Trapped on the Trap Dike: New York forest rangers rescue two people from notoriously dangerous hike

[KRooney]

https://www.mynbc5.com/article/new-york-forest-rangers-rescue-two-from-notorious-hike/62647166

 

[DayTrip]

How does Trap Dike compare to a trail like Huntington Ravine on Washington or the Great Gulf headwall where the trail is the brook for a 1/4 mile? Most of the photos I've seen of Trap Dike make it look steep but not too bad but apparently there is a "crux" moment in the middle that is pretty challenging and dangerous - a steep scramble alongside or in a brook or something like that. I don't think of I've seen a photo of that. I presume that is why so many people have issues. I have a friend who wanted to try that route but I was concerned about attempting it.

EDIT: Actually I messed around on YouTube for a bit and found a good video. That crux section does look pretty legit. Scrambling reminds me more of Katahdin than NH. Very steep but blocky rock that can provide good holds. A ranger in one of the rescue videos I watched called this Class 4 terrain.

 

[KRooney]

I don't have an opinion. I've done the ADK 46's, but not Trap Dike.

 

[TCD]

I've hiked both; the Dike many times in all seasons; Huntington ravine trail only once, many years ago.

They are quite different. Huntington trail is a hike, steep in a couple spots and sometimes slick, but my buddy and I hiked down it easily with heavy packs, and never had to use our hands. Much of the Dike is like that also. But the "crux" section is definitely a vertical rock climb for about 30 feet. Climbers variably consider it Class 3 or Class 4.

If you know the Dike crux well, it's quite easy and secure, even when it's wet. But part of that is perception. If you view it as a hike, it's a really difficult, dangerous hike. If you view it as a rock climb, it's quite easy.

 

[Grey J]

"If you know the Dike crux well, it's quite easy and secure, even when it's wet. But part of that is perception. If you view it as a hike, it's a really difficult, dangerous hike. If you view it as a rock climb, it's quite easy."

I was trying to imagine it. That's a very good explanation.

 

[DayTrip]

"If you know the Dike crux well, it's quite easy and secure, even when it's wet. But part of that is perception. If you view it as a hike, it's a really difficult, dangerous hike. If you view it as a rock climb, it's quite easy."

I was trying to imagine it. That's a very good explanation.

I found some good YouTube videos of it earlier. Should have posted the links but I was heading out the door for work. It is definitely a significant climb, far more difficult and dangerous than Huntington Ravine it seemed to me at least. I think the huge slab at the top was actually what looked uncomfortable and dangerous.

The guys in the video I watched made the crux look pretty secure. They knew the holds and where to grab and even talked a few people below them up it. Everything is easier when you've done it before....

 

[helmethiker]

My anecdotal experience says that pretty much every good weather day in the summer and early fall someone climbs trap dike. In October 2022 when I hiked Mt Colden and exited by Avalanche Lake (yes the opposite of what "most" people seem to do; I wanted to do the main goal first and the second goal only if I had time) I was passed after Marcy undammed by a solo hiker who had gone up trap dike. Earlier the same day I met a group of young women at the north end of Avalanche Lake who had the plan of doing trap dike, despite the limited daylight left. At the beginning of that day I was passed on the way up by a solo hiker who wanted to climb trap dike but was unwilling to do it solo. And a year later on the Lake Arnold trail returning from the Marcy/Skylight/Gray trio I walked with a hiker who had just completed Cliff and Redfield. He talked about doing trap dike solo two different times, once when there was some ice. He did say that the ice day was stupid.

My reading says the slab is intimidating, and falls can be bad because the dropoff is a long way down, but if you know the correct exit from the dike and entrance onto the slab it is not technically more difficult than other steep Adirondacks slabs. I am pretty sure it is unmarked. I have only seen trap dike rated class 4, never class 3*. My reading also included one death on trap dike, maybe 2017? Not on the slab, but lower down, and probably but I do not know the crux move.

With my fall rate, trap dike is not on my list. helmethiker is not because I want to do challenging stuff, it is because staying upright while hiking has become more challenging than I would otherwise prefer.

*somewhere sometime maybe I will find a consistent set of class ratings for the northeast trails and things like trap dike, but this thread is not the ideal place.

 

[TCD]

Yeah, the slabs look and feel intimidating, but at least in summer you are probably not going to die there. Anywhere on the slabs if you fall spread eagled, you would grind to a stop, all scratched up but OK. In summer, the death was at the crux, the so-called "second waterfall" where that short stretch of vertical climbing is. If you fall off that, you can definitely get killed.

There was a death on the slabs long ago (maybe 30 years ago?), but it was in winter, in icy conditions. A climber failed to self arrest and slid a long way before hitting trees.

Before Hurricane Irene in 2011, there were basically two exits from the Dike: the so called "early exit" which was right at the top of the second waterfall; and the standard exit, which was a ways further up and was a little tricky to find. Both were fine; the early exit was definitely steeper and led to some exciting climbing along the rim of the Dike. Both of those exits led to the "old slide" that finished right up under the big balanced rock on the summit ridge.

Since Irene cleared the "new slide" pretty much everyone goes that way. It's really obvious and easy to find; the Dike brings you right to the bottom of it. The new slide is still quite clean. With rock shoes, it's really easy walking. Most of the way up there's a band of mud across the slide, and it's a bit tricky to keep your shoes clean for the last bit. But a lot of the mud has washed away, and it's easier to get across that with clean shoes than it used to be.

 

[Puma concolor]

Trap Dike is a thing for sure.

Have made only one attempt (solo as per usual) … pre-slide the day after a rainstorm. Got maybe halfway up and it was already feeling way too high risk, low fun, low reward so I turned back. Basically, “this sucks.” I have no issue with exposure but felt like I was hiking myself into a bad situation on that particular day.

So basically, I will never chuck stones at folks who push it just a little too far and find themselves in a terrain “trap” on Trap Dike.

 

[NorthShore]

I remember this one:

https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/outtakes/climber-dies-in-trap-dike

 

[maineguy]

Marcy undammed...

 

[KRooney]

There are some links to articles written by Phil Brown. I think he's a bit of an expert on all things "ADK".

 

[skiguy]

Having done The Trap Dike multiple times both 3 season and Winter the biggest issue IMO is the exposure. The crux definitely has the potential for serious injury if not a fatality. If you are already a technical climber chances are your skill set is more appropriate for this endeavor than if you are only a hiker. There are multiple moves where hands are required within the dike itself. I would definitely go with a class 4 rating as most of the written material out there would agree. I would definitely choose dry conditions especially for the slab sections. It’s a long way down. Winter is a bit more tricky condition wise. There is usually a point where the route is “IN”. If it’s early it could be dicey with very unconsolidated snow and Ice. Whereas later Winter and or heavy snow can be very unstable. Yes it has avalanched.

 

[sierra]

I never hiked in the Adirondacks, just never had the desire to head that way. I did rock climb on Poko-Moonshine and was almost killed by rockfall, barely made it off the wall with a desperate traverse with 1 piece of gear in 180ft, my second was so scared it took me 30 minutes to convince him to follow me across as he was equally unprotected. But, that Trap Dike is right up my alley, looks similar to a lot of 14er routes in the class 3 to 4 range. I'm going to do some research as I know zero logistics for it, obviously my dog might sit this one out.

 

[DayTrip]

I never hiked in the Adirondacks, just never had the desire to head that way. I did rock climb on Poko-Moonshine and was almost killed by rockfall, barely made it off the wall with a desperate traverse with 1 piece of gear in 180ft, my second was so scared it took me 30 minutes to convince him to follow me across as he was equally unprotected. But, that Trap Dike is right up my alley, looks similar to a lot of 14er routes in the class 3 to 4 range. I'm going to do some research as I know zero logistics for it, obviously my dog might sit this one out.

The Avalanche Lake area is gorgeous and has fun trails around the perimeter. I think you'd like the peaks in the Great Range. I'd personally get out there more often but the rides are a challenge for me (4h -4h 30m one way) and parking can be really tough.

 

[Peakbagr]

With the splash and spray from water it was a little intimidating in one place but as
TCD noted, the holds are pretty good. I found the slabs sticky enough and not much different that some of the other
ADK slides. There are a couple of problems with the Trap Dike. In cool Fall weather there is shade and there can be ice. And because it's perceived as challenging and difficult, it's sometimes seen as a 'legitimizer' to show you're a 'real' hiker. That sometimes attracts the unprepared.