News on Marcy Dam area/roads into Keene?

[sijesi]

Hey, some friends of mine and I are planning a trip to the 'Dacks in early January. I remember how hard Irene hit the Keene Valley region, and I think I remember reading that Marcy Dam sustained some major damage. My crew had been planning to stay at a lean-to in the Marcy Dam area, maybe get a peak from there. Is this still viable (roads/trails passable, lean-tos intact), or should we be looking to camp elsewhere?

Thanks.

 

[DSettahr]

The roads are all open at this point, so you should be fine for your drive.

As far as being in the woods, the trails are mostly all open (with 1 or 2 minor trails still being closed that few people use anyways). A lot of bridges went out during the floods, and not all have been replaced yet. In particular, the bridge over Marcy Dam is out. A reroute has been marked below the dam, but if the water is high, crossing the brook could be difficult.

Other than that, things are once again in good shape. A trip into Marcy Dam to camp and climb one or two high peaks is certainly doable at this point, with only minor inconveniences as a result of Irene. Enjoy your trip!

 

[rdl]

The truck trail to Marcy Dam would avoid the newly marked and possibly questionable crossing(due to water/ice level) below the dam.