This hike was with my friends Laurel who started on her 46 a year or two ago and Claire who, after today, still has Haystack, Hough, and Allen to look forward to.
We set forth from the trailhead at 8:00. The Bradley Pond trail was actually a little drier than usual, with only about four vast mudholes requiring deft footwork.
Leaving the trail at the first cairn, we were on the formerly posted new-old path by 9:30 and found the beavers are still at work. Shortly after crossing the brook, the lower part of the path that was re-routed last year is now partially submerged again. There is some new orange flagging at both ends of the flooded section. A false path leads straight ahead where you need to go right. It has been brushed off and we dragged some more deadfalls across it to further dissuade anyone from going that way. By edging along the water for about 50 yards we got back to the correct path, which is as well trodden as any official trail and is very obvious once you're on it.
The rope still hangs at the Hillary Step and feels secure, but we took the detour to the right which involves some Cliff-like scrambling and crested the ridge at 11:45. Beyond the junction with Times Square path, with the Santanoni summit only yards away, there was still one more humungous mudhole. There are no rocks or loose pieces of wood anywhere nearby to drag in for bridging, so be warned.
At the summit, the top of the tree with the yellow marker was broken off and was leaning against the base. I didn't have any tools to pull the nails, so I stuck the spur into the branches of a taller tree next to the broken one. The yellow disc is visible and secure for now but needs to be reattached.
On our way out, about a mile from the road, the entire sole delaminated from CV's right shoe. Fortunately I had some zip ties; unfortunately, they were with my winter hiking gear back home. But a temporary fix was effected and we got back to the trailhead at little past 5:00. And there is now a bag of zip ties in my summer daypack!
We set forth from the trailhead at 8:00. The Bradley Pond trail was actually a little drier than usual, with only about four vast mudholes requiring deft footwork.
Leaving the trail at the first cairn, we were on the formerly posted new-old path by 9:30 and found the beavers are still at work. Shortly after crossing the brook, the lower part of the path that was re-routed last year is now partially submerged again. There is some new orange flagging at both ends of the flooded section. A false path leads straight ahead where you need to go right. It has been brushed off and we dragged some more deadfalls across it to further dissuade anyone from going that way. By edging along the water for about 50 yards we got back to the correct path, which is as well trodden as any official trail and is very obvious once you're on it.
The rope still hangs at the Hillary Step and feels secure, but we took the detour to the right which involves some Cliff-like scrambling and crested the ridge at 11:45. Beyond the junction with Times Square path, with the Santanoni summit only yards away, there was still one more humungous mudhole. There are no rocks or loose pieces of wood anywhere nearby to drag in for bridging, so be warned.
At the summit, the top of the tree with the yellow marker was broken off and was leaning against the base. I didn't have any tools to pull the nails, so I stuck the spur into the branches of a taller tree next to the broken one. The yellow disc is visible and secure for now but needs to be reattached.
On our way out, about a mile from the road, the entire sole delaminated from CV's right shoe. Fortunately I had some zip ties; unfortunately, they were with my winter hiking gear back home. But a temporary fix was effected and we got back to the trailhead at little past 5:00. And there is now a bag of zip ties in my summer daypack!
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