Toughest 50 feet of Trail in the Daks???

[ALGonquin Bob]

I don't think anyone can argue that the west face of Saddleback is the toughest section of any marked trail in the high peaks. When ascending, it gives me a hard time even on a good day, but the curb in front of Stewart's is a killer....

PS: I hiked Dix/Beckhorn last March with a full pack, and didn't think it was particularly difficult. But most peaks are a workout when huffing up with a full pack.

 

[una_dogger]

Hey Bob, that reminds me of the Blueberry Trail going up Seward from the Lean too -- now that trail had some serious climbs on it. If I remember correctly -- that trail climbs about 2800 feet in 2.5 miles with most of it coming in the last 1.5 miles or so --- maybe its because I had just come from climbing Seymour -- but I would have to say that the Blueberry Trail rivals the Saddleback Cliffs in many ways ....and that name is just so *wrong*!

The Beckhorn was definately the toughest and steepest slab I had encountered *to date* (2002), I guess I need to go back and get it in perspective! Or maybe its just because I'm only five feet tall.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

I climbed Dix last March in good snow conditions from Round Pond. It's been a few years since I climbed up the Beckhorn from Elk Lake, but I do remember turning back from Hough that day because I didn't want to be on that steep trail after dark. Good times...

Oh, and I did Seward-Donaldson-and almost Emmons as a 14-hour day hike from Ward Brook LT last January; I'm starting to get some feeling back in my fingertips...

 

[una_dogger]

Good times, indeed!

Thank Goodness for the Calkins Brook herdpath, there was no way I was up to going back down the Blueberry Trail after my Four-Hitter Day that day!

The Seward Range is *awesome* -- I'd really like to get back there some autumn when its sunny and clear.

January must have been frigid -- did you ski in to the lean too? Backpack or sleds?

 

[ColdRiverRun]

... that reminds me of the Blueberry Trail going up Seward from the Lean too -- now that trail had some serious climbs on it.

It's pretty damn fun to butt slide down though!

 

[una_dogger]

It's pretty damn fun to butt slide down though!

You mean, when the house sized talus is covered with like, ummm...ten or twelve feet of snow?

Yer crazy...wait till you get to be my age and maybe you'll start protecting yer bones....

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Last January, eight of us backpacked in to the Ward Brook LT on Day 1. Day 2 was the 14-hour frostbite trek, and Day 3 was Seymour and out. Seymour is pretty steep too; one of the guys had to turn back because he didn't have enough grip on the slope. That weekend concluded my "must have" peaks in the Sewards, so any further excursions back there will be purely for the hell of it... Actually, I am looking forward to completing the W46 so I can hike anything just for the hell of it, so starting in April... WHOO-HOO!

 

[MattC]

The curb in front of Stewart's is also a tough step up after a long weekend...

Ah, yes, but the beer inside the store can be a strong motivation.

Matt

 

[Adk_dib]

UNA_DOGGER, did you take your dog up saddleback cliffs?

 

[una_dogger]

UNA_DOGGER, did you take your dog up saddleback cliffs?

Absolutely not! I am very conservative- especially when it comes to the great range!

 

[Jay H]

We could even quantify the 50 feet...

50 vertical feet or 50 horizontal feet? there are some nasty mudbogs in sections... as well as some tough ledges to ascent...

One of the trickiest one that nobody has mentioned was the little rocky ascent just before the summit of Colvin in winter... there was some bad exposure if one was to slip off that snowface below the summit ledge on Colvin. In fact, it was pretty hard for me to get any purchase with snowshoes on the unbroken face when Dunbar and I hit that spot one winter. Actually brought and used a short piece of rope to make it easier for those behind me, anchored to the exposed trunk of a 3" tree that was nicely placed..

Jay

 

[prino]

The toughest 50 feet I recall was coming off Basin.... the steep drop towards that cliffy ledge going towards Saddleback,. It was late october with lots of snow and ice.... Saddleback cliffs were easy by comparison as they were in the sun and no ice.

 

[una_dogger]

ooh!
Prino's got a good point!

 

[blacklab2020]

still not sold

In response to prino:
we didnt even attempt that... we just walked off in the trees to the right Jan '06 in 4 feet of snow. And descended to the ledges a little more securely.

Snow and Ice definately complicate things more. The saddleback cliffs in snow and ice are more difficult than the section i described during the summer. I have even climbed up the icefall where the armstrong ladder is in years that it was completely covered by ice.

I will admit there is a balancy move coming up the beckhorn in an open book slab.

Saddleback cliffs are higher and may require some mantles, but in terms of actual climbing moves, I think the wall on the west side of colvin's peak has it hands down for technicality in the summer. There is no way I would have wanted to downclimb that splitter crack... now if you went to the right there you could carefully slide on your butt down the wall a good 10-12 feet adjacent a log that someone propped up.

Even basin has its complexities on both sides, but I am not convinced. I was shocked to see that the # 30 something peak (Colvin) for me had this great splitter crack on it that seemed beyond safe to the novice hiker. But then again, how many places in the dacks are impassable without ladders...indian pass, the east side of haystack?

In response to Jay_H
Conversely... Snow and Ice make those boggy sections of trail much easier!

 

[blacklab2020]

I guess I am looking for some new challenging places, and I hope this might spark some desire out there for others to check out these challenging places.

Good Stuff!

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

How about that ledge you have to tip-toe across just before you step up onto the top of Colvin when coming up from the Lake Road?

One of the trickiest one that nobody has mentioned was the little rocky ascent just before the summit of Colvin in winter... there was some bad exposure if one was to slip off that snowface below the summit ledge on Colvin.

Ahem......

 

[lumberzac]

UNA_DOGGER, did you take your dog up saddleback cliffs?

My cousin and myself took his dog DOWN the cliff. We only had to pass her down in one section. Going down the ladders on Basin with her was much harder.