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

Yard Mountain from South Meadow - 11/12/12

Yard Mountain (4009’) doesn’t get much attention.  Being in the close proximity to Big Slide Mountain, it doesn’t qualify as a 4000’ mountain, since it doesn’t have enough prominence of its’ own.  Still, if you are climbing it from the opposite direction and summit Yard without climbing Big Slide, it “feels” like it should count.  

Leesa and I climbed Yard on 11/12/12 with our dog Rev.  We started from the parking lot at the end of the South Meadow Road (off of Adirondack Loj Road).  Our approach was via the Klondike Notch trail.



 

Very fresh beaver action right near the South Meadow trailhead

 

The first trick is to negotiate the South Meadow drainage that you arrive at within a minute from leaving your car.  The foot bridge crossing the drainage was washed out, and a replacement bridge is not yet in place.  The crossing is not that deep, and we utilized some planks and branches that others had previously laid in the water.  Not bad.  We crossed without getting wet.



Leesa on the makeshift water crossing

 

Intersection with the Mr. Van trailhead

 

It’s a slow gradual climb from South Meadow.  The trailhead elevation is approximately 2100’ and the trail gains only 700’ in the first 1.5 miles as it sidesteps up the slope away from Klondike Brook.  The trail then follows the contour of the slope for a mile with little elevation gain at all before dropping slightly to reach the Klondike leanto at 2.6 miles.  The leanto is in great shape and is located a few paces south of the trail.  A sign marks the side path to the leanto.



 

Klondike Leanto

 

After the leanto, the trail crosses Klondike Brook and enters some softwoods and once again climbs slowly for .8 miles before dropping for .5 miles to the intersection with the trail to Yard Mountain.

 

Intersection with the Yard Mountain Trail

 

This day was windy but warm, and it had been warm for several days prior, so ice was nonexistent and traction aids were not needed.  We had reached the intersection in 2 hours and the trail had gained 1000’ in the 4 miles to the Yard Mountain trail intersection,.  The 1.2 mile push to the top would be 1000’.  On this day there was no difficulty in the climb.  It took about 45 minutes.



 

 

The Great Range!
 

The summit of Yard Mountain is treed, so the wind didn’t blow us over.  There is a nice view of the Great Range from a rock on the south side of the summit.  Marcy, Colden, Wright and Algonquin are also visible.

 

We had lunch at the top and poked around a bit.  I had also wanted to check out the trail that continued 1.5 miles to the summit of Big Slide, but there wasn’t time.  It will be there another day.



Colden, Wright and Algonquin

 

No time on this day to continue on to Big Slide

 

the summit

 

and of course a snack for Rev...

We descended back down to the Klondike Brook Trail and backtracked to the car.  The Klondike is a good trail for cross-country skiing in the winter and it is in good shape.  I only counted 2 trees down across the trail in the 4 miles we were on it.   We didn’t see any other hikers on the trail all day.  Next time here will be on skis!

 

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  9.6 miles

Hike Time:  5 hrs, 50 minutes

Total Vertical Gain:  2830'

 



Our route for the day (click image to enlarge)

 



Our route as shown on National Geographic Topo (click to enlarge)