Winter Variation of Bob Marshall's 14 Peak Day

[Tim Seaver]

....Finally, seeing the view from fourteen different mountains all in one day gave me an excellent opportunity to appreciate the distinctive character of these Adirondack mountains, which made each summit leave an entirely different effect of delight....

I was wondering if anyone knows if Bob Marshall's 14 Peaks-In-A-Day route has ever been replicated in winter. Obviously, it would probably take a bit longer and would have to be done in ideal conditions. Pin-Pin? Anyone? Will anyone step forward and break the unwritten (and ineffective) code of ADK Don't Ask/Don't Tell speed-climbing secrecy? I have a feeling Bob wouldn't mind.

From the Wilderness Society

On July 15, 1932, Marshall set a record of a different sort by climbing 14 Adirondack peaks within 19 hours, a feat that required a total ascent of 13,600 feet.)

Cave Dog had included Bob's route on the last day (Nov. 28) of his grand 50 state/50K adventure, but a late morning start, high winds, low visibility, and icy trail conditions forced him to finish his mileage elsewhere.

You can see the route and Bob's delightful description at Cave Dog's Site

And please..PLEASE...tell me "it can't be done"!

 

[sli74]

And please..PLEASE...tell me "it can't be done"!

It can't be done

1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . GO

sli74

 

[blacklab2020]

Direction

Are you thinking about following the original direction as well?

 

[Tim Seaver]

Nice try, Sli...

But what I really need is something with a little more hostility and disdain, perhaps accompanied by a long-winded harangue ( maybe even a tirade) castigating speed hiking and records in general as the sport of egocentric, satan worshipping infidels bent on killing the wilderness as we know it, then proudly displaying it's carcass above a gilded mantle of hollow glory.

After all, the ADK doesn't recognize such records, and besides, winter conditions are always different, and besides....



Black Lab, I am just beginning to research the route, so I will have to get back to you on that one. Very good question, though!

 

[Mr. X]

Nice try, Sli...

But what I really need is something with a little more hostility and disdain, perhaps accompanied by a long-winded harangue ( maybe even a tirade) castigating speed hiking and records in general as the sport of egocentric, satan worshipping infidels bent on killing the wilderness as we know it, then proudly displaying it's carcass above a gilded mantle of hollow glory...

I have an altar of sacrifice you can borrow if the need arises/your short one.

-X

 

[mtn.goat]

It's kind of funny because I was just talking with BlackLab about this recently. I will do a great range in a day hike this winter but I was also contemplating the possibility of a winter dayhike similar to Bob Marshall's. I wouldn't be doing it to break any records but just as a new challenge.

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) the mountains were (in no particular order):
Big Slide, U and L Wolf Jaws, Armstrong, Gothics, Saddleback, Basin, Haystack, Marcy, Skylight, Wright, Algonquin, Iroqouis and Mount Jo.

Now a challenge would be (winter or summer): start at the Loj.. Wright, Algonquin, Iroqouis, Colden, Skylight, Marcy, Haystack.. rest of Great Range, Big Slide.. end at Garden hmmmmm... grueling but fun (if you think of epic endurance events as fun)

My research and experience has shown that the great range is far easier starting from Marcy and working your way towards LWJ then vice versa due to the "cliffs" of Basin and Saddleback and cables of Gothics. All of which in my own opinion is far easier to ascend then descend.

 

[tonycc]

It looks like Bob Marshall missed a golden opportunity to easily include Colden between Skylight and Iroquois. I can understand blowing off Cliff and Redfield since they are trailess, but Colden? What a wuss!

Of course, that trail down Feldspar and Opalescent is one of the finest in the Daks, and could be cause for skipping Colden.

I know this can't possibly be done, by me at least.

Thanks for pointing out this excellent trip report by Bob Marshall, very fun reading.

Tony

 

[Snowflea]

Quite the contrary: I think it can be done.





.

 

[bogorchis]

Winter variation of Bob Marshall's 14 peak day

I bethca that you will try it, Stinky Feet!!
Cheers! Bog Orchis

 

[beverly]

Heed Bob Marshall's words

To begin with, the weather was absolutely perfect

And he's talking July 16th

I don't know that anyone has done it. In theory, it may be possible. However, theory here butts up against the inevitability of High Peaks winter conditions. It doesn't seem conceivable to me that there would be the opportunity to do this hike in 24 hours - where the weather and broken trails would absolutely perfect to make this hike remotely possible. And you don't seem like the kind of guy to recruit the necessary sherpas/porters to ensure ideal conditions.
That being said, I'd say go for it - it's guys like you and Cave Dog (......and PinPin Jr and StinkyFeet and...........)who can push the limits what us armchair naysayers think is possible. I don't mind being proven wrong.

 

[lumberzac]

It looks like Bob Marshall missed a golden opportunity to easily include Colden between Skylight and Iroquois. I can understand blowing off Cliff and Redfield since they are trailess, but Colden? What a wuss!

Of course, that trail down Feldspar and Opalescent is one of the finest in the Daks, and could be cause for skipping Colden.

I know this can't possibly be done, by me at least.

Thanks for pointing out this excellent trip report by Bob Marshall, very fun reading.

Tony

Might also be the fact that there was no trail off of Mount Colden down to Lake Colden at the time.
http://docs.unh.edu/NY/mrcy53nw.jpg

 

[sli74]

It doesn't seem conceivable to me that there would be the opportunity to do this hike in 24 hours - where the weather and broken trails would absolutely perfect to make this hike remotely possible. And you don't seem like the kind of guy to recruit the necessary sherpas/porters to ensure ideal conditions.

Well, I guess if there were a span of "perfect" weather days, one could break trail themselves for a couple of days, coming in from either direction, before attempting the entire thing in one day.

That being said, I'd say go for it - it's guys like you and Cave Dog (......and PinPin Jr and StinkyFeet and...........)who can push the limits what us armchair naysayers think is possible. I don't mind being proven wrong.

Or maybe the entire crew of amazing hikers could get together and help each other, so it is not so much bringing in trailbreakers as doing it as a group?

sli74

 

[blacklab2020]

Tim:

I think it is certainly possible, just like the presidential in a day is... but it is all condition dependent.

I dont know what your experience is in the daks and I hope not to offend you with some possible helpful route info, but it is entirely different from a presidential traverse. There is only one spot on the trail which holds avalanche/slide potential (Gothics), and I have never seen it in the condition to do so. Doesnt mean it doesnt happen, Its 50 degrees up towards the top on sections of the open rock slope. So the avalanche danger (on the trail) is almost nill and the winds are nowhere near that found in the whites, but in general it has shorter steeper more technical sections all over.

When we were there in early jan, saddleback had grade 2 ice (mostly verglas) on the main route. It was really warm there recently and they got quite a bit of rain, but it got cold again this past week and seems is going to warm up and rain again... who knows... saddleback could be warm and dry or iced over with verglas. A tip would be to try it when there is enough snow to cover all the boulders on the trail... similar to what happens in the whites... When that wind slab snow forms, you can cruise right on top of it...

I would also go in the reverse direction as bob marshall as mtn goat has already pointed out... going up basin, saddleback, and gothics in that direction is much easier in the winter than the reverse direction.

Otherwise broken trails and calm weather is a must.

Best of Luck,
Justin

 

[beverly]

I dont know what your experience is in the daks and I hope not to offend you with some possible helpful route info, but it is entirely different from a presidential traverse.
<snip>
I would also go in the reverse direction as bob marshall as mtn goat has already pointed out... going up basin, saddleback, and gothics in that direction is much easier in the winter than the reverse direction.

Speaking from experience with both the Great Range and Presidential summer traverses, the NY Range trails are more rugged/difficult than NH's Presidentials.
And I agree that the reverse direction is easier - but then it wouldn't be the same that Marshall did, would it!

 

[blacklab2020]

Technically, no it wouldnt... (guess you could rappel saddleback, but who wants to carry a rope)...conditions are everything for this feat.

but being as it is winter it wouldnt be the same experience as bob marshall did either...

You would still cover the same ground, over 70-80 years later??? How much have the trails changed?

We could get real technical, but that extent of technicality only really matters to the person who is hiking the terrain and their real goals/ambitions.

 

[Tim Seaver]

ahhh...remotely possible....mmmmm.....dreamy.....

Beverly - It doesn't seem conceivable to me that there would be the opportunity to do this hike in 24 hours - where the weather and broken trails would absolutely perfect to make this hike remotely possible.

That's more like it! - GENUINE skepticism - take note, Sli

Similar concerns were expressed when I put forth the ridiculous notion of a 42 mile, 14,000' elevation gain route known as the Open Hut Traverse in the Whites, which I was finally able to pull off on just such a day as you mentioned, in 19 hours. The ADK route would pack much more elevation gain per mile, but would be significantly shorter, with more trail breaking a strong possibility. Even if it takes longer than a 24 hour push, it would still be a great adventure.

Even on the fairly well travelled route the Hut Traverse takes, I wore snowshoes and broke trail for a number of miles - so I don't feel that SOME trailbreaking would be a problem, but I certainly wouldn't try this after a major dump.

I do recognize that the ADKs in general are wilder, steeper and less tracked in general. It became particularly evident on a winter trip with a friend up the Weld trail to Gothics, over to the Sawteeth and down the "Scenic Trail" over a completely unbroken path, all in deep powder over an icy base. All the ladders were broken . Easily one of the more memorable winter excursions I have been on in the ADK.

In any case, this isn't the kind of thing I approach casually - I would only attempt something like this after quite a bit of trail recon and research.

The direction I do it in really isn't important to me as far as "authenticity", and I really don't think Bob would have gotten stuck on such a point, given the fact that we are talking about WINTER, after all. Now, if I were doing it in the summer like Bob did, that would be a horse of another color, and I would make every attempt to re-enact the famous event in meticulous detail, wearing period dress and tossing out eloquent trail descriptions as I puttered down the trail at a brisk clip in my vintage 1932 hiking boots....

 

[Dave Lang]

sounds like a worthy goal. i wish you good luck. perhaps i will send you a quart of my special venom and barb repellant. as word gets out, the whiners will start taking shots at you. you probably aren't looking for any tips, but, if you are serious about 24 hours, try experimenting with winter running shoes and yaktrax or similar combo. i guess you would still need some real hardware for some spots, but you will figure that out.

 

[Neil]

But what I really need is something with a little more hostility and disdain, perhaps accompanied by a long-winded harangue ( maybe even a tirade) castigating speed hiking and records in general as the sport of egocentric, satan worshipping infidels bent on killing the wilderness as we know it, then proudly displaying it's carcass above a gilded mantle of hollow glory.

Not THAT'S what I call a pre-emptive strike!


Your project is nonsense and is bound to fail. It simply can't be done and you should have your head examined for thinking about it.

How's that?

Lookin' for a partner? I volunteer...


...Pin-Pin Junior.

 

[dr_wu002]

Is this hike harder than a Pemi Loop? I know that that has been done in winter so I can't see why you can't do this hike in winter. Go for it. That must be the most amazing hike -- I love those peaks & thought about how amazing it would be to do them all in one day.

-Dr. Wu

 

[beverly]

Similar concerns were expressed when I put forth the ridiculous notion of a 42 mile, 14,000' elevation gain route known as the Open Hut Traverse in the Whites, which I was finally able to pull off on just such a day as you mentioned, in 19 hours.

Forgot about that one. Still, it was the Whites and not the High Peaks.

I do recognize that the ADKs in general are wilder, steeper and less tracked in general.

You betcha! Not like those wimpy Whites!

The direction I do it in really isn't important to me as far as "authenticity", and I really don't think Bob would have gotten stuck on such a point, given the fact that we are talking about WINTER, after all.

Au contraire, mon frère (Is that how you say it Neil?) Blasphemy! It sounds like you are trying to weasel out of it before you even start.
If you're gonna use the Marshall 14 in a Day moniker, you gotta follow the same route that Marshall did. Or I'll report you to the Ethics Committee!