shoreys shortcut?

[Adk_dib]

I will be doing basin and saddleback from slant rock side. What is the shoreys shortcut? I see by my book it looks as if it bypasses a small knob. Does this same time and effort? Is it worth going over the knob? Whats the story here?

 

[percious]

I have taken this path and it is not really a short cut. It is a beautiful path, but the 600 feet elevation up can be tough at the end of a day.

-percious

 

[Rick]

It does save time and effort if you are not headed to Haystack. If you were to stay on the Phelps Trail to the junction just before little Haystack and hook up with the Range Trail, it would cost you 1.5 miles and at least 1200' elevation gain and about 750 feet of elevation loss.

If you took the Shorey Shortcut, it would be 3/4 mile and about 7-800 feet elevation gain and several hundred feet elevation loss to get to the range trail.

IIRC, the "Shortcut" was was added in jest or sarcasm, because it doesn't seem so much like a shortcut when you have to climb 700 feet. also, IIRC, The knob that it circumvents is just over 4,000 feet, but although it is almost a mile from Haystack Proper, the area between doesn't drop enough in elevation to allow that knob to fit the definition of a 46er mountain, it is also only 1/2 mile from Basin.
Cheers
Rick
PS I am going on long term memory here, if I am incorrect anywhere, please let me know.

 

[Tom Rankin]

It does save time and effort if you are not headed to Haystack. ...
PS I am going on long term memory here, if I am incorrect anywhere, please let me know.

Rick, I did this hike last winter, and I concur.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

If it would be called 'The Shorey Trail", nobody would talk about it at all. Because the word 'shortcut' is in it, expectations are raised, or people think it is magical or something.

It's just another trail that goes where it does.

 

[TCD]

And, IIRC (it took me aminute to figure out what IIRC was, but now I'm going to use it!), the Shorey Trail is known for a very nice view of Haystck to be had near the height of land on the trail.

 

[bubba]

When the trail was cut it was controversial -- named after the daredevil that thought it could be done... IIRC

I love steep pitches and this one qualifies -- you will find a couple (?) ladders on this trail that you won't find on the other mentioned trails.

Adk_dib (what's that about, anyway??) -- Enjoy this hike. Basin is right up there as one of my favorites!! Spend some time there and soak it all in!!

 

[rhihn]

I think Pete Hickey got it right. Heck, it's a steep pitch and a steep drop, and certainly not the worst thing in the Adirondacks. I never understood why people make such a fuss about it. Nice views of Basin near the top, by the way.

 

[KZKlimber]

I'll never forget how close Basin looked shortly after starting off on the shortcut only to watch it get higher and farther away as the trail drops - knowing you have to make back every foot of it

 

[masshysteria]

I think it's a much maligned trail, and I agree with Pete, the 'shortcut' part leads one to think it's Jacob's Ladder. It definitly beats having to hike all the way to the Haystack cutoff, though. I've stated in other forums that it could have been laid out to go right up the valley to the north of its present location, thereby eliminating the elevation loss. But then one wouldn't get that great view of Haystack from the high point of the Shorey.