Start of redfield/cliff trail.

[Adk_dib]

I did grey skylight a couple of years ago and when coming down, I decided to goto the lean to going towards lake colden. I crossed the creek and saw the lean to on the right. I continued out of curiosity to see if I could find redfield trail for later on. I saw a definate cairn and saw two hikers heading up on the left. I am guessing this is the correct trail. My question is, Are both cliff and redfield on this same trail or do I have to continue farther to get to cliff.

 

[Tom Rankin]

I did grey skylight a couple of years ago and when coming down, I decided to goto the lean to going towards lake colden. I crossed the creek and saw the lean to on the right. I continued out of curiosity to see if I could find redfield trail for later on. I saw a definate cairn and saw two hikers heading up on the left. I am guessing this is the correct trail. My question is, Are both cliff and redfield on this same trail or do I have to continue farther to get to cliff.

They start at the same place, mere feet from where the path to the leanto meets the main path. After walking up the 'herd path' for a few minutes, you come to a split. Cliff is right, Redfield is left. There is a separate, older herd path, (maybe covered over with logs to discourage use), a little further towards Lake Colden. It's very muddy, and should probably be avoided.

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Here I found some Redfield and Cliff threads that you started that might help.

One

Two

Three

Four

 

[rhihn]

I did grey skylight a couple of years ago and when coming down, I decided to goto the lean to going towards lake colden. I crossed the creek and saw the lean to on the right. I continued out of curiosity to see if I could find redfield trail for later on. I saw a definate cairn and saw two hikers heading up on the left. I am guessing this is the correct trail. My question is, Are both cliff and redfield on this same trail or do I have to continue farther to get to cliff.

We started at the same place. The herd path to Cliff started c. 150 yards or so up the trail to Redfield. The exact spot used to be marked with a ribbon. I don't know what if anything is there now marking that turn. Once on the Cliff path there were one or two cairns marking turns. By taking that path we avoided some -but not all!- of the mud on the original path to Cliff.

It's been several years, so my memory about this path might be somewhat faulty.

 

[Adk_dib]

Yes,"coldriver" I have been meaning to do this one for years. Everytime I schedule it something comes up. Glad you have been paying attention.

 

[Raymond]

There’s a big upturned tree with its roots facing the trail that marks the start of the old Cliff herd path. That was where my ladyfriend and I began our climb up Redfield back in 2000, too. The path led over corduroy that was pretty ineffective at keeping your feet dry. Well, perhaps this year it would have worked.

Last year there was some junk thrown in there to keep people out.

Traveling through Lake Arnold Pass, the start of the herd path is 6.62 miles from the Adirondack Loj/Heart Lake parking lot, according to my GPS. It was another mile, more or less, to the summit, and from the lean-to back to the parking lot via Avalanche Pass, it was 6.1 miles (total came to 14.9 miles).

 

[hermit]

Adirondackjourney.com has some useful info. also.

 

[rup]

Anyone have a map or sketch of this??

 

[JoeCedar]

Yes,"coldriver" I have been meaning to do this one for years. Everytime I schedule it something comes up. Glad you have been paying attention.

If you are not confident in your path-finding skills, have you considered hiring a guide? (this is not self-serving since I am not a guide) A simple look at a compass and map should assure you that you are on the right herdpath or trail.

 

[Raymond]

The herd path is shown on the National Geographic map.

I’m sure you’ll know it when you get there. I’ve climbed Redfield twice, nine years apart, coming in once from Upper Works and once via Lake Arnold Pass, and recognized right away that I was at the right place.

The herd path is a short distance east of the height-of-land on the Red Trail — I don’t know its number — that parallels the Opalescent River between the Flowed Lands and the Uphill Brook lean-to.

Here I am standing on the herd path, a short distance from the Red Trail.

 

[PA Ridgerunner]

...and here's a pic of the cairn marking the start of the Cliff herd path. IIRC I'm facing the path to Cliff. To my left is the path to Redfield, right heads back toward the marked trail. Photo is from late May 2010. Here's a link to the TR.
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11676

 

[Tom Rankin]

...and here's a pic of the cairn marking the start of the Cliff herd path. IIRC I'm facing the path to Cliff. To my left is the path to Redfield, right heads back toward the marked trail. Photo is from late May 2010. Here's a link to the TR.

Cairns come and go, especially in Winter. Memorize the tree pattern 10 feet up! Then account for blowdown, wind speed, phase of the moon, ...

 

[Adk_dib]

Climbed it last weekend, thanks.

 

[Raymond]

Did it live up to your fears/expectations?

 

[Adk_dib]

actally it was easier than I thought it would be and it had a better trail and view than I thought. Real nice hike. The last mile to the parking lot was long though

 

[DSettahr]

When I first went back there, it was a mess. This was before the 46ers went back and consolidated the beginning of the two herd paths, so they had separate beginnings. We started on the Cliff Trail thinking it was the Redfield Trail... needless to say, we were soon in the middle of nowhere, eating spruce! It's much better and easier to follow now than it used to be.