had no more sun til near the top. Here we met Stéphane who was already on his way back to Colvin! Blake gets a bad rap but in winter especially the trail offers a unique perspective of the Range. Once at the top we found a sunny spot and I performed a base layer shirt change well thought out in advance and quickly done. The inside of my ‘’guaranteed to keep you dry’’ Goretex XCR shell was loaded with tons of ice which I shook and rubbed off. We managed to rest for 15 minutes in our down jackets before our toes told us it was time to get going. Once at the col we decided to go up and over Colvin instead of down to the illegal lake. The AMR dudes at the TH were not friendly at all and those new signs were intimidating There was even a sign posted beside the trail. The idea of getting charged with trespassing and then having border crossing hassles in the future made the sunny climb up Colvin real easy. Midway to the top we stopped and basked in the brilliant sunshine and admired all that was to be admired and believe me there was no shortage of that!

Colvin has two open viewpoints and the one towards Upper Ausable Lake was perfectly calm so we got to spend some more time soaking up the rays. When we checked out the true summit we got hit with a blast of wind and went straight down. It was 2:45. The difficult step was handled using a piece of rope looped around a handy tree. When we saw that we had 1.1 miles left to go before the road our feet were sore and we slowed down so we could enjoy the dying day. The cold air itself seemed to taste delicious. Once the switch over to ski mode (new foot warmers for those x-c ski boots!) was behind us and we were gliding downhill it was 5:00pm. We had two last treats to savour. First was the ski and second was the moonlight. What wasn’t a treat was the walk to the parking area but the stars and the moonlit mountains made it more than bearable. Shayne’s interior light was on in his car and after assuring him I had cables I commented on how anxiety provoking that would be if he was alone. His car started easily without the cables.

So now Shayne’s a 29er and I’m a winter 6er.

 

[percious]

Great Post Neil. I hope to see some pictures soon. Have you ever considered hiking Blake from the other side (elk lake)? Its a trip!

-percious

 

[Neil]

I didn't have my camera. I thought my wife had taken it but it was sitting right by my computer. I'll make sure I have it on Allen sunday.

 

[Neil]

I didn't have my camera. I thought my wife had taken it but it was sitting right by my computer. I'll make sure I have it on Allen sunday. I'll do that ridge someday, I read that it has great views and lots of solitude.

 

[spaddock]

I didn't have my camera. I thought my wife had taken it but it was sitting right by my computer. I'll make sure I have it on Allen sunday. I'll do that ridge someday, I read that it has great views and lots of solitude.

I didn't have my camera, because i thought Neil would have his.

Like Neil said, the day was a real gem. I must have mentioned to him numerous times that it was the clearest day I've ever had in the Daks. I'll take -25C and sunny over +10C and raining any day. On the ascents when i needed a breather i just let the sunshine beam into my face and kept thinking "this is so, so worth it".

That last section to the summit of Colvin was tough on snowshoes and a lot easier with crampons. I could have used crampons the whole way but my calves were enjoying the ascendor bar on the Evo's. Using the rope on the way down was a lot of fun, I think I said to Neil, "I feel like a real mountaineer!" with a big goofy grin on my face.

Despite my lack of cross-country skiing skills, the ski back down the road was a real treat. Nice way to mix things up. That last hill was a blast... seeing the wood bridge over the road at high speed was a big thrill, you do not want to miss that turn!


-Shayne

 

[hillman1]

I am completely green with envy over your trip report. I wish I could have made it.

 

[JimB]

Neil, it was like deja vu all over again readin your report, we did that trip last Tuesday. That last icy section was quite a challenge without crampons or an ice ax. We had a rope and made short work of it also. The weather was similar to your trip and the views were great. Blake was definitely worth the trip over and back. Shayne, my brother and son always wait on the other side of that bridge so they can laugh at me when I fly off the side into the river. So far I've disappointed them every time .