DAKS All Folks...???

[Zer0-G]

Hi All,

I am working on some trips for this summer in the 'Dak's and I have a few questions about some of those DAK's 46'r peaks. I would like to eliminate, as much as possible, back-tracking and would prefer to take as much of a straight course to the destination as possible given terrain and natural impediments. I have done a bit of walking in the Daks, but now that I have this really silly idea in my head to do the 46'r thing I would like to have the benefit of all the opinions and experience of the wonderful people here at VFFT. (seriously).

Looking at the map (if you have one handy) I am pretty sure most of you will understand what I would like to do. I would like to know if anyone has done similar routes to what I am thinking and if there is any information that might serve to enlighten me enough to plan a sensible course.

Relating to Mt Colden, Cliff, Mt Redfield, Gray and Mt Marcy.

I would like to go from Mt. Colden and buswhack to Cliff. Comments?

Then I would like to try to go from Cliff to Mt Redfield directly..Comments?

Then from Mt Redfield to Lake Tear of the Clouds and on to Gray Peak. Again, comments from the Peanut Gallery???

Then Gray Peak to Mt. Marcy.

Thanks in advance to all.

Zer0-G

 

[OldMountainMike]

If you follow the trails and herd paths you will save a lot of time. Also to try and do them all in a day would be quite the challenge. I don’t have the map with me so I don’t have all the trail names. From Colden go back to Lake Arnold and take the trail across over to Up-hill lean-to. Follow the old yellow trail to the cairn for the heard path to Cliff. Back track to Up-hill lean-to and follow the directions in the guide book to Redfield. You follow the stream and it would be a lot faster than trying to bushwhack. I know of people who have bushwhacked from Redfield to Skylight, but it is heavy with cripple bush. You would be better to go back to Up-hill and up the Feldspar trail and then the herd path to Grey. You can bushwhack from Grey to Marcy, but here again it is heavy bush. Since you are already there, why not go back down the heard path from Grey hike past Lake Tear and climb Skylight. Don’t forget your rock. Back down Skylight and then up Marcy.
This route does have some back tracking, but you will save yourself a lot of time and wear and tear on you body and equipment. And more important on the environment

 

[Tom Rankin]

Since you are already there, why not go back down the heard path from Grey hike past Lake Tear and climb Skylight. Don’t forget your rock.

Are they still doing the 'rock' thing? I didn't see a pile this past winter at the trail head.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

....I know of people who have bushwhacked from Redfield to Skylight, but it is heavy with cripple bush.

Depends if you want to save distance or time. Although longer, it is much faster to drop down the herd path, and take the trail. It'll also save skin.

Same goes with Gray-Marcy.

 

[Zer0-G]

Thanks,
This is going to be a 3 day 30 plus mile backpack trip.
I am not interested in skylight. Already got it. For this trip , aside from Mt Marcy, they are all new peaks for me.
Great feedback so far.

 

[TCD]

Agree with above! The only one of those routes I have ever heard described as remotely practical is Grey - Marcy. All the others you will spend all day bleeding, and the night in the woods, and not get to your destination.

To save time on the Colden to Cliff trip, I have run down the 1990 slide SE from Colden. That's very direct and cuts off quite a bit of distance. But you have to know what you are doing (steep rock, and finding the trail at the bottom). It's not a good plan for a first time visitor.

And as Pete said, even from Grey to Marcy is faster on the paths. The Grey path down to Lake Tear is a really quick trip.

(Tom, I think Mike is talking about the Skylight rock thing (the superstition about bringing a rock from treeline to prevent rain...).)

TCD

 

[Skyclimber]

After climbing Redfield, I'd go back to Uphill Brook Lean-To then take the herdpath to Cliff or cutover to the herd path from the Redfield path. Then Back to Uphill then go to Lake Tear of the Clouds up Gray Peak cross the Ridge to Marcy. You could, on the way back from Marcy, take the cutover trail at Indian Falls to the Lake Arnold trail, then up to Colden.

Don't think I would bushwhack these peaks the way that you describe, when there are perfectly good trails and herd paths. Sounds like blood, sweat and tears to me!

 

[Mike P.]

Real dense fir & spruce, did Redfield by the new "path" & you could see where they cut layers of blowdown out of the way.

I'm not a slide walker but I managed to make good time from the Loj up & over Lake Arnold Pass to get back to Redfield in pretty good time.

I'd look at trying to break camp in AM & getting to new campsite first & then slack packing with light pack to hit the summits. Redfield Path is was pretty good but I wouldn't want to carry a full pack up there.

 

[Zer0-G]

Well, based on the feedback so far, it seems that the best way to do this is buy established trails and known herd paths. Time is more valuable than distance. Not to mention avoiding bloodshed.

It looks like all of the secrets have been uncovered and exposed via herd paths.

 

[jbrown]

I gotta agree with TCD on the route down Colden (it was my first peak.) We ascended from the Lake Colden side, whacked to the top of the SE slide and headed down from there. Finding the trail at the bottom wasn't hard as it parallels the stream. We went from there to 4 corners and headed up Marcy to finish up the 46 with one friend of mine. (My second peak, his 46th and he's 2 years younger than me.)
Other than that supporting testimony, I have nothing to add, everyone else is right on the ball!
Have fun!

 

[Rob S]

To save time on the Colden to Cliff trip, I have run down the 1990 slide SE from Colden. That's very direct and cuts off quite a bit of distance.

I'm not intending to hijack this thread, but just want to ask a question about this route down Colden. Does the slide end at or near the drainage stream that's shown on the map? If not, would you recommend a south-east compass bearing from the bottom of the slide?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[TCD]

Yes, it follows the stream. The slide has a very long shallow run out zone at the botom. The open rock walking goes all the way out to about 100 feet from the trail. The woods from the slide to the trail is pretty open. Based on the way the trail runs, a bearing of about 115 is perpendicular to the trail, and the trail is a nice wide target.

One hint: At the very bottom of the slide, the open run out zone hooks around to the South (to the right). The actual closest approach of the slide to the trail is on the downhill left corner of the slide, just as it begins to hook to the right.

Another hint: Finding the herd path from the trail on the summit ridge to the top of the slide is also a little tricky. It's a little North of the true summit along the trail. On the East side of the summit trail you will identify an oddly mis-shapen tree, that looks like two trees have grown together into one (next time I'm up there I'll take a picture of it). There is a flat knee high rock alongside the trail. The end of the path is hidden right on the other side of that rock. It's only about 75 feet down to the top of the slide. The path comes out right in the center top of the slide onto steep rock, so be ready for that.

Have fun!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

WARNING: Do not follow the slide

If you are not comfortable with slides, do NOT take this route. It may be wet, and wet sections can be slippery. A fall can be quite dangerous. Take it only if you are comfortable going up AND DOWN slides. Going down is tougher.

One should be carefull AND giving advice, when one knows nothing about other's abilities.

 

[skidoc22]

One day I was standing at the outlet of Lake Tear when a 13yo boy burst thru the woods on the opposite side of the trail yelling back, "we made it!" He was followed by another 4 or 5 kids roughly the same age. They had bushwhacked directly from the summit of Redfield taking about three hours. I was amazed that a 13 yo would have the wherewithall to do this and that his (and their) parents would let them go off on their merry way from Uphill LT.

Of all of your choices of bushwhacks I agree the Grey to Marcy is the most doable and does save time although it is pretty dense with spruce and balsam and will be tough in a full pack. It took us 45 minutes from the Grey summit to the Marcy timberline in day packs. It is also difficult to see your feet and there are a couple of ledges you can step off of accidentally. It does save many verticle feet as well.

 

[Skyclimber]

If you are not comfortable with slides, do NOT take this route. It may be wet, and wet sections can be slippery. A fall can be quite dangerous. Take it only if you are comfortable going up AND DOWN slides. Going down is tougher.

One should be carefull AND giving advice, when one knows nothing about other's abilities.

Good Advice Pete!
Especially that first section coming down the slide, IS quite dangerous. It is rather steep and almost vertical. Not much for handholds. I foolishly did that once and vowed NEVER again. A hair-raising experience! Slides are a one way street, UP not DOWN!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Of all of your choices of bushwhacks I agree the Grey to Marcy is the most doable.

Debatable whether it saves time. It depends on where your strengths lie... The slower you are, the more time it saves..

HOWEVER... it is recomended that people do NOT take this route. The alping vegitation on Marcy is taking quite a beating. There are many routes (marked with cairns) that people have taken and many sections where the vegetation is completely gone.

I was part of a crew last year to work try to decide how to handle it. We currently have no solution, and are still working on it. By 'we' I mean the 46ers, the ADK (summit stewards) and the DEC. Our preference, by far, is that people do not take this route, however, we know that many do not pay attention to what is asked.... Hence, we have our current dilemna.

 

[TCD]

Pete,

You're absolutely right about the hazards of slides. I'm an experienced rock climber, and have been up and down that slide a dozen times, dry, wet, summer, winter, etc.. I say that not to toot my horn, but to point out that I understand that my perspective on it may be different.

I did say:

"But you have to know what you are doing (steep rock, and finding the trail at the bottom). It's not a good plan for a first time visitor."

and:

"The path comes out right in the center top of the slide onto steep rock, so be ready for that."

But thanks for reinforcing that.

TCD

 

[1ADAM12]

Well, based on the feedback so far, it seems that the best way to do this is buy established trails and known herd paths. Time is more valuable than distance. Not to mention avoiding bloodshed.

It looks like all of the secrets have been uncovered and exposed via herd paths.

Not to mention the blowdown from Floyd is horrible in the Cliff Redfield area when not using the heard paths. I have done Redfield before all the blowdown was cleared and it was bad Follow the heard paths and you wont have any trouble! Good Luck!!!! When do you plan on doing this trip? I would recommend the end of July to October to avoid the black flies.

 

[Rob S]

TCD, thanks for these details, especially for finding the top of the slide. We'll be trying this route this summer, if the conditions are good, and the slide is dry.

Pete, good advice as always. I do appreciate your concern. I've climbed up and down several slides in the ADKs and Whites, and have done some free-style rock climbing out west. Nevertheless, I promise we'll be careful and have a back-up plan if conditions are not optimal.

Zer0-G, my apologies ..... I've hijacked your thread. Sorry. If our trips coincide, I'll buy ya a beer in LP.

 

[iceNsnow]

onward w/ the hijacking.........

My question is to whether anyone would venture a guess as to the conditions of Colden's SE slide over the next week. Any facts or opinions are welcome!!

sincerely,
Inge