Marshall “True Summit”, Feb.05,09

[BlackSpruce]

Mike lead an ADK group hike last Sunday in miserable conditions to Marshall and they didn’t make to the summit. Another group caught up with them and later claimed that they had made it to the summit in just “20 minutes” past Mike’s group turned around point. Well we can tell that gang that the then total lack of visibility and Marshall Little Canyon fooled them totally. Those 20 minutes of hard work brought them only an hundred yard further on the top of Marshall false summit which sits at 4200’ in a exactly South/East angle from the true summit .22-mile away. As we had done on previous visits we butt-slid off and down the false summit, which today offered wonderful views and up we went towards the summit. Time and wind have consolidated the snow and in much less time than anticipated we found ourselves at the yellow disc. Gary and I quickly congratulated Mike on the cold and windy summit as he then and there completed his second winter round before running down to the relative warmth of the new lean-to to for a long in coming lunch. This particular lean-to was built by the DEC/Rangers with funds for the materials provided by the 46-RS during the summer of 2008. We noticed as well that the Santanonis trailhead parking lot has been plowed.