Why are the Sewards so hard?

[Neil]

Are the Marshall bros. chuckling at our expense?

I thought I'd summit each of the four Sewards on one trip early last December. Well, I've been there 3 times and have 3 peaks! (albeit, one of them twice). What strikes me about this range is that in spite of modest elevation gains and a straightforward appearance on the map they are true butt kickers. I've read more reports of failed trips in the Sewards than any other range. (The Santas are a close second) The 5-Dixes-in-a-day are cake compared to these guys.
So, what gives?

 

[mavs00]

Hmmm, I don't know, just took me one trip

JK, I can't imagine it in Winter, but even in summer, the S,D,E trek (at least from ward brook) is real tough. Maybe it's the trail, maybe its the early steepness, I'm not sure, but it was a toughy for just three peaks.

And there is something just really disheartning when your standing on Emmons and looking ALL THE WAY BACK towards Seward, knowing your going there that really takes the starch out of ya. Anyone else feel that way?

I have a really funny -PICTURE- we took of my daughter upon completing that one. Pretty much captures the moment nicely.

Seymour is a Joy and not hard at all (compared to the other) it's just steep. I loved that one though.

 

[Silverback]

Probably because it is really five peaks to Emmons and back again. That is a lot of up and down through herd paths.

Went with an ADK group and it took us 13 hours (the downside of group hiking. Can only go as fast at the slowest member) from Ward Brook and we finished in the dark. I was too tired to fix anything to eat when we got back. Think I had a Phil's Bar. Add to that (usually) no water after half way up Seward and you have the makings of an interesting day.

Mavs comment about the psychological aspect of standing on Emmons and looking back to what you need to do to get home is well taken. As least the Dix Range is a loop, so you don't have to retrace steps too much (except from McComb to Carson).

I wound up doing Seymour as a day hike on another trip. That was an easy day, except for a nasty thunderstorm and some pyschotic grouse that terrorized me for a few hundred yards.

 

[rhihn]

We did them in three separate day hikes: Donaldson/Emmons from Caulkins Brook, and separate trips for Seymour and Seward. My recollection is that the Donaldson/Emmons hike was the easiest of the three. Most enjoyable for us was Seymour, hands down, and I'd love to do it again. We also experienced probably the same psychotic grouse (on the Blueberry Trail).

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Well, I've been there 3 times and have 3 peaks! (albeit, one of them twice)....
So, what gives?

When I did my winter 46, I had 4 trips for the four peaks, with one of the peaks 3 times. On the other hand, one beautiful Sept day, I did all four, and was finished before suppertime. It's long. A lot of herd path distance. You're probably best going in the traditional route, climbing Seward, Donaldson, Emmons, Donaldson, then descending Calkins Brook.

Also, in my experience, if doing Seymour first, it is faster to descend completely, THEN do the sewards, than to cut across Ouluska Pass. YMMV, and you may find a better route than I did.

Oh note for those sleeping the night at the trailhead to get an early start. If you put your sleeping bag on the ground next to your car, to sleep out under the stars, note that horses are often tied up there. You may wake up the next morning and find that you've been sleeping in horse manure. Trust me on this. It is not a nice wake-up-feeling.

 

[Rick]

Oh note for those sleeping the night at the trailhead to get an early start. If you put your sleeping bag on the ground next to your car, to sleep out under the stars, note that horses are often tied up there. You may wake up the next morning and find that you've been sleeping in horse manure. Trust me on this. It is not a nice wake-up-feeling.

Yeah I discovered that once the air in my megamid warmed up one cold night around 12AM back in '94 - and I didn't have ground cloth to cover the entire shelter - but I knew it was somewhere in there.......

BTW, Pete - It was on Seward 10 years ago this Memorial day (or was it the 4th of July) that we met - Going up Seward and then again at Emmons.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

BTW, Pete - It was on Seward 10 years ago this Memorial day (or was it the 4th of July) that we met - Going up Seward and then again at Emmons.

July 8, 1995. 10 year old Jean-René was with me. We did the four as a two night trip. Hike in, set up camp, climb Seymour, next day, the Sewards, next day, early out.

 

[Rick]

IIRC, you remembered me when I signed up on the Listserve - A great memory indeed.. I wish I could go back to those years again (of course, 10 years ago I was wishing I could go back to the 80's) . It is amazing how fast time goes by....

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Are the Marshall bros. chuckling at our expense?

Perhaps. And at any rate we could blame the brothers Marshall for the "or" in the criteria (3/4 mile distance or 300' rise from the nearest higher peak). Donaldson and Emmons would not make the cut in the Whites or most other lists as they do not have a 200' prominence from Seward. If it was just Seward and Seymour the success rate would no doubt be higher.

BTW the Marshalls missed Emmons the first time. They thought they had done all three on the Seward ridge in 1921, but had gotten confused in all the bumps. They did not discover their error until 1924, and went back for Emmons in 1925 to finish the 46. So if you miss a peak and need to go back you are in good company,

Weather and conditions may be a key. There is not much margin if you are on a short schedule or conditions go bad. Planning a 2 or 3 day hike is some insurance. The DEC regs were easier when I first did them. Seward, Donaldson, and Emmons in the afternoon. Bivouac at 3920' (no longer legal). Donaldson, Seward, and Seymour (from Ward Brook base) the following morning. Mud was bad but not intense. August temperatures were moderate. Few bugs and no psycho critters. Just a little over a 24 hour day in total from the trailhead.

 

[Neil]

BTW the Marshalls missed Emmons the first time. They thought they had done all three on the Seward ridge in 1921, but had gotten confused in all the bumps. They did not discover their error until 1924, and went back for Emmons in 1925 to finish the 46. So if you miss a peak and need to go back you are in good company,

And wouldn't you know it, Emmons is the one we still need!
Hey, what's that chuckling I hear!

 

[professor]

My longest dayl...

I finished the 46 last August on these three, and it was my longest day in the 'dacks. The relentless and deep mud on the upper reaches of Calkins (or is it Caulkins?) Brook and the Donaldson-Emmons ridge certainly slowed me down and sapped my energy. Also, I got temporarily confused going from Donaldson-Seward, by a herd path that seemed to be heading to Ouluska Pass rather than Seward for a while. Finally, I got on a funky herd path heading down from Seward to the Ward Brook Trail, and had to do some serious uphill backtracking to get on the normal path. Good thing I had planned on postponing the champagne until I got home, rather than popping the cork on Seward..

 

[mike1889]

I think the Sewards are harder than most other peaks because the herd paths between them are rougher than paths between other peaks such as the Dixes. Even though they are easy to follow, the paths are very "close," with a lot of thick vegetation. And there are a lot of difficult rocky spots (not really cliffs), that take time to traverse and sap your energy. The herd path up Seward from Ward Brook is long, muddy, and rough. Seward by itself is a worthy day. Then you traverse over Donaldson to Emmons and back to Seward, and you are exhausted. The path from Calkins Brook is definitely easier and makes it possible to climb Seward only once in a day hike.

 

[lumberzac]

I’ve had more trouble traversing the Dix Range than the Sewards, but my trouble with the Dixes has more to do with bad weather than anything. I managed to dayhike all 4 Sewards last summer, but it was by far the longest dayhike I’ve ever done (about 16 hours of hiking). This is definitely a hike I don’t want to repeat, at least going for all 4 in a day.

 

[Hikerdad]

I agree that the Seward-Donaldson-Emmons hike from Ward Brook was one of the toughest hikes we did...I think it's a combination of the ups and downs, distance, five peaks and the rough condition of the paths....I remember thinking that the hike was a real scramble and was really a physical challenge (not a death march like Allen or along the Lake Road when leaving the AMR though...just phisically demanding)...maybe also the feeling of isolation when you're on Emmons that adds a psychological "stress" (or uplift maybe for our hermits??)...

Mavs...the picture of your daughter was GREAT...I got a good chuckle out of it...I have several with my kids in similar circumstances...when I look at them I marvel that even after that they perservered and finished the 46.....Now I just worry about what they're going to do to me when I'm old and senile...