Haystack and Blake, good or dumb idea?

[TEO]

Haystack, Blake and the Seward Range are all that I have left of the ADK 46. For a year or two, I've been considering the idea of doing Haystack and Blake in one, big loop starting and ending at Elk Lake. The rough itinerary:

Day 1
Hike into Panther Gorge
Take right to Bartlett Ridge
Head up the steep, South flank of Haystack
Head North on Range Trail
Set up camp at the sight of the old Sno-Bird leanto

Day 2
Hike down to Upper Ausable Lake
Head North on Carry Trail
Climb East up the trail to Colvin-Blake Col
Summit Blake
Return to Elk Lake via Pinnacle Ridge.

I've done the hike into Panther Gorge before and, though it is not short, it was not hard. I know the climb up Haystack will be challenging, but I enjoy steep climbs and scrambles and would be carrying a lightweight pack. This route would include trails and regions of the High Peaks that see little use and/or have difficult access and this is a huge alure

Has anyone here done this? Hiked some of these trails? Is there a reliable water source near the old Sno-bird leanto site? What about camping further down the Sno-bird Trail? Comments?

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I've done pretty much that hike. Good reliable water at sno-bird site. Haystack is not going to be easy with a full pack. You won't see anyone much of the way.

 

[TEO]

I've done pretty much that hike. Good reliable water at sno-bird site. Haystack is not going to be easy with a full pack. You won't see anyone much of the way.

My pack would be compact and pretty light. Water bottles would be the heaviest component.

I'm assuming there are few, if any water sources once I leave Upper Ausable Lake and begin the Blake/Pinnacle segment. Am I correct?

 

[Peakbagr]

Sounds like a great trip. I'm not sure, but I believe its no longer legal to camp at the old SnoBird site(too high). I also think that some of the trails down to the Ausable Lake are private.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Sounds like a great trip. I'm not sure, but I believe its no longer legal to camp at the old SnoBird site(too high). I also think that some of the trails down to the Ausable Lake are private.

I think I was out between Colvin and Blake, when I came across a trail junction with a LARGE sign that warned us not to take this particular trail down to the lake.

After that, it was sort of interesting to sit up at the summit and look what seemed like straight down to the lake, where you can clearly see what is going on down there.

 

[lumberzac]

Sounds like a great trip. I'm not sure, but I believe its no longer legal to camp at the old SnoBird site(too high). I also think that some of the trails down to the Ausable Lake are private.

As of last year there were two designated sites in the col between Haystack and Basin. One was at the old lean-to site and the other was near the junction between the Range and Shorey Shortcut Trails.

I plan to stay at one of these sites this weekend and will report back whether they are still legal sites or not.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Sounds like a great trip. I'm not sure, but I believe its no longer legal to camp at the old SnoBird site(too high). I also think that some of the trails down to the Ausable Lake are private.

Hmmmm.. Camping at large above 3500 feet is no longer legal, however camping at a designated campsite aver 3500 ft is. The old snobird site USED to be a designated campsite, but is it still?

I'm not sure if the designated sites are listed in the HPUMP. I beleive that they arre in the neweer UMPs (Giant, Dix, etc).

 

[TEO]

I think I was out between Colvin and Blake, when I came across a trail junction with a LARGE sign that warned us not to take this particular trail down to the lake.

I believe that, technically speaking, you can legally take the trails off of Pinnacle Ridge all the way down to the border with the AMR land. Of course, you would then have to turn around.

There are three legal trails down to Upper Ausable Lake: the Sno-bird, the one off the southside of Sawteeth and the one from the Colvin-Blake col.

 

[masshysteria]

I'll tell you this, you'll be running the entire spectrum of views in the ADKs. Going from best view to arguably the worst. But then again it's not just about the view, is it. Good luck and have a ball!

 

[Warren]

It's worthwhile to double check this, but I stayed at that site last winter and I too was skeptical about it. However I do believe it is marked as a designated site on the newest ADK High Peaks Map *and* I was told recently that it has a camping OK marker disc.

I'll try and check the map when I'm home if I have the chance, currently I have a ton of kayaking gear thinly spread through the apt. to sort out and put away.

Always wanted to get up Pinnacle.....

 

[TEO]

Followup:

Well, Friday we did the itinerary in the original post with the slight change that we did it in one day instead of two. All 28 miles or so.

Spectacular views on Haystack and along the Pinnacle Ridge, including the entire Great Range backlit by an orange sky shortly after sunset (while standing above the ladder on the Pinnacle).

The guidebook descriptions of the trail up the South flank of Haystack are hyperbole--my hiking partner and I thought it was relatively easy. The trail from the Carry to the Colvin-Blake Col, on the otherhand, is brutal. Very good stuff.

The Pinnacle Ridge trail is gorgeous and though the actual summit of Blake lacks views, the Ridge boasts some real gems, especially from "the Lookout" and the Pinnacle itself.

We were enveloped by a swarm of flies alongside Elk Lake at the beginning of the hike. If I had not had a headnet, I would be in an asylum right now.

 

[spaddock]

Good job Teo. Glad you had fun. The "dumb" ideas are usually the most memorable. Time to dream up another great route!

-Shayne

 

[bubba]

TEO - Thanks. Great to read about this -- not surprised of your impression(s) of the Haystack routine. Those steeps can go up fast. And, athough you came at it another way, you're not the first to say the hike up Blake is brutal!!