mavs00
New member
I suppose every hike is a learning experience, particularly in the early years, this trip report details my first failure at a non-winter ADK high peak (in my 39th attempt). For some, It will undoubtedly be boring, but if it conjures some past failure of your own that you learned from, I hope you’ll share it with me (or us).
To start, I should note that the high peaks area got 2+ inches of rain in the 30 hours preceding our hike. Sunday, 5/23/04. The hike started out cool (mid 50's) with drizzle. On this hike was myself, my wife and our two children (ages 13 & 11).
We started out at about 7:40 from the LOJ (Heart Lake) and planned on heading out towards Indian Pass and then up Cold Brook Pass to the herd path in the col between Iroquois & Marshall.
Things were fine for the first 2 miles, the trail was wet, but expectedly so, considering the rain. As we began to pass along the front of the towering (5000'+) McIntyre Range, we started noticing the occasional brook crossings kept getting larger and larger. Also, we began to distinctly hear the thunder of Indian Pass Brook as it ran parallel (but out of sight) of the trail.
Soon, the trail itself became a waterway. If the trail was flat, there was 6-8 inches of standing water, if there was any incline or decline; there was a running stream in it. We often found ourselves bushwhacking 10-15 yds on either side of the trail to avoid the quagmire of the trail.
Between miles 3-6, we had no fewer than 12 significant water crossings, each one requiring more care, more time and more planning in order to safely get past. By the way, water crossings with children can be significantly more challenging then it is with adults (shorter legs).
As we made the turn onto the Cold Brook Pass trail, the thunder of Indian Pass Brook, was surpassed by the deafening roar of Iroquois Pass Brook as it cascaded down the pass. There came a point where further crossings (the trail hopscotch’s from one side to the other for awhile) changed from merely annoying (in the valley) to downright dangerous (headed up to the pass) We made it to about 3100 feet.
There we reached a crossing that was too scary to contempate, literally 5-7 feet across through a wall of water that shot through a slot. We could have pressed on by climbing high above the notch and bushwhacking along some steep ledges to avoid the water, but one look at my 11 y/o daughter's chattering teeth and soaked gear sealed the deal, time to head the 6 miles (over the same crossings) back to the car. After a long and sloppy 4 hour we reached the car, no worse for the wear, but rich with things we learned.
LESSONS
Thanks for indulging me.
See some trip photos HERE (Marshall - Failed attempt)
To start, I should note that the high peaks area got 2+ inches of rain in the 30 hours preceding our hike. Sunday, 5/23/04. The hike started out cool (mid 50's) with drizzle. On this hike was myself, my wife and our two children (ages 13 & 11).
We started out at about 7:40 from the LOJ (Heart Lake) and planned on heading out towards Indian Pass and then up Cold Brook Pass to the herd path in the col between Iroquois & Marshall.
Things were fine for the first 2 miles, the trail was wet, but expectedly so, considering the rain. As we began to pass along the front of the towering (5000'+) McIntyre Range, we started noticing the occasional brook crossings kept getting larger and larger. Also, we began to distinctly hear the thunder of Indian Pass Brook as it ran parallel (but out of sight) of the trail.
Soon, the trail itself became a waterway. If the trail was flat, there was 6-8 inches of standing water, if there was any incline or decline; there was a running stream in it. We often found ourselves bushwhacking 10-15 yds on either side of the trail to avoid the quagmire of the trail.
Between miles 3-6, we had no fewer than 12 significant water crossings, each one requiring more care, more time and more planning in order to safely get past. By the way, water crossings with children can be significantly more challenging then it is with adults (shorter legs).
As we made the turn onto the Cold Brook Pass trail, the thunder of Indian Pass Brook, was surpassed by the deafening roar of Iroquois Pass Brook as it cascaded down the pass. There came a point where further crossings (the trail hopscotch’s from one side to the other for awhile) changed from merely annoying (in the valley) to downright dangerous (headed up to the pass) We made it to about 3100 feet.
There we reached a crossing that was too scary to contempate, literally 5-7 feet across through a wall of water that shot through a slot. We could have pressed on by climbing high above the notch and bushwhacking along some steep ledges to avoid the water, but one look at my 11 y/o daughter's chattering teeth and soaked gear sealed the deal, time to head the 6 miles (over the same crossings) back to the car. After a long and sloppy 4 hour we reached the car, no worse for the wear, but rich with things we learned.
LESSONS
- The rainfall amounts in the 36 hours preceding a hike are significantly more important then those on hike day.
- A lot of water can accumulate (and then drain) off a 5000'+ mountain range in a few hours
- Much greater care and planning needs to be taken when attemping to get 48-50 inch bodies accross raging rivers than it does for 71 inch bodies.
- Kids may not tell you when "enough is enough". They may not see the danger in crossing 5-7 foot accross a plunging wall of water. YOU MUST.
- The risks you are personally willing to take should be reduced significanty when it comes to others (particularly your kids).
- The water will eventually run off and return to normal levels within a few days. The mountain and trail will still be there for you to conquer on another day.
Thanks for indulging me.
See some trip photos HERE (Marshall - Failed attempt)
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Some of those shots (the milder ones) remind me of a trip I did last fall to Stratton Pond and Dorset Mtn. The water was deep, but not raging (although I did slide the Subaru sideways through a crossing on my way home!). Deep and raging scares the cr*p out of me!
