XC Ski - Short Swing Trail to Horseshoe Pond - Pharaoh Lake Wilderness - 2/15/15

It was another cold day in the north country on Sunday 2/15, but I find that if you choose the right activity, and location, you can be comfortably warm.  Cross country skiing is a physical activity that I can do, even in the coldest temperatures if I stay out of the wind.

The route I chose Sunday was the Short Swing Trail in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness.   The first quarter mile is tough on skis.  Once you cross Paragon Brook on a little foot bridge the trail widens out on an old road and although you begin to climb, it is easier.

I found it to be a joy to ski the first 2.4 miles to the Tubmill Marsh lean-to, although two downed trees at the bottom of a pair of downhill glides provided for a little excitement.  0,3 miles past the lean-to, the trail begins to climb again, this time 380' in a mile.  I was able to climb this without skins, but I did a couple herringbones and relied on my arms and poles to help get me up this section. 

Tubmill Marsh lean-to

Tubmill Marsh

At 3.4 miles, I reached the trail junction with the Tubmill Marsh trail and I turned right to head SW towards Horseshoe Pond.  I was still following an old set of snowshoe tracks which provided a nice consolidated base that was now covered with a couple inches of powder. 

The old snowshoes tracks provided a welcome base for my skis

Very quickly after my turn on the Tubmill Marsh Trail, the grade turned steep enough that I stopped to put on my climbing skins.  At the top of the grade, there was a short downhill stretch before Horsehoe Pond, but i left the skins on the skis because it was too cold to fool with taking them on and off.   

Honey Pond

Potter Mountain from Honey Pond

I passed Honey Pond along the way and enjoyed the view of Potter Mountain which is a nice open summit that I bushwhacked to last year. 

A zoom view of Potter Mountain

Rev and I reached Horseshoe Pond and I skied out on the frozen lake to the point located inside the horseshoe.

Horseshoe Pond

Leaving Horseshoe Pond

Horseshoe Pond was my turnaround point on this day so I did an about face and enjoyed following my ski track back the way I had come.  I removed my skins at the place I had put them on.  There were several nice downhill glides that took me back to the Tubmill Marsh lean-to.  The uphill grade after that was steeper than it seemed while going down, but I managed to climb it without skins.  

Even though the windchill was below zero all day, I had my gloves off quite often.  It's amazing how warm I stay while backcountry skiing.  I just don't stop for long because within a couple minutes that warm feeling can disappear.

Ski Stats:

Ski Distance:  8.5 miles

Ski Time:  4 hours, 15 minutes

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 1300'  

The out and back profile (9x exaggeration)

The route on the Nat Geo map

Short Swing Trail - Pharaoh Lakes Wilderness - 11/2/13

On Saturday, I found myself doing house projects in the morning, but by lunchtime I was free.  I pulled out my map and looked for a trail that I hadn't been on.  The Short Swing Trail off of Route 74 in Ticonderoga caught my eye.  Leesa and I threw our gear in the car and off we went.

Four pickup trucks were in the lot as we pulled in ... most likely hunters.  We put on our orange and put Rev's red coat on her.  We were expecting some rain so we brought our rain gear.

The first thing I noticed about this trail was how smooth it was.  It would be a great xc ski trail, at least for the first 2.4 miles to the Tubmill Marsh leanto.   There is a nice long gradual ascent followed by an easy descent to the leanto.  

Trail junction w/ the Tubmill Marsh leanto spur

 It was 60 degrees out and plenty warm for November 2nd.  I was hiking with a T shirt on.  The rain sprinkles early on disappeared and we got breaks of sun as we reached the leanto.  We saw our first hunter near there.  We also saw a group of 4 hikers.

Tubmill Marsh is a nice leanto.  It is in good shape and has a nice fire ring in front.  There is no running water nearby, but a nice location none the less. 

Tubmill Marsh Leanto

We really had no agenda for this hike.  We were just going to hike until we felt like turning around, depending on weather.  Since it was getting nicer out, we continued on towards the Lilypad Pond leanto; another 1.1 miles down the trail.  This section of trail was a little rougher, and would be tougher section of trail to ski.  Still not hard, but not like the first couple miles. 

Trail junction just prior to Lilypad Pond

When we reached Lilypad Pond leanto we stopped for some food and drink.  The sun had disappeared and a very light rain was coming and going.   

Lilypad Pond

Lilypad pond leanto

Leesa and I discussed whether to head east to Rock Pond, SW to Crab Pond, or turn back at this point.  Leesa voted to head to Rock Pond and I didn't have a preference, so that is the direction we headed.  Rock Pond is 1.1 miles east of Lilypad Pond.

We had just passed a marsh on our left, and were about halfway to Rock Pond when I heard flowing water.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see a small 6 foot waterfall on my left.  We left the trail to go look it and soon discovered that this was just the lower falls below a much bigger upper falls!  The upper falls is probably 25-20 feet high.   What a pleasant surprise.  My pictures don't do it justice.  This falls is worthy of being a destination in itself.

Falls just off the trail midway between Lilypad Pond and Rock Pond

This would really be a fun spot in the summer.  I had no idea this falls was here.  There was no indication on the maps that I had.  I bet it flows pretty good in the spring.  My pictures didn't come out that good (my fault, I had the setting wrong when I took them).  

 

We spent about 30 minutes here at the falls just looking around.  You can easily walk on the ledge at the bottom of the upper falls.  There are nice pools of water below each falls.

  

 

Not quite warm enough to go in!

 

After leaving the falls, we walked the remaining .6 miles to Rock Pond.   Trails go around both sides of the pond and Rock Pond is a pretty pond, but it was time for us to turn around.  We had a couple hours t get back to the car before darkness would begin to set in.    

 

Trail signs at the west end of Rock Pond

Rock Pond

 

 

On our way back, it began to rain more steadily, but then stopped as we re-passed Tubmill Marsh leanto.  We got back to the car just before 5:30... at just the same time as the hunter we saw near the first leanto.

 It had been a pleasant walk and the waterfall was a nice spot.  I may be back to this area on skis.

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  9.2 miles

Hike Time:  3.5 hours

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 1200' 

Our route (click image to enlarge)