Kathleen was interested in a Great Range traverse, but I convinced her that this modified range hike was even better. Who needs Marcy anyway when you can traverse Haystack?
We started up the Ausable Club road to Sawteeth, often a destination but today just a speed bump with a fantastic view. Trails were in great shape on both sides of Sawteeth. The ATIS crew had done a lot of work on the trail up toward Bartlett Ridge with several cleaned out mud holes and a couple of new log bridges. The steep climb up the south side of Haystack was spectacular and nothing like the "easy way" on the other side. There was plenty of water in the Hay-Bas col, but no more after that on the range. Trails over Bas-Sad-Got were in great shape. Plenty of mud along the ridge of Armstrong and lots of erosion/mud descending Arm and UWJ. The latter path is getting really bad.
Even though we were enjoying the later afternoon, the time was getting late and we decided to forgo LWJ and just head out by the Wedge Brook trail, which is a beautiful path through open forest most of the way.
We started up the Ausable Club road to Sawteeth, often a destination but today just a speed bump with a fantastic view. Trails were in great shape on both sides of Sawteeth. The ATIS crew had done a lot of work on the trail up toward Bartlett Ridge with several cleaned out mud holes and a couple of new log bridges. The steep climb up the south side of Haystack was spectacular and nothing like the "easy way" on the other side. There was plenty of water in the Hay-Bas col, but no more after that on the range. Trails over Bas-Sad-Got were in great shape. Plenty of mud along the ridge of Armstrong and lots of erosion/mud descending Arm and UWJ. The latter path is getting really bad.
Even though we were enjoying the later afternoon, the time was getting late and we decided to forgo LWJ and just head out by the Wedge Brook trail, which is a beautiful path through open forest most of the way.
Last edited:
