Santanonis

[Schatz]

Team,

I'll be returning to NY from Kansas this weekend, and hope to hike the Santanonis next wednesday. I'd appreciate any suggestions for the route, helpful hints where the trail might be tricky, current trail conditions and estimated times for an average hiker.

Prior to this hike I plan to hike Haystack/Basin from JBL, and would appreciate any suggestions for this hike as well.

Thanks in advance

Schatz

 

[Raymond]

I think it's pretty difficult to do all three Santanonis in one day. I've done two at a time (Panther always being the second), but never three. It always takes about 12 hours just for the two. I was going to say it's at least three hours to reach Times Square, then an hour each way for Santanoni itself, two each way for Couchsachraga, and fifteen minutes each way for Panther, but that doesn't use up enough time, so it must take even longer than that for the stretch up to Times Square and probably the hike out to Couchee, too. Couchee was officially my second-favorite High Peak, so I think it's worth it, but most would probably disagree.

You can probably get good directions here:

http://www.adirondackjourney.com/

We tried to do Haystack and Basin in one day from JBL when my son was eight years old, and we had to turn around part way up Basin to get back to the lodge in time for supper (we arrived a few minutes before they would have had to put the food away, at seven o'clock). If you're by yourself you shouldn't have any trouble turning the trick.

It is steep going up Basin, and there's kind of a tricky ladder, so be careful.

 

[masshysteria]

Schatz, doing all 3 is going to be at least a 12 hr. day, 14 might be more realistic. The last mile or so of the Bradley Pond trail is a mess. Mud everywhere! You have to look for a beaver meadow just before you get to the BP leanto. It's on the left, there is a large rock there that is the start of the herdpath. The path is easy to follow as it works its way over to Panther Brook. Then its a matter of following the brook up to Times Square. On your way to Couch, when you reach the infamous Couch. swamp, keep to the right as you cross. The trail on the other side is to the right.
Joel's site, ADK Journey, has some excellent advice as Raymond has mentioned. He has a map of Times Square that you may want to bring with you, because the area can be a little confusing. There is an area you reach after gaining the summit ridge that looks like TS. There will be letters and arrows carved into the trees. This is not TS. Continue straight thru for another 100 yards until you reach an opening with a large boulder in the back, that is TS.

Basin and Haystack are two of the best, you will enjoy them!

 

[TEO]

I agree with the above comments. Yes, you could do the range in a day, but it would be a very long one. For me, it worked well to hike in to Bradley Pond in the evening (late afternoon would work, too), hike the three peaks the following day and hike out.

Here's the ADK Journey Santnoni page, make sure to read the section on Times Square:
http://www.adirondackjourney.com/Santanoni_Range.htm

Here's the schematic diagram of Times Square, print it out and make notes on the updates (!) from the previous link:
http://www.adirondackjourney.com/images/Santanoni_Range/Times Square Map.jpg

 

[adk46r]

Get cooch out of the way

Getting to bradley pond without a backpack is much easier. The last section of the trail is really, really messy. I slipped on a log (on the trail) and one of my legs went into the swamp. I swear I was up to my thighs in muck I still could not feel bottom. I had a 40 lb backpack and would have had trouble pulling myself out without the help of my hiking buddy.

My suggestion, get to cooch first, the other two peaks have much better views. Unlike some masochists here, Cooch was one of my least favorite peaks. Our first problem was finding the path towards cooch. From TS, there was a bark lying on the ground pointing towards the Cooch path, with a "C" engraved on it. Next, wear long pants to cooch, else the carnivorous plants will get you. On your way to cooch, when you get to a huge rock face that you need to climb down using ropes (which we did), you could explore to the right to find a path around it. You will go over what seems like a 1000 false peaks before you get to the real Cooch. The summit was very well marked, so keep going until you get to the summit.

Santanoni - Easy climb, good views.

Panther - Extremely easy to get to, excellent views.

Get your water supply when Panther brook starts to peter out, no more water available beyond that point.

The range is doable as a day hike, but make sure you have headlamps for your return trip along the road.

~ ADK #5499

 

[KZKlimber]

PM me and I can send you a marked digital picture of Times Square with the herd paths marked on it.

 

[Raymond]

More on Times Square

By now, you're probably thinking that Times Square is a pretty big deal!

As MassHysteria said, when you first get on top of the ridge, there's a clearing with carvings on the trees; S, C, and P. I wouldn't say to continue straight ahead to reach Times Square, I'd say it's a left turn. The path is clear, either way, and there was even a big rock with a crude clock, a square, and an arrow indicating the direction scraped onto it last time I was there.

Anyway, Times Square is large and open. You can't miss it. You don't need to go to Times Square to climb Panther, except when you are returning from either Couchsachraga or Santanoni. One thing you may want to do is take note of the route by which you enter Times Square. There are several paths leading out of it, and the correct one that will get you back to that first clearing and the descent to Panther Brook is not necessarily the obvious one. I like to mark the correct path with a stick, so there's no mistake.

One other thing worth mentioning is that when you are on the Bradley Pond Trail, before you reach the herd path, there is an open grassy area that has a path apparently leading out of it to the left. This is not yet the herd path. I don't know what it is, as it doesn't seem to go anywhere. The big rock MassHysteria mentioned is a very obvious rock with a flat top that is sort of behind you on the left (at the eight o'clock position, so to speak). Sometimes there's a cairn on its top, sometimes not. The first part of the herd path follows the private/state property line, so it is marked with yellow and/or blue paint.

The large rock face adk46r mentioned is just before the swamp, which is two-thirds of the way out to Couchee.

 

[SherpaKroto]

When I did them at the end a of a weeklong peakbagging trip last I realized that I could have done them as easily in a day as in an overnight. Mucking through to the lean-to and back will add a good hour+. That time could be spent by heading up the ridge.

The advice about TS is dead on. I ran into another hiker who insisted that I was at TS when indeed I was not. I should have just trusted my map skills (Joel's map is perfect) and trusted my instincts, but he said he had been there "at least a half dozen times" and then headed to Panther. I lost another 45 minutes there.

I started at the trailhead at 6:30 and was back at the leanto at 9:00PM. A dayhike would have taken me about 30 minutes more if I didn't waste time on the ridge looking for the Couchie Path (which is way easy to see when you are at TS). So in my mind, 14.5 hours, but a very satisfying trip!

One last bit of advice: tank up on Panther Brook! You will find no good water sources beyond, though with a filter you could fill from the swamp. I drank nearly 8 liters from what I remember.

 

[KZKlimber]

Schatz;

I could not figure out how to email it so i'll post it here. It was less work to shrink it to <100mb.

 

[Schatz]

Thanks

Thanks for all of the help. KZ, I received the picture.

Climb on

Schatz

 

[Silverback]

I dayhiked the Santas two weeks ago with my son. Took about 13 3/4 hours in close to perfect conditions. We spent about 1/2 hour on each summit.

The trail to Bradley Pond is very mucky, especially towards the herd path turn-off. If you look at Joel's Adirondack Journey site, you will have no problem at all finding the herd path start, as has been noted.

When you make the turn onto the herd path, you will cross an open area and then enter the woods. Because a number of preople have apparently camped there, it is tromped out pretty good, which leaves the herd path almost indiscernible for about fifty yards, There is one that goes left and one that goes right, both will meet within a few minutes under some cliffs. Bradley Pond will be visable through the woods.

When the path reaches Panther Brook, you will cross it and follow a very nice herd path up the left side. As the brook begins to narrow out, you will cross back over. The cairns are very easy to follow. From there it goes up steeply, in and out of the fading brook. Make sure you have full water before leaving this brook entirely. There are no potable water sources from this point on.

You will come to a three-way (a "T", if you will) intersection. This area is not as open as you might think. Keeps a heads up because the old herd path is still discernible straight ahead and you might pass over this intersection. It won't matter, because I believe it will take you to Times Square, anyway. I did not notice the carved tree, but someone had scratched an "S" and an arrow on a rock which will direct you to Times Square.The trail to the right will take you to Panther within ten to 15 minutes. We did this first to get the psychological boost of a peak. Plus, it was nice to have in our pockets when it was time to head back. You descend for a bit then make a final summit climb to the summit ledge. The marker is in the woods a bit. Nice views of the Sewards, Santa, and Couch.

The trip back to Times Square will take about 15 minutes. T/S is unique. There is no mistaking it. It was smaller than I had imagined it, but it looks just like the pictures. The herd paths at the far end (Couch right and Santa left) are very easy to follow.

Couch is a longer hike than it should be. Dan and I took exactly 1 1/2 hours each way, moving at a steady pace. The climb down from T/S is about 2/3 of it. The herd path around the cliff, is pretty distinct and I followed that almost automatically. When crossing the swamp, try to stay a bit to the right if you can. The herd path re-entry is at about 2 o'clock from where you first enter the swamp (or about 12:00 from the cliff). When you get to the opposite end of the swamp (it was full of water when we were there, hiking poles are good route finders here), skim the edge until you see the herd path. Couch has a moving summit, it will play keep away until it is good and ready to have you find it
The path literally ends at the summit. The sign was there but on the ground when we were there. I nestled it back up in some dead spruce.

The trail to Santa is very pleasant, if mucky in some places. The views are, by far, the best of the three. The sign was up, and there are bolt holes in the summit rock.

I don't regret dayhiking this range, even though many advised backpacking to Bradley Pond (or higher). Negotiating the mud and muck with a full pack, and overnighting in what essentially is a bog negates the time saved, I think. Plus you have to "overrun" the herd path for a 1/4 mile of slogging to get to the BP lean-to. It was less than two hours in and less than two hours out from Bradley Pond. I wouldn't want to day-hike the entire range again, but I enjoyed the area. I probably will re-vist Santa and Panther again. Couch? Maybe not, but with the hindsight of two weeks, I'm thinking about it

These mountains were number 43, 44 and 45 for me. I finished on Big Slide the next day, so I had a little left in the tank afterwards.