Macomb new route

[Motabobo]

Hi everybody.

I'm just curious as of when this new route has been made (I'm always the last to know it seems)... I was going down the slide, following cairns (closer and sometimes in the brook itself) of what is now the "old" herd path and it's been hell with blowdowns, blowdowns and...blowdowns. Can't be older than 2 years...

 

[Adk_dib]

It was 2 years ago becouse I remembeer they cleared it out 2 weeks after I did it! I remember going through that blowdown and saying I will never come this way again. I almost broke my neck climbing over one of them when my foot slipped. I remember seeing the pink flagging. Then I find out they cleared a new path 2 weeks later

 

[Tom Rankin]

It was 2 years ago becouse I remembeer they cleared it out 2 weeks after I did it! I remember going through that blowdown and saying I will never come this way again. I almost broke my neck climbing over one of them when my foot slipped. I remember seeing the pink flagging. Then I find out they cleared a new path 2 weeks later

I believe it was Fall of 2004. When I climbed that summer, I met Pete Hickey and others who were doing scouting and prep work for the new trail. Last winter, I used it for the first time, and was glad it was there!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

In Summer 2004 (last week of summer... ALMOST Fall) we did the lower section. We had planned the re-route of the upper section (last 1/3 mile before the slide) but had to wait for DEC approval. That final bit (the nicest, IMO) was done Sept 16-17 2005.

 

[Motabobo]

OK I was right...approx 2 years old. How can a herd path becomes a bushwhack after only 2 years ?! During the descent I once said to myself, this is going to take ages to reach the trail ! All I can say is, don't go this way !!! Old timers, beware ! It's easy to miss on the way down while on the way up it's real obvious But again, everybody already knew that...

 

[Pete_Hickey]

We had put cairns on the slide itself to guide you. The new path leaves the slide about 100 yards fromthe base. I imagine, that since you "knew" that the path followed the brook, you didn't bother with the cairns on the slide.

They are there, however, and they are big ones.

 

[Motabobo]

There were cairns on both left and right side of the slide all the way down so I didn't bother with the right ones at the base because I "knew" it was following the brook and there were cairns on the left side anyway. It is, however, my mistake

 

[Kevin Rooney]

While Pete Hickey could comment on this for sure, I think the Macomb path was done shortly after someone 'blazed' their route with copious amount of yellow paint (there was a huge bruhaha over it).

 

[Doc McPeak]

While Pete Hickey could comment on this for sure, I think the Macomb path was done shortly after someone 'blazed' their route with copious amount of yellow paint (there was a huge bruhaha over it).

That was 2002, and I believe the new path had little to do with that. The new path also just circumvents walking up the fragile ground around Slide Brook, going up the ridge instead, and ends as Pete pointed out about 100' up on the slide. Haven't been yet but reports are it's a great route that even has a few special views of the slide as you approach. The 2002 blazing also continued from the top of the slide to the summit, which remains the same path more or less today. In the last few trips up there I didn't notice a single blaze.

 

[hillman1]

The new trail makes for great views of the slide while approaching it also.

 

[JoeCedar]

There is a huge, well built cairn on the right side going down leading to some smaller cairns to the new path. Pete, it is fantastic. I just wish people would stop "helping" with sign, flagging and paint marks!