Rocky and Lone...underestimated again!

[TMax]

Mcorsar and I spoke last night to make plans for this hike. When deciding a time to meet at the trailhead I suggested 8:00 a.m. saying, "It won't be a big deal, we should be able to bag both peaks easily." So 8:00 it was at the Denning trailhead. My four-legged hiking buddy, Luke joined us as well. A quick "get ready" at the TH where we met a group of four planning on doing Lone via Table and where Luke got to meet their 4-legged friend and we were off. Trail up the old road was in good shape with a couple inches of new snow, at times covering up some ice. The bridge crossing the Neversink is now on its side from early Fall floods but is still easily passable. We walked up the other side and headed off-trail behind the designated camping spots. The stream crossings were all made easy by the cold weather and snow. Pretty soon we came upon one individual (from a group of four Mcorsar had met in at the trailhead before I arrived, they were headed for Rocky) who was putting crampons on as we had reached a section with a pretty big ice-flow. We skirted around it and chose to continue bare-booting. Eventually, we caught up with the rest of that group and I recognized one of them from a winter mountaineering course on Mount Washington several years ago. It's amazing how much smaller our mountains are in winter.

From there mcorsar and I broke trail. The initial plan was to hit Rocky and then come back over Lone. However, as we both tend to be the types that like to head UP we did so a little too soon, and wound up coming into the col very close to Lone, so we decided to grab it first. We had both donned snowshoes by this time (Mcorsar commenting "I should have done that an hour ago!"). We made a brief stop on the summit to eat lunch but the cold sets in pretty quickly when you stop, so we were off again.

The trek between peaks was it's typical challenge with all the thick spruce but mcorsar did a fantastic job trailfinding. We barely got eaten by the trees at all ! It took us over an hour to do this mile (usually does!) so we made just another brief stop at the summit. Then we made a rookie mistake, neither of us took a bearing when we dropped off the summit. Instead, we followed what we believed were the tracks from the guys who had been planning just Rocky. After about 15 minutes or so of hiking down something didn't feel right. A quick check of the map, compass, and GPS showed us we were going in the complete opposite direction from where we wanted to go! We quickly abandoned the tracks we were following and forged our own! It was tough going for awhile with drifts a couple feet deep. Poor Luke dropped up to nearly his neck a couple times! But again, mcorsar did a fantastic job route finding and pretty quickly we were back on track. We did wind up in the DRAINAGE for a brief period and PAINFULLY climbed our way back UP to avoid spending any more time in it. We made a couple re-fuel stops along the way, and I made a few stupid "you know you're tired when..." falls . It seemed to take forever to get back to the designated campsites, but we managed and we got back over the bridge before dark set in. Once that happened we relaxed, knowing we were home free from there. We were out just shy of needing the headlamps. Hours later than I thought! These peaks never get any easier!

Thanks Matt for great company on a great hike!

 

[MattC]

Excellent TR, Terri. I was deservedly humbled on this hike. I'm glad we managed to get both peaks, and it was a fun hike regardless, but I think it was harder than it had to be. Had we gone all the way to Rocky first, we could have avoided the long side-hill on the return. I learned some lessons that will hopefully stick. Writing a bit here will help me work through the experience.

I was really lackaidasical about orienteering early on. Like you said, we both have a tendency to climb up too early in that type of situation, and there was no one there to act as a foil to that tendency. We even discussed how we both have this tendency, and then we did it anyway. I remember looking up the slope and seeing coniferous growth and thinking it was spruce and/or balsam. As we approached I realized it was in fact hemlock, indicating we were not as high up as I thought. Sure enough, there were more open hardwoods past the hemlocks. Once we emerged in those hardwoods, everything looked really wrong. Fortunately your GPS helped straighten us out.

Getting over to Rocky was tough, but I suppose not as tough as it could have been. That last little bit is more challenging in terms of ledges, rather than forest cover. I still can't believe we didn't take a bearing before taking those tracks off the summit, but in hindsight, that wasn't even the biggest problem. Those tracks did in fact leave the summit on the correct side, the north side. Within a few minutes, I could even see glimpses of Slide. I think the tracks initially tended too much towards the west, and then somewhere between the dense trees and the little steep bit, the track was pushed more south, and then SW. So, when we got to that open area, everything was confusing and wrong. The sun was in the wrong place! I'm just glad we caught it fairly quickly, otherwise we might just have ended up reclimbing Lone. Come to think of it, that might not have been so bad, compared to the side-hilling. Not to mention the dreaded DRAINAGE.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day to be out in that little corner of the Catskills.
We had many views of nearby peaks, albeit mostly through the trees. One particularly nice angle of Cornell on our return-you could almost make out individual trees on it's slopes. Slide's mass was our guide for much of the way in and out. Snow conditions were really uneven due to the wind-there would be a two inch-thick layer of hard, icy slab for a few feet, and then you'd step into a knee deep drift of sugar. Fun stuff.

Regarding the Neversink crossing. If it stays cold, now is the time to go in there. There was a good amount of reliable ice, although not complete cover. The water is about as low as it ever gets, except during a drought. On the south side, below the log bridge, a bunch of tree matter has collected, creating a daming effect in that little area. Hence, the ice on that side was very solid. On the return, I walked more than halfway across without so much as a creak from the ice.

Even w/o the ice, though, the log bridge is usuable as Terri points out. Hats off to Hickey's kid and his crew-mates. They did such a solid job w/ that thing that the last flood damage didn't completely take it out. One log is now offset below the other, so you can crouch down and use the higher log as a sort of handrail. Also, it doesn't move, which everyone said the old one did.
Hopefully it won't get swept away completely come April. Ranger Dell posted a sign at the Denning trailhead stating that the bridge is "out", probably just as a precaution so that people don't expect it to be in great shape.

Matt

 

[Jazzbo]

Nice report

Great report from the two of you ..... if no one ever made mistakes these reports would be pretty boring .... wilderness skills give us confidence to exend ourselves further and make new and more interesting mistakes. Skills also consist of how we are able to correct our mistakes. Sharing your experiences is hugely instructive to those of us coming up behind you on the wilderness travel learning curve. I would only suggest putting bit more geographic data in subject line or in early paragraphs so those of us not familier with Catskill can have better idea early on about where you were hiking.

 

[Doodles]

Terri, Matt,

At least you had each other to share the wrong direction turnaround. Always a better trip with a friend. Sounds like you both had a good trip anyway.

Sounds very similar to a trip a few weeks ago when Zero-G and I got turned around coming off Southwest Hunter and were heading back to Hunter instead heading to Westkill. I know it really bothered me until we figured out how we had messed up out bearings. We both knew what we should have done, but we ignored the basics of using map and compass along with sightings at each bearing. I guess part of the fun of a partner is having him/her to share the experience and figure out the wrong turn.

While on the subject of Rocky and Lone???
What would you guys suggest as a route for a Rocky, Lone, Peakamoose, Table trip????

George

 

[TMax]

While on the subject of Rocky and Lone???
What would you guys suggest as a route for a Rocky, Lone, Peakamoose, Table trip????
George

I would hike up the Peekamoose/Table trail from route 42 (Peekamoose Road). That way you go up and over Peekamoose, continue on to Table and then come back down about a quarter mile or less to a short flat stretch and start your bushwack over to Lone. This time of year you pretty quickly get an eyeball on your destination which makes route-finding easier. I started out on this hike (solo) a few weeks ago but turned back in the col between Table and Lone when a small storm started to move in and the day was growing old...fast! But it's definitely do-able as a day hike. The walk back out from Peekamoose does begin to feel like a death march though!

 

[mudhook51]

Very sorry to hear about your DAM problem, but I've been there and done that one too. Great weekend to be out .

 

[MattC]

What would you guys suggest as a route for a Rocky, Lone, Peekamoose, Table trip????

Like Terri says, it can be done as a dayhike, but it's a solid day. The first time I climbed Rocky and Lone I went via Peekamoose, over both peaks, back over Lone and back up Table. Reclimbing Lone is sort of like reclimbing say, Sherrill on the way back from North Dome-steep and tiring, but not too long.

Approaching Rocky from Lone puts you in the thick stuff. If you come around Rocky a bit on the south side, you might luck out and not get shredded too bad. As Terri mentioned yesterday, it's nicer going through the spruce w/ winter clothes on for protection. Anyhow, over on that side you'll come to some ledgy stuff. Get up over that and you'll find the little canister clearing.

I'd recommend getting a good early start and keeping a good steady pace to the summit of Peekamoose. Try to give yourself plenty of time for Lone and Rocky. They're really not too tough in terms of distance or elevation.

Matt

 

[percious]

Nice TR Guys. Good to see the ankle is healed up Matt.

-percious

 

[hikethe115]

The first time I did Rocky and Lone it ended up taking 12 hours. It had nothing to do with climbing the peaks though. It was all about the stream crossings. All the waters were high. We actually threw rocks in for one crossing to make it across. We had to take our shoes off to cross Donovan Brook. We opted to bushwhack over to Table on the way out to only have the Neversink crossing. It ended up being a fun and memorable day.

 

[Zer0-G]

I know it really bothered me until we figured out how we had messed up out bearings. We both knew what we should have done, but we ignored the basics of using map and compass along with sightings at each bearing.

Yep, you ain't kidding...I'm happy to hear we weren't the only ones wandering around like a raccoon without a tail....

However, I never seem to have too many opportunities to reinforce my sense of humility.

So, class, this is for my benefit, what is the first basic lesson of map and compass....(forget GPS dudes....won't help ya to answer this question)

I'll tell you. It was handed to me by a master in an AMC map and compass course I took 5 years ago.

1) TRUST YOUR MAP AND TRUST YOUR COMPASS! THEY WON'T LIE TO YOU!

The Second Basic Lesson....

2) Choose your bearing carefully by line of sight or an identifiable landmark (using your map and compass) BEFORE YOU START WALKING !!!
Even if there are tracks...How do you know they are going where you want to go? And don't forget your back-bearing...you'll never now when you'll need it.

The Third....

3) Check your bearing and your map frequently and match it to the terrain you are walking through. This way you will always know WHERE THE HECK YOU ARE!



Nothing could be worse than, stopping in the middle of wherever: in a crisis - i.e. weather, health, running out of daylight...you name it and needing to know where you are because knowing where you are is a pre-requisite for the next decision you need to make.

I'll tell you all, never were those lessons so clear and so appreciated after Doodles and I wandered into "parts unknown" - I knew them - took them for granted ....now, I doubt that I will ever take them for granted again.

It wasn't a big deal. We only ended up adding about 1 mile onto our trip and the weather was really good that day. In some cases for some people it could be a lot worse. I have to say, I know better than that blah blah blah..

We did have a lot of fun navigating back to our intended course and figuring out where we went wrong was very enjoyable once all the pieces fell together.

It is good to practice Map and Compass often. Keeps your skills sharp. So, tuck you GPS into your pocket and have some fun.

Zer0-G