Yard and Big Slide Mountains - High Peaks Wilderness - 3/22/15

I often that the path less traveled.  Today was no exception.  The chosen route was a loop hike of Yard Mountain and Big Slide.  I went clockwise from John's Brook Lodge via the Klondike Trail to the Yard to Big Slide Trail, when down the Slide Mountain Brook trail.

This adventure started from the Garden parking lot in Keene Valley.  I was surprised when I pulled in that there were only 3 parking spots available at just after 8 AM.  It appears that most of the vehicles had arrived the day before and folks had stayed overnight in tents or at the ADK facilities.  I thought that since the winter hiking season had ended, there would be more space in the lot.

I started in on the Phelps trail towards Johns Brook Lodge (JBL) and the only fresh tracks ahead of me were from 2 people on skis.  Between the Garden and JBL, I saw 15 people on their way out.  Some had spent the cold windy night in tents.  The wind chill had been sub-zero overnight.  The weather gods didn't get the word that it is now spring.

The closed up, winterized,  Johns Brook Lodge 

It's 3.5 miles to JBL, but it's an easy walk on a firm surface and I got there in an hour and 10 minutes.  From JBL, the Klondike trail is immediately behind the left side of the building.  There is is a sign denoting the start of the red marker trail. 

The Klondike trail goes from JBL to South Meadow  

I was excited to find the Klondike Trail had a firm base with 2" of fresh powder on top.  It was just about perfect for snowshoeing and it was very pretty with the fresh snow still in the trees.  On the entire loop starting at JBL and back to the Phelps Trail I only saw 2 people (a couple coming down the Slide Mountain Brook trail).    

Rev enjoying the Klondike Trail

The Klondike gets some skiers, but the trail to Yard doesn't get much traffic.  In winter it gets even less.  It certainly felt like the path less traveled today.  Once again, there was a base with a couple inches of powder on top, but as I got near the top (and along the ridge) the track was blown in.  I had to do a little route finding in a couple spots.  The trail is somewhat grown in, and is in need of some sidecutting.  Markers are also a little scarce.

I passed some nice ice flows on the south side of the first sub-summit.  The temperatures had been generally cold, but the strong sun is causing ice to form.

It's ice season

I had the best of both worlds today; I got to hike this loop that is little used, yet with a generally firm base until the ridge, I didn't have to break trail on the steep.  Re-breaking the wind blown ridge wasn't so bad; walking on a surface close to level.  I felt like I was far from civilization, yet I knew once I got to Big Slide, there would be fresh tracks,  I was thinking "this feels like a bushwhack, without the effort".  I got quite covered in snow from the tight trail and snow laden branches.  I also did a lot of walking hunched over  to get below branches when I could. 

Some views of pieces of the Great Range along the way 

Gothics!

A spring wonderland...

I believe this is Marcy

Sign at the top of Yard Mountain

the 2nd sign at the top

As expected, when I got to the summit of Big Slide, it looked like a quite a few people had reached the summit already this morning.  I was there at about noon.  I had the place to myself.  It had been windy on the ridge and I had been wearing my facemask, but the summit of Big Slide was sheltered from the wind and was getting hit by some strong sun rays.  It felt nice!  I gave Rev some food and we basked in the rays for a few minutes before heading down.

Rev on Big Slide

The Great Range

Giant Mountain in the background

Rev waiting patiently to leave Big Slide

... and then not so patiently!

Big Slide - A sunny hot spot...

The 0.3 mile descent from Big Slide to the first trail junction didn't seem as steep as I remembered.  I was able to stay on my feet, even with Rev pulling me.

  

Looking back up towards the summit of Big Slide

At the junction, I turned right to take the path less traveled.  Most people prefer to go back along the ridge over "The Brothers".  It's shorter and has better views.  I've done that enough times so I opted to turn right and take the Slide Mountain Brook Trail.

This trail, while pretty, has limited to no mountain views.  It does go along a nice brook (which was still frozen and snow covered today).  The trail has not seen any humans using snowshoes in the recent past.  All tracks in the snow were from bare booters.   Near the bottom, I ran into one such couple and easily passed them as they struggled without snowshoes .  Please folks, wear snowshoes when it's required.  I did my best to smooth out the trail with my snowshoes as I went down.

Once back on the Phelps trail, I had a easy 2.8 mile walk back to the car and saw no one.  Back at the parking lot around 2 PM and most of the cars were gone.  I signed out at the trail register and saw only 5 groups had signed in all day.

       

Rev climbing the Phelps trail towards the Howard Lean-to

Hike Stats:
Hike Distance:  12 miles
Hike Time:  5.5 hours
Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 3100'

The route and the elevation profile (click either to enlarge) 

The Nat Geo trail map

Big Slide Mountain - High Peaks Wilderness - 5/27/13

The weather on Memorial Day turned out to be perfect in the Adirondacks.  What a change a day makes.  Saturday and Sunday brought lots of rain down low and lots of snow above 2500’.  Monday was sunny all day and warmed to the mid 60’s in Keene Valley by early afternoon.

It didn’t take me too long to decide where to spend the day.  Big Slide Mountain is the only ADK High Peak I hadn’t been on in the last two years, and it was a perfect peak to head for in snowy conditions.  I wasn’t sure how tough the trail conditions would be, and I knew at least we’d get to the Brothers which offer lots of open rock and great views.  Additionally our dog Rev hadn’t been up Big Slide yet so if we reached the summit it would be high peak # 33 for her.

I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to get a parking spot at “the Garden”, the popular trailhead in the area.  Arriving at about 8:30 AM on a holiday in perfect weather, I thought our chances would not be good.  Much to my surprise, the lot was less than half full.  Perhaps the snow up high was scaring people away.

Leesa, Rev and I signed in and were on the trail about 8:40.  The trail for the first ¾ of a mile was in perfect shape.  We soon came across a happy 4 person trail crew; three men and one woman cleaning drainage bars and clearing blowdown.  They said this would be their biggest trail day of the season and they were in festive spirits.  When I came across the young woman, she was swinging an ax while wearing a blue sparkle dress.  They intended to go all the way up the Big Slide Trail, then down to the Johns Brook Valley and up the Phelps Trail to Marcy.  That would be quite a day for trail work in snow conditions.  They gave us permission to take their pictures and post them.  Our thanks to them for their tireless work!



And the trail crew award goes to...

 

This crew did great work

 

... and they had fun doing it

 

Soon after we passed them, the trail began to get wet.  At the First Brother, we saw our first glimpse of snow.  We stopped on the open rock and had a snack.  We could see the whole Great Range coated in snow.  Although only the slides looked white, we knew the ground was also covered in snow.   It was just hidden by the leaves and greenery!



Our first sign of snow, a little below the 1st Brother

 

 

A nice place to stay dry if need be, just before 1st Brother

The ground was covered in snow by the time we reached the 2^ndBrother.  Leesa put on her Microspikes.  I stayed in bare boots all day.  At the 3rd Brother, there was about 6” of snow on the ground.  Several groups were hiking in sneakers, and it was at this point where most of the unprepared folks were turning around.

Leaving the 3^rd brother, we dropped down into the col and the snow (and water) began to get deeper.  In some spots to was impossible to avoid walking in a foot of water, snow and slush.

At one point we had to crawl under some blowdown (we were ahead of the trail crew at that point).  Fortunately there wasn’t any water there.

 

In the col between 3rd Brother and Big Slide

The final push on to Big Slid

 

We did manage to make it to the top of Big Slide.  There was probably a little over a foot of snow.  Not nearly as much as some of the nearby peaks, but that was a good thing.  A foot was enough.

We were treated to bluebird skies and just fantastic views.  The last time I was on Big Slide in February 2010, I arrived on the summit and 2 minutes later fog blew in and I couldn't see a thing, but on this day it was just perfect.

 



Our reward... perfect visibility.  Giant, RPR, Nippletop, Hough, the great range and the Macs, all within view

 

 

Wow!

 

Leesa and Rev on the summit

Going back down was almost like being at Water Slide World in the winter.  It was tricky to stay upright.  Not a good day to butt slide.  We just went slow and easy.  We knew that once we were back to 2nd Brother it be like hiking in summertime.  How cool to have a foot of snow up high and warm dry ground halfway down.

 



Heading back...

 

Mike and Rev on 1st Brother on the way down

 

...and the view from 1st Brother

 

We picked the right mountain on this day.  I heard from other hikers who struggled on summits with much deeper snow and in many cases they couldn't make it.  Big Slide was just right.  We were happy with our day.  Now on with summer!

 

 

Our route shown in blue

 

 

a closer look (click to enlarge)

 

 

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  7.8 miles

Hike Time:  7 hours, including stops

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 3000'