Climbed MacNaughton yesterday. Excellent weather - cool for most of the day.
Set out from Henderson Lean-To. Found the rock cairn and two iron hoops on the trail to Cold Brook, just after Hunter's Pond. Climbing up the right bank of the stream was fine for half the distance, then blow-down took over and I lost any trace of previous hikers. Moved into the stream for most of the rest of the way up to its start, then bushwhacked on the left bank and over the ridge to the first summit. Then on to the second summit, and finally to the third, with the MacNaughton sign.
After a quick lunch, took a bearing down through blow-down NE to Wallface Ponds, intending to follow the stream down to Indian Pass trail. Found a boggy backwater that drained northwest into Wallface Pond, and moved to the right shore of Wallface Pond to get around the wet stuff. Realized that I would need to be left of the outflow, at its start, so set a course to the left shore through grasses and shrubs and over wet areas. Should have taken a bearing more ENE from the final summit directly to the outflow to bypass the ponds and wet areas.
Then the excitement started. Dropped 2,500 feet over the next two miles, as I moved from one side to the other, then in the stream. Found another grassy-boggy area, 10 acres or so, with deep, slow-moving channels dammed by beavers. Waded through grasses and shrubs and over channels, to the left bank. Then the stream dropped precipitously. Steep faces on the right (east) forced me over to the left bank half-way down. More down-fall. Lower half much easier if you stay 200-300 feet from the stream, or hike down the middle of the stream. Down-fall and more down-fall as you descend. Final third of the way down to Indian Pass trail was much easier to navigate. Three hours later I was on the I.P. trail and headed back to Henderson Lean-to to pack up and hike out to Upper Works.
A most rewarding day, for the 47th of the 46 High Peaks, five years after completing the first 46.
Set out from Henderson Lean-To. Found the rock cairn and two iron hoops on the trail to Cold Brook, just after Hunter's Pond. Climbing up the right bank of the stream was fine for half the distance, then blow-down took over and I lost any trace of previous hikers. Moved into the stream for most of the rest of the way up to its start, then bushwhacked on the left bank and over the ridge to the first summit. Then on to the second summit, and finally to the third, with the MacNaughton sign.
After a quick lunch, took a bearing down through blow-down NE to Wallface Ponds, intending to follow the stream down to Indian Pass trail. Found a boggy backwater that drained northwest into Wallface Pond, and moved to the right shore of Wallface Pond to get around the wet stuff. Realized that I would need to be left of the outflow, at its start, so set a course to the left shore through grasses and shrubs and over wet areas. Should have taken a bearing more ENE from the final summit directly to the outflow to bypass the ponds and wet areas.
Then the excitement started. Dropped 2,500 feet over the next two miles, as I moved from one side to the other, then in the stream. Found another grassy-boggy area, 10 acres or so, with deep, slow-moving channels dammed by beavers. Waded through grasses and shrubs and over channels, to the left bank. Then the stream dropped precipitously. Steep faces on the right (east) forced me over to the left bank half-way down. More down-fall. Lower half much easier if you stay 200-300 feet from the stream, or hike down the middle of the stream. Down-fall and more down-fall as you descend. Final third of the way down to Indian Pass trail was much easier to navigate. Three hours later I was on the I.P. trail and headed back to Henderson Lean-to to pack up and hike out to Upper Works.
A most rewarding day, for the 47th of the 46 High Peaks, five years after completing the first 46.
