Allen to McDonnel to Skylight?

[albee]

Hey ADK folks...

I am embarking on 4 days in the Daks to finish my 46 this weekend. 4 of the 7 peaks I have left are Allen, Gray, Cliff, and Redfield. I was hoping I could get all 4 of these on the first 2 days by taking the main herd path to Allen from Upper Works, then bushwhacking over McDonnel to Skylight and tagging Gray, then heading downhill to the Feldspar or Uphill Lean-to for the night. I would then do the usual herd paths to Cliff and Redfield, and back to Upper Works via Flowed Lands.

I have plenty of bushwhacking experience from New England, but I have never 'whacked in the 'dacks before. I understand there are significant blowdowns in many areas from Hurricane Floyd... I just wanted to run this route by any people that have tried it to get their thoughts. I saw that someone had posted a picture of the area on here once, but I can't seem to find it now.

Feel free to try to talk me out of this or suggest other routes. I can handle some pretty long days and I'm comfortable navigating off-trail. I'm hitting the road at 5 PM on Wednesday, so I need ideas quick! Thanks in advance...

P.S. Someone has also suggested going from Redfield to Skylight in order to tag Gray. Is this bushwhack worth the effort, or should I just drop my pack and take the long way around. I could care less about going up Skylight again - I have done it before and I'm looking for the most efficient route to do all 4 of these peaks.

 

[Raymond]

Tom Haskins, we have a question only you can answer...

It’s a pretty steep drop off Allen, but I think it would be an even steeper climb up Redfield, so Skylight would probably be the way to go.

What about backtracking to the closed, supposedly blowdown-ridden Twin Brook Trail to Cliff? That could be easier going, although you’d miss McDonnell that way.

Whatever you do, it looks like a memorable way to finish up, Albee. I look forward to your report. Best of luck.

 

[Neil]

Think:
Allen-Redfield-Redfield/Cliff col-camp (water?)-Cliff slide-Cliff-Cliff Herd path-Opalescent Brook-Feldspar Brook trails-Gray-Loj either via Lake Tear and Marcy or via Lake Arnold (which has a 600 foot speed bump).

See Walkswithblackflies TR for Redfield and Cliff for a part of this itinerary.

 

[Peakbagr]

I think the Allen-McDonnell-Skylight traverse could be very difficult with a full pack and you'd be better base-camping around Flowed Lands to get the other peaks, and hit Allen as a daytrip on the way out.

 

[PINPIN JUNIOR]

Allen to Redfield or Skylight, Cliff slide to Redfield!!!

Hi Everybody.

Only if You like the Adventure with a big A....We hiked 4 times in Winter or in early Spring, Redfield-Allen-Skylight, or a variation and one time in Summer...It is a very dence forest with a lot of blowdowns.

If You stay with this plan the must impotant thing You need to know it is: do not try to sty in the ridge for the first false summit of Allen before Mcdonnel, it is a jungle!!! The West sideis a little bit friendly.

We hiked only one time Cliff slide down and directly up Redfield in a early Spring time, We stay with this sentence, "never a other time"... specialy with the new conditions in the two paths (Redfield and Cliff) You will not safe time if You take the decision to go Directly from Redfield to Skylight for the same reasons.

But You are the only people to know what is your goal and what it is you degtre of tolerance and challenge!!!!

Good Luck, We hope We will read a nice report after this weekend.

Pinpin Junior

 

[Neil]

I think the Allen-McDonnell-Skylight traverse could be very difficult with a full pack and you'd be better base-camping around Flowed Lands to get the other peaks, and hit Allen as a daytrip on the way out.

Agreed, unless the full packs only weigh 20 pounds.

 

[AOC-1]

For this alternative: If you're not interested in Skylight, you can bushwhack from Redfield directly to Lake Tear and the herdpath to Grey. It's a reasonable bushwhack.

 

[albee]

Is the generally accepted "best-route-to-McDonnel" an approach from Allen's summit?

(I hate asking questions like this - I much prefer to get in there and see for myself, but I'm trying to pack the most into a limited timeframe.)

Thanks for the advice, Pin Pin - if we attempt it we will stay off the ridge on the west when heading toward McDonnel.

I won't be alone and my pack will weigh about 25 to 30 lbs. I don't mind getting torn to shreds on a tough bushwhack, but in this case I would only attempt it in an effort to save time and distance. Repeatedly running into blowdown fields would certainly hamper my progress. Thanks again, everyone!

 

[Neil]

but in this case I would only attempt it in an effort to save time and distance.

Ah, that changes everything. I am quite certain that the shortest length of time between two points in this case would be the long way around.

 

[Dennis C.]

If you have long term aspirations .... doing all the 3000s of NY, or the Northeast 770, then getting McDonnel is important. It's a LONG day hike no matter how you choose to get it. Take it out if you're really up for all the abuse. Sue and I approached it from the east in the early spring (with plastic snowshoes) when the upper winter snow cover covered up a lot of blowdowns and other snags. Good luck!

 

[Johnnycakes]

Albee,

I have bushwhacked from Allen to Redfield in the summer. The route we took was not too bad. I probably have some notes from my trip at home. If you are interested, email me and I will give you some more detailed information.

There were four of us (all pretty strong hikers), and I seem to recall it taking us under 12 hours to go from Allen trailhead, then to Redfield via the slide, and then back out to Upper Works. From Allen, we headed back down Allen Brook to Skylight Brook, then up Skylight Brook and took the first major tributary heading north off of Skylight Brook. This route has you passing just east of a marshy area (shown as a small pond at 1,029 meters). We did encounter blowdown along this tributary (from Skylight Brook to a little beyond the marshy area), but if you're comfortable hiking on top of the blowdown (which we found quicker) it's not too bad. From the marshy area, head NNE following the same tributary to get to the base of the slide.

The top of the Redfield slide is steep, but not intimidating in my opinion. Getting to the summit ridge from the top of the slide was tricky, however. There are only a few viable options to gain the summit ridge from the top of the slide. Otherwise, you may have to hike along the ridge for a bit to find a suitable place to continue heading up. If I was hiking with someone else, I wouldn't hesitate take a short cut up a steep ledge, but if I were by myself I would probably keep hiking along the ridge until I found an easier way up. My logic being that if I fell, my partner could get help. No partner = no help. If you're patient you'll find a safe way up though.

From Redfield, you could descend to Moss Pond and follow the drainage out of Moss Pond until you hit the major tributary coming in from the NE. Then follow that tributary NE to Lake Tear of The Clouds and hit Gray Peak from there. Note, I haven't tried this, but I have travelled from Moss Pond to Redfield in the summer and this was not bad. The only problem I see with all this is that it means you're carrying full pack, unless you're extemely ambitious and plan to get Cliff after Gray Peak, and then hike out. This would be a hell of a day hike though and probably not advised. If you had someone coming in to set up camp for you at Uphill Leanto, that would be the way to go. Then you could hike out from Refield via the traditional herd path, and hike Cliff and Gray the next day.

John

Edit:

I see from reading your posts more thoroughly that you won't be alone and that you'll be travellin relatively light for full pack. In that case, I like the route above (Allen, Redfield, Moss Pond, Lake Tear of the Clouds, Gray, Uphill Leanto, Cliff, out to trailhead at Upper Works), as you can camp whenever you like (perhaps around Moss Pond). If you're really considering this, email me ASAP and I will get back to you with coordinates for the base of the Redfield slide (if you use GPS that is). I won't have access to email, internet, etc. on Thursday.

 

[TCD]

But with all this info, heed PinPin's input. It is very dense, with lots of blowdown. There is no generally accepted best route to McDonnel, because almost no one EVER goes to McDonnel. If you read the ADK guidebook (possibly an older edition), there is a discussion that prior to the 1950 huricane, the generally accepted route to Allen was from Skylight, via McDonnel. The hurricane completely destroyed that route. If I were standing on the summit of Skylight, the fastest route to Allen would be to hike back down to the Opalescent, and take the standard route to Allen. The apparent shortcut over McDonnel would take far longer. I don't think you'd save any time there. Knowing PinPin's ability, most of us would probably take 2 days to get across there.

 

[AOC-1]

In that case, I like the route above (Allen, Redfield, Moss Pond, Lake Tear of the Clouds, Gray, Uphill Leanto, Cliff, out to trailhead at Upper Works), as you can camp whenever you like (perhaps around Moss Pond).

Moss Pond is a fragile spot unsuitable for camping. It is also illegal (too high).

 

[Johnnycakes]

Oops! Forgot about the camping restrictions above certain altitude. I was working from Topozone at work and didn't do conversion from meters.

I looked at my notes. 12 hours, 30 min from Allen trailhead to Allen to Redfield via Redfield slide and back to Upper Works, with time spent relaxing on both summits.

John

 

[bridgeman]

Jphnnycakes

Can you attach a topo map with trackpoints of your route?

 

[albee]

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone - in the end, I heeded Neil's advice and went the long way around. I'll post a TR as soon as I get a chance. Looking out at that blowdown-infested mess to the north of Allen really gave me a new appreciation and utmost respect for people that bushwhack in that area.

Anyone know why the section of trail from the Allen herd path past Hanging Spear Falls and over to Flowed Lands is so horribly overgrown and unmaintained? I know it probably doesn't see a great deal of use, but seriously... That is the closest I have ever come to a bushwhack while I was actually following a maintained trail the whole way!!

 

[una_dogger]

So, Albee, what's with the suspense??

Are you now officially a 46er???

 

[Pig Pen]

Albee,

(if you use GPS that is).

He asked if Albee uses GPS.