TR: Shepherd's Tooth via Cold Brook Pass, 02/15

[alavigne]

I thought I'd share my report of our outing last weekend to summit a little nubbin that's been in the back of my mind for some time: the Shepherd's Tooth just south of Iroquois Mountain's summit in the Adirondacks.

I wanted something a little more interesting than just the descent/ascent from Iroquois, so we did it via Avalanche Pass, up the Cold Brook Pass trail to Cold Brook Pass, then bushwhacked up to the Tooth and continued over Iroquois for a nice, interesting loop. All in all, it went well -- the bushwhack up to the tooth took about two hours. After summiting the tooth, we even saw someone else's fresh tracks partway along, near the base of the Tooth: Pin-pin, perhaps?

Detailed report with pictures, text, track-map, etc. below:

http://alavigne.net/Outdoors/ImageGallery/2009/02-15-ShepherdsTooth/

 

[HuiYeng]

Awesome report and amazing pictures! Your TR definitely move the Shepherd's tooth higher up on my list.

Wicked cool!

 

[una_dogger]

Nice report! How was it going over the backside of Iriqouis in these conditions??

Awesome report and amazing pictures! Your TR definitely move the Shepherd's tooth higher up on my list.

Wicked cool!

There's even a patch...I think its given by the Genessee Valley ADK46ers??

 

[Tom Rankin]

Nice report! How was it going over the backside of Iriqouis in these conditions??




There's even a patch...I think its given by the Genessee Valley ADK46ers??

Close. See here...

Patch.

 

[Hikes4fun]

Nice TR and Photos are great as usual Andrew--We were admiring ST's profile while on Cliff Monday.

 

[alavigne]

Nice report! How was it going over the backside of Iriqouis in these conditions??

Backside... do you mean the south side of the summit of Iroquois? If so, it was quite good: the above treeline portion was actually remarkably free even of ice, and we bare-booted the whole section from the treeline up to the summit. If you mean the northern side (i.e. the Boundary Pk side), it had lots of deep snow, and we snowshoe'd it.

 

[Darl58]

Great trip report!!

WE were on Marshall on 2/16 and I was drooling looking over at the Tooth, wanting to hike it also..
Arm was telling me about it and pointing it out, we had such a clear view over, we could see people up on the summit of Iroquois.

How funny, I fractured my fibula at the knee coming down a steep embankment that day and had to hobble my way out for the 4.5 or so miles...
Must of been the weekend for it....

Really enjoyed your pics and can't wait to do the hike, will have to wait til next winter or this summer!!

Thanks for sharing and take care of ankle!!

Darl

 

[una_dogger]

I meant travelling down from Iriquois toward Cold Brook Pass -- I remember looking over from Marshall at Iriquois and thinking it looked like there were some deep gullies there.

In any case, thanks for sharing your fun adventure!

 

[alavigne]

I meant travelling down from Iriquois toward Cold Brook Pass -- I remember looking over from Marshall at Iriquois and thinking it looked like there were some deep gullies there.

In any case, thanks for sharing your fun adventure!

Ah, I see now.

Well, we actually climbed up from Cold Brook pass to the tooth, and then on up to Iroquois. There are several intermittent cliff bands down below closer to the pass. Higher up nearer the tooth, there's not much in the way of gullies or cliffs.

 

[Skyclimber]

I wanted something a little more interesting than just the descent/ascent from Iroquois, so we did it via Avalanche Pass, up the Cold Brook Pass trail to Cold Brook Pass, then bushwhacked up to the Tooth and continued over Iroquois for a nice, interesting loop.

Out of pure curiousity, "Why is it everyone calls this Cold Brook Pass?" We have always known it and it was always referred as "Iroquois Pass."
Out of no disrespect I will continue to always call it "Iroquois Pass."

Yes this is a very challenging route. I have done it twice, once in Winter and once in Summer many moons ago....Both times downward into Iroquois Pass and have gone on to Marshall this way. The cliffs are quite tricky and also it is quite thick in there, so one must watch their footing at all times, as not to go sailing off a cliff.