Wanika Falls approach to Street and Nye

[Doc McPeak]

Just curious if anyone has been up this way recently. When I was up to S & N a couple of springs ago there was a distinct herdpath leading west at the junction.

Any recent input about paths, blowdown, obstacles, the Nye-wolf, etc. would be appreciated. I'm not thinking of the backside slide to Nye, but more the old route up the drainage behind the Lean-to.

Also, is the LT still there?

 

[lumberzac]

I don't know about the herd path up, but I do know that the lean-to has been removed.

 

[peak_bgr]

I'm also interested. Would love to try that approach.

 

[stoopid]

I'm also interested. Would love to try that approach.

What he said.

Uh, er... BUMP!

 

[Johnnycakes]

Doc,

I was up that way this past summer. It's a very nice hike, and the stream above Wanika falls is one of my favorites. It's unique in that it splits and rejoins itself a few times, sometimes with large islands between the two separate branches. The herd path is faint, if noticeable at all in spots. I wonder if the path you saw wasn't part of the the more recently abandoned maze of paths that the 46ers recently tried to brush out.

No real blowdown or obstacles worth mentioning. There is a very pretty vly along the route that should not be missed. It is unique, and there aren't too many of them in the High Peaks (that I know of anyway). It is close to the Stree-Nye ridge.

If you intend to approach Wanika Falls via the old, abandoned Northville Placid Trail (which shaves 3 miles off the trip one way), expect to find a lot of beaver activity that will slow your progress and perhaps even necessitate a slight change in your intended route. Although longer, I would recommend approaching via the current Northville Placid Trail, and spotting a car a the HPIC so you can take the short, quick hike out after hitting the summits.

I think this would make a great winter ski trip. If you do it, let me know what you think of ski/snowboard potential on this route.

John

 

[Doc McPeak]

Hey John!

I thought you might have explored this route. The old path I saw could have been a false herd path, makes sense.

The route sounds great. I was looking at a way to do a big backpacking loop from the HPIC and take in Duck Hole and return via the NPT with a one way up and other S&N. The plan would be to camp near WF, and have a full day to make my way up the backside and down the new and improved herd path. Sound feasible?

As for a snowboard trip, I'll scout it out. We still need to do Bennies Brook. And if we can get a certain someone to open up snowmobile access to Allen, snowboard the slide there. That would be too

Thanks for the beta.
Doc

 

[Johnnycakes]

Doc,

Wanika Falls to the HPIC (via Street & Nye) in a day is definitely feasible, even with a full pack. Sounds like a nice plan. The terrain is actually quite moderate. That's why I thought it might make a nice ski descent. I'm not the best skier, or even close to it for that matter.

John

 

[stoopid]

Just wanted to chime in that I was reading the McMartin "Discover the high peaks" and she mentioned that following the river's northern fork up from Wanika falls will lead you to the col between street and nye. There's also a slide on Nye you can bushwack .3 miles to from the Northville Placid trail. Details on where to intersect that slide are sketchy at best (4.7 miles from the NPT trailhead), and I don't recall seeing the slide last summer when I hiked that stretch of the NPT.