Peak Above the Haystack today

[Tramper Al]

Hey,

So, for a change of pace, I set off on a little solo 100 Highest bushwhack with very little research or knowledge. I thought it might be fun to just work it out as I went along.

I drove in towards the Gale River Trailhead, but kept left at the turn, and my road soon dead-ended at the gated forest road. From there I walked about 0.5 miles and turned South towards the Peak Above on the well worn path. I crossed the brook, then got a glimpse of a less worn path heading south, just as I began climbing the HAYSTACK. Fantastic views, yeah. If I saw the slide on Peak Above, I didn't realize it. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I saw the NUBBLE.

So I walked the path south into the Witch camp, which I had heard about. The path pretty much stopped there, but I saw faint herd/game paths here and there for the next bit. I used a bearing peak to peak (magnetic 150 I think), but cheated left to stay right on the shoulder going up. Here I encountered some tough bushwhacking when it became quite steep and rocky. Very slow, it took me about 2 hours to reach the Peak Above from the Haystack this way. The register had many familiar names, and 5 entries from last winter.

I wanted to go down a different way, and maybe avoid some of the thickest stuff I has encountered on and above the steeps. So, I headed over to the very top of the brook shown on my topo map, NW of the summit. The woods were more open, not bad. Suddenly, though the trees I saw a rock face, and when I came out on it I realized I was at the top of a very nice long slide (more like Coe style than Owl's Head). The slide was a great way down, for what seemd like nearly a mile, until I found the huge pile of debris at the bottom. At that point I got back on the little shoulder on my right above the brook and continued down to the camp and out the way I came. My RT was a little under 5 hours, and it was a good workout.

Walking out, I glanced in the woods to find a very large, beautiful cinnamon-coated coyote, about 40 feet away, just staring at me. I stared back quite a while before he finally bolted. One of those half wolf types, no doubt. Very nice wildlife encounter.

When I got home, I did some looking around and found mention of this (NW) slde as well as one to the NE. Given the open woods on the NW side, and most excellent pitch of that slide, this is now my favored approach for winter. It is about a 3.0 mile walk/ski in to the Haystack path, shorter with the Beaver Brook shortcut.

Anybody want to climb that slide to the Peak Above summit with me this winter?

 

[sli74]

What what a great trip Tramper and a wildlife encounter to boot . . . I wish my name was one of the familiar ones in that register but this coming winter we'll change that . . . Great trip report,

sli74

 

[MichaelJ]

I think joining you for that could be arranged.

 

[bobandgeri]

Let us know when you are thinking of tackling PaTN this Winter. We'd love to test a theory on the best way up based on our experiance this Summer.

 

[Tramper Al]

A question for the Hayes'

Thanks all for your comments.

Bob and Geri,

Yesterday, I found your Peak Above report from a May trip, and it was helpful since it confirmed many of my impressions.

When I reached the top of the NW slide (coming down), I was convinced that it had to be used on my winter attempt to bipass quite a bit of very thick and steep bushwhacking on the line from HAYSTACK. A lot of what I climbed through simply could not be done in snowshoes. When I continued down and saw just how long this highway went, it left me no doubt as to its utility. And the views from this slide in winter will be very nice!

So, I wasn't sure from your report if this was the same slide that you encountered on your descent, or how long you stayed on it. I seem to remember that for you it became rather slippery at one point? This I can definitely confirm!

And is your best winter route theory different from mine?

 

[bobandgeri]

Same basic theory - We encountered the slide close to the bottom - from that point we took the path of least resistance and didn't run into any real thick stuff. We did however end up going to far North and ended up coming back to the South to get to the bottom of the trail to go up the Nubble peak. I think that instead of taking trail and going through the Witch camp it would be easier to head East adn then South to get to the bottom of the slide, heading straight up it with crampons.

Can't wait to try it!

 

[Tramper Al]

Ice and snow

Yes, I know what you mean about cutting off that corner and heading straight for the slide. It might save a little mileage, assuming the woods are very open there. Still, no one will want to miss out on the HAYSTACK views, yes?

As for the slide itself, I actually see us in snowshoes breaking a nice trail through snow, with one detour around that 15 foot waterfall. If we are in crampons on ice the whole way, it's going to be a long trip down.

Sounds like a worthy adventure, in any event.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Slight correction folks: The Nubble and Haystack are 2 separate peaks. If my memory serves right THIS is the Nubble of which Peak 3813 is the Peak Above

 

[Tramper Al]

Rising above it all

The Nubble and Haystack are 2 separate peaks.

If you say so! Like I said, I kind of winged it on this one. I think MAYBE you are right.

So, let's not miss Peak 2712, known possibly as the Haystack. And let's do miss SK's bump on the ridge, known possibly as the Nubble. And let's agree that the Peak Above is, well, above them all. Does that work?

2712 labelled Haystack on 1932 topo

1960 map with both labelled

And just to confuse things:
Nubble Mountain label on 2712, rbhayes gps tracks

 

[MichaelJ]

Huh. News to me. I coulda sworn I once read that Haystack was also known as the Nubble...

Either way, I'm interested.

BUT ... I'm not sure which slide is the one of which you speak, but when we tried PatN last winter by targetting the other end of the ridge (left - does that mean east?), we looked across towards the side of Haystack and the slide there was solid ice.

 

[Tramper Al]

Lost on a slippery slope

I'm not sure which slide is the one of which you speak

OK, now I'm getting confused.
My slide is here:
NW Slide
. . . which is more or less west by northwest of the target summit, 3813.

Also, my NW slide may be seem on the Hayes' trip report page, here on the right side of their fine photograph, 3 from the bottom. Thanks Bob & Geri for the great visuals. I hope you don't mind my referring to your report.

I believe that the NE slide, due north of 3813 and very obvious as the white checkmark on the same topozone map above, may be the one you saw?

Snow good, ice not so much.

 

[bobandgeri]

The slide I was refering to is on the left side of that same picture - other side of teh ridge from teh slide you are talking about I guess. I was refering to the one that is on the east side (left looking up the mountain) and is marked in white on the topo maps. That is the slide that we crossed at the bottom on our decent.

Timing is probably important - right after a big dumping would be great!

Maybe go up one and come down the other?

 

[MichaelJ]

The check-mark slide on Topozone is the one we saw. Our intention was to peak out here and make our way across the ridge top. Unfortunately, it was impassable and we had to turn back down.

So I have no knowledge whatsoever of your slide.