Santanonis, Sewards and Flowered Land Request

[Schatz]

I recently returned from a year in Iraq and am anxious to get back on the trail for a week or two around Memorial Day. I'm about 2/3rds of the way to 46, lacking the Sewards, the Santanonis as well as Marshall, Cliff, Redfield and Allen.
Although I'm now stationed in Kansas, my NY relatives report lots of late season snow and rain, so I assume run-off may be an issue, and some trails impassable.
Regardless, I'd appreciate any advise on which hikes might be most possible to complete in May/June, and would also like suggestions on preferred trailheads/routes, such as Caulkins Brook and Coreys for the Sewards.
It's great to be home, and will be even greater to be in the 'dacks.

Schatz

 

[Rik]

Welcome home and thanks for your service.

Right now there is still quite a bit of snow at elevation. Down low is relatively dry. Will be changing quickly with the warm weather. Coreys road is currently still closed but should open soon.

Are you planning dayhikes or backpacks?

 

[1ADAM12]

The first weekend in June I will be doing either the Sants or Allen. If your up this way give me a holler. We are base camping at Lake HArris State Campground.

Welcome Back!!!!!!

 

[hardrain]

welcome back!

and thanks for your service.

I hope you have a great summer in the adirondacks.

 

[Adk_dib]

when are you going? I have to do all of those also except the sewards. the back page of the adirondack explorer magazine says that there is a group hike of the santanoni's last weekend of june. I might check it out myself. I did caukins brook trail last year and it was fairly easy. I will try and find my trip report I wrote up. PM me when you are going

 

[bubba]

Schatz:

Really - welcome home and for thanks for eating sand on all of our behalf!

Over in the Sewards - definately use Calkin's Brook. If you need Seymour as well - it's tough to combine them, so you just have to move around. There are some spots on the way in via Calkin's to pitch a tent -- that can help you get an earlier start on the day. The route up/down Seward is tough and in poor condition. Seymour is straightforward - stay right on the way up when you can.

Santanoni 's were really excellent when I did them a couple years ago. Totally suggest that you go in, stay at the LT (or many of the places around). Watch the trail conditions section -- assume that the trail is wet on the way in -- it, too, is in pretty bad shape; part of the lure of doing this wilderness area! Staying there you will meet a bunch of people all after the same peaks - you'll run into them on the trails and see them back at camp. Head out the next morning and and enjoy a relaxed pace (adding out to a Santantoni day makes for a long drag).

Last year Redfield received a bunch of trail(less) work. It is an excellent hike with a brook next to you 2/3 of the way up. Cliff can get tricky -- there is a false summit. From there, travel further down and to the left and you'll find a herd path leading up to the true summit. Uphill leanto is an ideal place to camp over. Great spot on the doorstep to Redfld/Cliff.

 

[Schatz]

Thanks for all the help. Aside from Corey's, are there any inaccessible trailheads? I'd appreciate any information regarding the Sewards from Caulkins Brook. Regards. Schatz

 

[Adk_dib]

here was my trip report from last year:

calkins brook trail to sewards.
I did all 3 sewards in 11 hours from parking lot. Have to admit i did not spend a lot of time at the summits. I left at 6:00 am and was worried about getting back to the car by 8:00 pm. I was soaking at the motel pool by 6:00 pm using this trail. I heard horror stories about getting lost and taking 18 hours to go up side of seward. the horse trail to calkins brook is 1.2 miles or about 20-25 minutes from the parking lot. where trail splits and left side says foot traffic only, take this trail. the right hand turn there comes out at same spot but is full of mud. at one point I spent 10 minutes getting through one mud spot. when you see sign to calkins brook lean to take a right. about 2.2 miles you will hear the brook. before you reach the brook you will see a cairn at the left side of the road. this is the start of the trail. a few minutes later you will come to the brook. there is a large cairn here, cross at this point. there looks like there is a trail on the left side of the brook, do not take it. from here to the ridge trail is is a nice gradual climb. I kept wondering when it was going to get steep. plenty of level trail to rest up. at 31oo feet and 3500 feet there are good water suppies. I actually did not fill my bottles until i reached the large cairn at calkins brook. At that point I only filled one bottle becouse i knew there would be a chance to fill up later. why carry all that water weight up the mountain. at 3500 feet I filled up all my bottles becouse i only have a few hundred feet to the ridge. once you reach the ridge trail it is only about 100 feet to the summit of donaldson. the calkins brook trail comes out about half way up donaldson. there is a nice lookout on the right just as you come to the top. a little ways farther there is another lookout on the left. the trip to emmons looks easy on the map but dont be fooled. there is a lot of ups and downs (along with mud and blowdown). it took me 3 hours from parking lot to ridge trail intersection. it took me 2 hours to go from donaldson to emmons and back. when i reached the cairn for the calkins brook trail on way back i almost continued down the calkins brook trail again. i stopped myself in time and went down the trail to get to seward. the calkins brook trail is wide, easily defined and soft on the feet. the opposite for the trail over to seward. it is overgrown in some places i couldn't even see thr trail. the trail is so narrow that the trees are whacking you constantly. eye protection would be a good idea. plus pants or gaitors (maybe catchers shingaurds!). the next mourning my shins were black and blue and scratched up.the trail at one point starts going downhill a little to much for my comfort. I thought i was heading down to cold river. I actually backtracked all the way back to the col between seward and donaldson. not seeing any other trail I went back on same trail. this added a few hundred feet and 1/2 hour to the day but needed the exersise. On the way up to seward i met 2 guys that said the trail up seward was steep, wet and slippery. at the summit i met another guy that left the parking lot 10 minutes before I did. he had 20 years on me and could probably hike me into the ground. I did all three summits by the time he did one becouse he got lost on the way up and had to bushwhack up. i never did find the summit to seward. i looked all around at the top and did not see any trails to a lookout.I started down seward and saw 3 faint trails. I took one and within 50 feet I saw 3 more faint trails. I just talked to 2 guys who said the trail is steep amd slippery, and another guy that got lost. add that to some trail reports on this website that said they went back to calkins brook trail, and I decided to do the same. the trail back to calkins brook intersection might have some more climbing i didn't plan on but at least i would get lost. plus the decent would be so much easier on this trail. It takes only about 1/2 hour to get back to the calkins brook trail so it was worth it. it took me 3 hours to climb to this point, but it took me 3 hours 45 minutes to get back to the car (10 hours, 15 miles and 3500 feet will do this to you). i actually stopped for 10-15 minutes at calkins brook to soak my feet, ahhhhhhhh! plus the horse trail out is a little uphill on the way out. I didn't notice this in the mourning. then i took the left turn at the horse trail sign instead of going staight to the bluberry trail. thats when i ran into all the mud which slowed me down some more. 33 and counting, 13 more to go! at least i dont ever have to go up these mountains again.