ALGonquin Bob
Well-known member
I had planned to hike Colden on Saturday, stay at Uphill Brook LT, then Redfield on Sunday. Saturday morning brought mild temps, but rain, too. I wore my “new” breathable rain pants for the first time. Together with a good rain jacket, I was quite comfortable. I signed in at the trail head by the HPIC, noticing that Pin-Pin Jr had been there, hiking up Phelps – you can’t help but notice that pink ink and the little rabbit drawing. 
The walk to Marcy Dam and Avalanche Camp was unremarkable, except for the Spring-like conditions and raging rapids in the normally babbling brook along the trail. I mean Class 3 rapids and standing waves. Very impressive. As I headed up the hill toward Lake Arnold, I encountered a group of hikers that was descending. They, too, had intended to climb Colden, but after spending about an hour trying to find a safe way over or around a river that was flowing across the trail, they turned back. The trail was impassable, at least on that day. We all hiked out feeling somewhat unfulfilled, I think. So my Saturday hike was somewhat abbreviated…
That night, I decided to drive up to Wilmington and stay at the Whiteface trailhead. On Sunday, I hiked up Esther and Whiteface from the reservoir. The route was familiar from my last time up there in early May of 2002. One other hiker started just as I was waking up. The walk up to Marble Mountain seemed to take too long, but the toboggan shelter and Esther cairn soon followed. The walk through the woods to the top of Esther went quickly. There is a yellow “Esther” disk in a tree on the summit that I didn’t see in ’02. Several other people were also hiking Esther on Sunday. I saw only two other hikers, also solo, who were going all the way up to Whiteface that day. As I climbed up the wall at the Wilmington turn, I stood and looked over at the great view of Esther. Climbing up to begin the final push to the summit, I saw a white Jeep driving down the mountain – an unexpected sight. Later, I saw the same vehicle drive up again; a lot of traffic for a closed road in January!
The snow on the final section below the top was deeper, and I postholed (sorry Pin-Pin). Keeping on the rocks made it easier. The view from that arête is spectacular. The summit was all mine, as it was on my previous hike there five years ago – there was more snow that May than there was last weekend. After a few photos, including the mandatory self-portrait by the summit sign, I headed back down. After 45 minutes or so, I met 3 young people who were on their way up, and very lightly equipped Among the 3 of them, I saw just one thermos jug, and I think, one small backpack. I hope they had flashlights or headlamps. And me all decked out in hiking clothes, gaiters, a comparatively big pack, and crampons (not needed). Kids! (I wish I could do that).
The plan for Monday was to top out on Rocky Peak Ridge, so after the Whiteface hike, I drove down to Lake Placid, stopped at Stewart’s, phoned home, and continued down Rt. 73 to St. Hubert’s where I stayed that night in my car. Monday morning greeted me with about a half-inch of wet snow, and more rain. If I wasn’t already up there, I would have stayed home. After boiling a couple quarts of water, I donned my rain gear and started up the Zander Scott (Ridge) trail toward Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge.
Signing in at the register, I saw that Pin-Pin Jr. had hiked Giant-RPR on Saturday, but with the new snow, the only rabbit tracks that I saw looked more like those of a snowshoe hare. I carried snowshoes and crampons, but started out wearing my new “Get-a-Grip” stabilicer-style footwear.
It was quite wet at the beginning, and I was pleased when conditions turned icy and somewhat dryer, well… except for the freezing rain. It continued to rain for the first 2 or 3 hours, then turned into a light snow and finally stopped. Having said that, it actually seemed to get warmer as the day went by. I finally got to use my crampons, and kept them on the remainder of the day until descending into the wet zone on my way out. The elevation gain, coupled with a relatively short trail, made for a slow, steep climb. I decided to take the “over the bump” option when that became available, since I opted for the shorter route on my previous trips up that trail. The junction sign for Rocky Peak Ridge, just below the top of Giant, was encased in about a half-inch of crystal clear ice – I wish I’d carried my camera! Though I didn’t “need” Giant in winter, I of course walked the extra five minutes up from the RPR junction sign to stand on the fog shrouded, and consequently viewless, summit of Giant of the Valley (I love that name!). It was windy on the summit, but not any more than I’d expect on a January day up there.
As I descended into the RPR col, the fog cleared so that I could see the task that lay ahead of me. That’s quite a dip between those mountains. The wind became very strong as I approached the low point between mountains. I at last emerged from the forest and climbed onto the open summit of Rocky Peak Ridge. The wind was eye-watering strong, but I enjoyed every minute of it on that beautiful rocky top. If it wasn’t so cold, I might have broken into song… “the hills are aliiiive….”. All good things must end,; I began my long descent into the col and climbed back up Giant. It’s a long way to go just to start hiking out, isn’t it? The descent was easy, even by headlamp, because I merely had to look down and follow my own footptrints. I completed the hike at 7 O-Clock. After visiting Stewart’s in Keene, I returned to the St. Hubert’s parking area for the night.
It was a good day on the mountain, and I’m glad I went. That’s 23 winter peaks now – I’m half-way there! Next up: The Great Range Jan 19-23.
The walk to Marcy Dam and Avalanche Camp was unremarkable, except for the Spring-like conditions and raging rapids in the normally babbling brook along the trail. I mean Class 3 rapids and standing waves. Very impressive. As I headed up the hill toward Lake Arnold, I encountered a group of hikers that was descending. They, too, had intended to climb Colden, but after spending about an hour trying to find a safe way over or around a river that was flowing across the trail, they turned back. The trail was impassable, at least on that day. We all hiked out feeling somewhat unfulfilled, I think. So my Saturday hike was somewhat abbreviated…That night, I decided to drive up to Wilmington and stay at the Whiteface trailhead. On Sunday, I hiked up Esther and Whiteface from the reservoir. The route was familiar from my last time up there in early May of 2002. One other hiker started just as I was waking up. The walk up to Marble Mountain seemed to take too long, but the toboggan shelter and Esther cairn soon followed. The walk through the woods to the top of Esther went quickly. There is a yellow “Esther” disk in a tree on the summit that I didn’t see in ’02. Several other people were also hiking Esther on Sunday. I saw only two other hikers, also solo, who were going all the way up to Whiteface that day. As I climbed up the wall at the Wilmington turn, I stood and looked over at the great view of Esther. Climbing up to begin the final push to the summit, I saw a white Jeep driving down the mountain – an unexpected sight. Later, I saw the same vehicle drive up again; a lot of traffic for a closed road in January!
The snow on the final section below the top was deeper, and I postholed (sorry Pin-Pin). Keeping on the rocks made it easier. The view from that arête is spectacular. The summit was all mine, as it was on my previous hike there five years ago – there was more snow that May than there was last weekend. After a few photos, including the mandatory self-portrait by the summit sign, I headed back down. After 45 minutes or so, I met 3 young people who were on their way up, and very lightly equipped Among the 3 of them, I saw just one thermos jug, and I think, one small backpack. I hope they had flashlights or headlamps. And me all decked out in hiking clothes, gaiters, a comparatively big pack, and crampons (not needed). Kids! (I wish I could do that).
The plan for Monday was to top out on Rocky Peak Ridge, so after the Whiteface hike, I drove down to Lake Placid, stopped at Stewart’s, phoned home, and continued down Rt. 73 to St. Hubert’s where I stayed that night in my car. Monday morning greeted me with about a half-inch of wet snow, and more rain. If I wasn’t already up there, I would have stayed home.
After boiling a couple quarts of water, I donned my rain gear and started up the Zander Scott (Ridge) trail toward Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge. Signing in at the register, I saw that Pin-Pin Jr. had hiked Giant-RPR on Saturday, but with the new snow, the only rabbit tracks that I saw looked more like those of a snowshoe hare. I carried snowshoes and crampons, but started out wearing my new “Get-a-Grip” stabilicer-style footwear.
It was quite wet at the beginning, and I was pleased when conditions turned icy and somewhat dryer, well… except for the freezing rain. It continued to rain for the first 2 or 3 hours, then turned into a light snow and finally stopped. Having said that, it actually seemed to get warmer as the day went by. I finally got to use my crampons,
and kept them on the remainder of the day until descending into the wet zone on my way out. The elevation gain, coupled with a relatively short trail, made for a slow, steep climb. I decided to take the “over the bump” option when that became available, since I opted for the shorter route on my previous trips up that trail. The junction sign for Rocky Peak Ridge, just below the top of Giant, was encased in about a half-inch of crystal clear ice – I wish I’d carried my camera! Though I didn’t “need” Giant in winter, I of course walked the extra five minutes up from the RPR junction sign to stand on the fog shrouded, and consequently viewless, summit of Giant of the Valley (I love that name!). It was windy on the summit, but not any more than I’d expect on a January day up there.As I descended into the RPR col, the fog cleared so that I could see the task that lay ahead of me. That’s quite a dip between those mountains. The wind became very strong as I approached the low point between mountains. I at last emerged from the forest and climbed onto the open summit of Rocky Peak Ridge. The wind was eye-watering strong, but I enjoyed every minute of it on that beautiful rocky top. If it wasn’t so cold, I might have broken into song… “the hills are aliiiive….”.
All good things must end,; I began my long descent into the col and climbed back up Giant. It’s a long way to go just to start hiking out, isn’t it? The descent was easy, even by headlamp, because I merely had to look down and follow my own footptrints. I completed the hike at 7 O-Clock. After visiting Stewart’s in Keene, I returned to the St. Hubert’s parking area for the night.It was a good day on the mountain, and I’m glad I went. That’s 23 winter peaks now – I’m half-way there! Next up: The Great Range Jan 19-23.
