Recent content by carlhoward

Yes, if there are herd or other paths along the N and S Forks I'll attempt to find and follow them. Where is the best place to park? Is it legal to pull off onto the shoulder closest to Lilypad? What is the suggested route up East Dix? via slide?

Well done Neil. I'm whacking in to East Dix from Route 73 in two weeks and am interested in snow/trail conditions. A lot can change before then, but tell me a bit more about the conditions both down low and higher up. I'll be on BC skis as much as possible. Thanks, Carl, 4258W

Busy day on the trials. Never seen so many cars over-filling the Allen parking area (anything of note going on? Have the bridges washed out by Irene been replaced?). We ascended from Tohowus to Flowed Lands. The trail was well-broken and packed. I skied up and across FL to the lean-to at the...

Interesting idea, I'll have to try that. My brother and I were whited out atop Algonquin and managed to use our compasses to get ourselves off the top and back down onto the trail. Wasn't easy but we did it.

It is just so critically important to carry a map and compass and know how to use them. When I take groups I suggest that everyone have at least a zeroxed copy of the map inside a ziplocked bag and we periodically check the map and use the compass so that everyone has a sense where he/she is. So...

On Feb 26 we opened the route from the Garden to Little Porter and Porter. There was only a few inches of snow down low but climbing Little Porter we encountered half a foot of new powder, between Little Porter and Porter we found one to two feet of powder, and the entire climb of Porter we...

We lucked out. A fresh foot of powder fell Feb 24-25 which made the ski in on the Ausable Lake Road fabulous. The trail to Colvin was broken for us by three climbers who we caught right at the summit. Then Richard Sullivan and Usher Winslett opened the route to Blake. Conditions right now are...

Anyone know if the road in to the Lake is covered and skiable? And if the Lake is frozen and skiable? And if the route from the Lake to the col is broken? Thanks, Carl

My 1987 map does not show where one accesses the Cold River trail (Essex to Franklin county). Can someone send me a 'snap-shot' for this? What map shows this point? I am interested in the possibility of climbing Emmons via the old slide on its SE side. Anyone tried that? Thanks, Carl

Allen Chris, Did you go....? Hope I didn't get you lost. Carl

Allen Chris, Allen is one of my favorite climbs in the HIgh Peaks, but if no one in your group has done it, route-finding is definitely a challenge. Even the initial supposedly yellow DEC-marked trail is not well marked. Plus, there are many roads and trails that intersect which you do not...

Allen Chris, Provided you cross above (i.e., upstream of) the downed bridge, the water is not deep and the current not strong. As you come down the hill from the parking lot, as the trail bends right, look straight toward the river for signs of the temporary crossing. There is a worn path that...

Thanks to reports on VFTT I knew that the bridges were down and that we should carry water-shoes. My daughters and I started in our water-shoes and waded across the Hudson. One should cross upstream of the collapsed bridge. Then stay in your water-shoes for the half-mile easy hike to Lake Jimmy...

My daughters and I climbed Allen on Saturday, Oct 1, a 13 hour affair. If you go, understand that you will have to wade across two rivers and one flooded causeway over Lake Jimmy. I suggest that you not put on your boots until after you have crossed the Hudson (upstream from the collapsed...

Thanks for the replies. Has the State finalized its acquisition of the property along the approach to Allen? Has the route to Allen changed in the last year or so? Might we be able to park sooner, at/near the old "strip mine"? Might a new trail go straight up the South Branch to Skylight Brook?