info on the Santanoni range in winter months

[Petmac]

i am seting foot on the trail to do the Santanoni Range on the 5th of the new year. however before i leave i would like to ask a few questions to y'all.

1.) has anyone on this board ever hiked this range in winter.
(if so)

this season? has a path been broken already, or will i have to follow my compass?

2.) is the herd path well marked all the way to the top of the ridge line path? in other words, is it an easy followed path in a few feet of snow?

3.) any special gear; will i need my alpine axe or crampons...anything besides my snowshoes?

4.) any other advise; where to camp.


In The Clear
pete

 

[Michael M]

Lead, follow or get out of the way!

Petmac

Yes, I have, if it is not boken it will be tough, It is well blazed and I never travel without a guide!~ Holster the Axe and crampons, you will need the enery for this endevor

Michael

 

[oldfogie]

Ive been up there 5 times in winter, 4 of them solo. I would not recommend going solo. You cannot do all three peaks in one shot, even if you do camp at Bradley Pond lean-to. The only exception would be IF the trails are well broken and you don't mind hiking by moonlight. These 3 peaks are barely doable in summer with long long daylight.

You MUST pick a time when the weather is clear, not too windy or cold.

For snow typical in January, you will not be able to follow the herdpaths unless they have been broken and rebroken after each major snowfall. Otherwise you're on your own compass and map skills. You CAN follow Panther Brook about half-way up, but afterwards it peters out and things get confusing. If that is what happens to you, stick to woods on the left (south) side of the stream where there are more open, tall evergreens.

On one solo attempt I made it to Times Square with a full pack but a storm came in and it was whiteout everywhere. Temps dropped to -20. (It was legal to camp there at the time.) I headed back the next morning and was barely able to follow by previous day's path. On the way back, after leaving the brook, I got lost under the cliffs and spent almost 2 hours trying to figure out my way back. In other words, it can be dangerous up there.

I was finally able to do all 3 peaks in individual winter as dayhikes, but I had to walk up to and back from Bradley Leanto in the dark.

You could, I think, potentially do all three in one long trip as follows:
Start your hike in the dark so that you make Bradley Pond leanto by first light. Work your way to Panther Brook and then up to the legal 3500' level. Make camp there. This of course assumes you can find your way to that point, and the snow is deep enough to stomp out a flat campsite. Then hike up to Times Square and do Panther. Don't linger. Then do Santanoni. Then descend back to your campsite. Next day go back up following your previous trail to Times Square and do Couchie.

I wouldn't try any of this though unless there was 100% visibility. The herdpath to Santanoni will be filled in with snow and unrecognizeable. But you can see the peak and just head to it. It would be hard to get lost on the trail to Couchie because it's on a ridge that is steep on both sides. But there are small cliffs that could be difficult to negotiate. And the section from the point (the vly) upwards is tricky until the ridge narrows again.

No special gear is needed, just snowshoes and poles. I doubt if crampons would even be needed uness you hike the brook which may have exposed ice or if the small rocky scrambles to Panther are icy. More likely they'd be snow-filled. Although I had them, I never used my crampons. Most needed is good weather.

Keep watching the postings here and you may luck out in following a big group a day or two ahead of your planned trip.

oldfogie 3102W

 

[KZKlimber]

Some navigation and camping advice

We did the range in October with snow on the ground (not exactly winter). It would require great snow conditions and a lot of luck to get all 3 in 1 day, although it has been done. First day we hiked in and set up camp about 30 minutes above Bradley Pond along the herd path. There is an area left of the path near some cliffs that is suitable to pitch a few tents. It is BEFORE you descend to cross Panther Brook. This area saves you some time and elevation on the second day. From camp we did Panther and headed back down, we probably could have made Santanoni, but one party member was wiped out. The second day we did Santanoni then Couch( although that was not the plan - we followed the wrong herd path), I would reccomend you do Couch first. Times Square is a bit confusing. Many people get lost and wind up on wrong herd paths. First you reach an opening with 3 trees carved with "P", "S", and "C". These do not mark the current herd paths - keep walking. Shortly after the Panther Herd Path breaks right. If you continue straight you each an opening with a big rock. The Santanoni path goes left - if you look closely you will see a faded yellow "S" painted on a dead tree next to the big rock. The Couch path goes right at the same spot and is marked with a cairn that will most likely be buried under the snow. If you have a GPS (strongly reccomended) let me know and I can give you the coordinates.

 

[hillman1]

It's easy to follow snowshoe tracks that will lead you to nowhere. I think it would be near to impossible to finish all three as a day hike.

 

[Petmac]

oh no i do not plan on doing the trip as a day hike. i plan in camping as soon as i got on the ridge, i was hoping to base-camp all 3 in a 4 or 5 day trip.

thanks for all the help so far, keep it coming

In The Clear
pete

 

[Michael M]

One nighter

Petmac

Leave very early, gain the ridge and drop a camp, do the Coochie, then Panther. The next morning do Santi. and pack out. Yes it is very easy to get lost and it is very confusing so be well armed if the weather is bad.

Michael

 

[PINPIN JUNIOR]

Santanoni Range

Hi Petmac,

If You are able, will start before the 5 january. The path was in very good and easy condition the 29 december ( 8 hours round trip) and the yesterday rain changed very few think.

Today, We hiked with the Queen Marshall and the snow base was perfect in the old track & outside!!

You are able to see the both report on the usual report site.

Happy New Year!

Have a good time in the wood.

Pinpi Junior

 

[Doc McPeak]

Petmac, this year's trail up to Times Square is very different than last years, and would make lugging a full pack up to the ridge much more difficult. The crew who broke out the trail last year had great luck staying on the open summer path for almost the entire way from the main trail to Times Square. It was a smooth painless ride and a joy. This year it leaves the herd path after about ten minutes and weaves and zigzags like a typical winter bushwhack route through some very tight (I've got the facial and head gashes to prove it) sections. I'm big at 6' 2" and 220+ and stuck wearing 36" clown's shoes and it was quite the ordeal. The good news is the snowpack is great for breaking trail, so if we get fresh snow, maybe the good route will get opened up again. Last year the descent from TS was around 45-50 minutes (much faster than summer and a pure delight) this year it was about 2 hours, and the small speedy guy in my troupe took 1:40 or so and got pretty beaten up. It seemed the route was off right on the way to Panther Brook, and then off left once crossing the brook. In fact you end up hitting the ridge and running into the Santanoni herd path, instead of coming up on the Panther side of TS. Just my observations after doing this last winter and then a couple days ago. If you are small and a bushwhack pro like Alain, this probably won't phase you, but I would have been miserable with anything bigger than my daypack. Now, the ridge walk (aside from the Santanoni tease peaks) was awesome, though we were in that typical Santanoni swirling cloud. That route seems dead on, and people said the same for Couchy.