Trap Dyke

[Jacko]

Has anyone recent knowledge or otherwise on conditions on Trap Dyke and Colden Lake? I am hoping to make the trip sometime this holiday but am unsure as to what the recent weather has left the route like?

 

[NYBRAD]

I wish I could give you first hand knowledge, but I would expect there to be plenty of brittle and dinner plate ice due to the thaw freeze, but overall fat conditions. Watch for falling ice from partners or people above on the route. The slides hopefully have some snow on them, or it may be thin verglass. I know Multi Gully is in, so I would expect the Dyke to be in as well. If it was more snow then rain during the last system that rolled through, watch for avalanches or cornices looming above your head on the lip of the Dyke. Or weak layers created by the last few days. You can always call The Mountaineer, or Rock and River for better up to date conditions. Somebody’s been up there.

 

[Jacko]

Thanks NYBRAD,
I called The Mountaineer they tell me they got lots of rain and the expectation is that all snow will have gone from the slide and the waterfall will have degraded. Since then its been pretty cold and most shrapnel should have frozen up so I think I'll take a look later in the week. Any one with any first hand knowledge just add a word.

 

[mavs00]

No 1st hand knowledge, but I just read that a 16 y/o kid -GOT HURT and needed to by rescued by Rangers on Sunday evening, (Dec 26, 2004). Sounds like a 16 y/o lost his footing, slipped and slid down 400 feet. on the dyke. Messed up a leg.

 

[NYBRAD]

I read that too Mavs, it sounds like he may have slid on the slabs after leaving the Dyke. When the ice is poorly bonded and thin on the those slabs, it can be real sketchy. Worse than climbing the vertical crux in the dyke. If a tree is what stopped and injured him, it may have been a life saver. I climbed it in late October a few years back, in conditions like that, and bailed off the slides and rapped the route back to the lake, a bit unnerved.

 

[Peakbagr]

What is a warm weather "rite of passage" trip for many experienced hikers, the Trap Dike is a serious undertaking in late Autumn, Winter, and early Spring. Avalance hazard, verglas and steep icy rocks.
While some folks who don't have true ice climbing or mountaineering skills manage to make it thru the dike and up the slide, you can easily get in a position where you can neither climb nor descend.

The Rangers will tell you that there are many more close calls here for every incident that occurs.

 

[Skyclimber]

I hope that you have alot of ice climbing experience. The Trap Dyke is nothing to fool around with in any season of the year. Many, Many years ago a woman in the Spring was killed in the Dyke. It took me several years before I got enough nerve to go in there. When I did, I had the time of my life. Then went on to climb it five times total, but only in the Summer months. What an experience.

 

[Jacko]

It is hard to speculate what happened but if he was caught in the trees and fell that far it sounds as though he was on the slide and is very lucky to be alive. My concern on the route is exactly that - the condition of the slide the steepest part being at the exit point. My intent is to examine it and if it is too unstable or verglased just to rapp down the waterfall and back out. Thus 'take a look'. If the weather is close to thawing I'm going nowhere near.
I suspect that later in the season when there is more snow one could head on straight up the tree filled dyke instead of the slide but most of the ice at the fall would be covered in snow then.
Thanks for your info folks.

 

[KZKlimber]

Based on the report that the teenager from NJ was evacuated from Lake Arnold I don't think he fell on the dike, he must have slid down one of the eastern slides.

We're planning a Trap Dike attempt the first weekend in Feb.

I'm planning on bringing a short length of rope and a couple of ice screws just in case.

Is a general moutaineering axe OK - or should I carry the ice tools as well?

KZ

 

[Mttop]

KZ I would bring 2 tools because of the unpredictability of the dyke.Feel free to mix or match tools or share but I think you will find 2 handy.I have been up 5 times(4 winter conds.)I have used 2 tools on all winter acents,but not always ropes and pro.Like mentened above some times the slabs are in poor shape so I have raped the route.Could be the crux is bullet proof or slush.One time I couldn't get up gracefully, I just hade to flop in a pool of water on my belly because I couldn't reach ice or rock without getting wet.I would recomend being prepaired that for in.Have fun.

 

[KZKlimber]

Rapelling the Dike

Are there good rap anchor points along the route???

I'm guessing you would anchor off some small trees. I don't imagine there are fixed anchors set up.

Now I'm thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to pack the 70M double ropes for escape purposes, in case we reach an impasse. (or to lower down an injured climber).

KZ

 

[Mttop]

You guessed right,small trees and slings,I would sugest bringing some webbing in case you need to replace an anchor.The raps are going to be mostly steep snow with lots of opertunity for anchor.I have a pair of 8.6X60m that I have choped to 50m and I have used just 1 to rap with.Trust your oun instincts and judgement when in the mts.My brother and I,on our first climb up the dyke followed another partys tracks asuming that they knew what they were doing.They never exited to the slab at the second opertunity like the guide book says and stayed in the dyke for most of the trip.After much cripple brush we saw a helecopter rescue.The party we were following climbed the day before and got wet and exausted so they had an unplaned and unprotected bivy near the summit that night.One of the party of 2 had blue jeans and long johns on and got hypothermic during the night.The other went for help at first light,since he had no light.We talked with the ranger who waited fot the choper to come back and he said that that kind of thing was not uncommon.We saw the ranger at the round pond parking lot a few weeks latter and he said that the guy had minor frost bite.Do your reserch,be prepaired and most importantly have fun. Mttop

 

[KZKlimber]

Well, I was mistaken, the accident did happen on the trap dike, it did not seem likely that they would make their way to Lake Arnold from there:

DEC Forest Rangers were called into action last night to rescue an injured
hiker in the High Peaks Wilderness Area.
The hiker, 16-year old Allen Glick of Englewood New Jersey was climbing
with a group on the Trap Dike section of Mt. Colden at about 4:15pm Sunday
when he lost his footing and slid 400ft. down a rock slab.
During his fall, Glick's foot caught a tree, which tore off his boot and
injured his leg.
Essex County 911 received a call from a member of the hiking party
notifying them of the incident. The Forest Ranger Emergency Dispatch in Ray
Brook was then contacted. When they were unable to reach the hiker's cell
phone, seven Forest Rangers and the Lake Colden Caretaker were mobilized to
locate the hiking party on the mountain.
The hiking party, meanwhile, had made their way to Lake Arnold, where
forest rangers met them. Glick's leg injury was treated and he was
transported out of the woods to a private vehicle and taken to the
Adirondack Medical Center for an evaluation.

 

[prino]

Well, I was mistaken, the accident did happen on the trap dike, it did not seem likely that they would make their way to Lake Arnold from there:

DEC Forest Rangers were called into action last night to rescue an injured
hiker in the High Peaks Wilderness Area.
The hiker, 16-year old Allen Glick of Englewood New Jersey was climbing
with a group on the Trap Dike section of Mt. Colden at about 4:15pm Sunday
when he lost his footing and slid 400ft. down a rock slab.
During his fall, Glick's foot caught a tree, which tore off his boot and
injured his leg.
Essex County 911 received a call from a member of the hiking party
notifying them of the incident. The Forest Ranger Emergency Dispatch in Ray
Brook was then contacted. When they were unable to reach the hiker's cell
phone, seven Forest Rangers and the Lake Colden Caretaker were mobilized to locate the hiking party on the mountain.
The hiking party, meanwhile, had made their way to Lake Arnold, where
forest rangers met them. Glick's leg injury was treated and he was
transported out of the woods to a private vehicle and taken to the
Adirondack Medical Center for an evaluation.

My take on this would be that the rest of the party weren't able to rap back down the dyke. Instead they would have either made the summit of Colden via the slide or whacked through the col to intersect the trail on the ridge.

From there the trail down to Lake Arnold would have been "easier" than the trail down to Lake Colden. One thing to remember..... the rest of the party must have been in bad shock, not knowing the condition of their comrade who had fallen.

They must have called Essex county 911 from the place where the fall occurred. As the article says... the hikers were not able to receive calls, so, the rangers must have had quite a time trying to locate the rest of the party which was eventually traced on the other side of the mountain.

 

[Jacko]

Trap Dyke Thursday

We made the trip today. The Dyke has two ice pitches the first and shorter one being a little more difficult the second one (the waterfall in summer) being easily climbed without a rope.
The slide itself was in great condition a few inches of well consolidated snow with bulges of ice. There is no doubt that this is the most dangerous section since a fall here would lead to an unfortunate end. At least so you would think!
Another party saw a rucksack and helmet half covered in snow some 300 yards down from the summit. The conclusion is that the climber rested took off his helment and pack and slid down after sitting down! To escape this with a damaged leg borders on miraculous!
As for gear: one long axe and one short worked great the long one being useful for the slide. Note there are some very small trees to rapp off in the dyke if the slide is out of shape. I wouldnt want to try to thrash up the last part of the dyke it would be brutal.
As for conditions dont bank on this report - who knows what tommorow brings!
A great day - sunny, mild, clear and amazing views. What a situation on the slide!

 

[KZKlimber]

http://neice.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=3058&an=0&page=0&gonew=1#UNREAD


Here is a link to a first hand account of the accident.

KZ

 

[NYBRAD]

I haven't been up the Dyke in a couple of years , but there used to be some pins on the right as your descending above the 2 main falls. And some of the stuff I've rapped off of up there are less than trees, but more like twigs. I’ve only summited twice from the Dike out of 5 attempts. Twice turned back by snow fractures above the last falls with the avalanche danger too high, and once with the slides being too sketchy. Bring a rope for an escape at least.

 

[masshysteria]

I don't know if ice climbing is for me! Not only do you have to know your sh#%, but there is obviously a state of mind involved in this! That report that KZ linked was truly scary. Written in the first person like that really brings it home. I'm so glad no one was seriously hurt!

My guess is that Allen and Fred will be right back at it as soon as the physical wounds heal.

 

[prino]

Thanks for the link KZ.....my guesses weren't quite right. I find it amazing that there were only two in the party and after a 400ft fall managed to get over Colden and down to Lake Arnold.

 

[Mttop]

Prino,I think I met you and your partner on the trail near marcy dam thursday and we talked breifly about the dykes cond.