The trip from hell -- Great Range Wed Th Fri

[oldfogie]

Got a late start on Wednesday intending to do as much of the GR as possible. What a great day. Temp just at freezing. Lost daylight though 200' from the top of Upper WJ and had to bivy on the only flat spot I could find, a 3' X 5' ledge. My tent sucks to bat.

Ahy hoo, woke up way too late, about 10:00 only to be passed by a group of 10 adults and young people carrying full pack like me. Said their intent was to do the whole range and then on to Marcy from Haystack. Whew!

I got only as far as Gothics on a superb day. Bright sunshine all day. Snowshoes helpful but not necessary since the trail was well packed. About 10" of fluff over a denser base. As it was getting late, I descended the ribbon slide (I love that thing... kinda like an escalator) down Gothics to the Orebed trail and headed out.

As I approached the Johns Brook Lodge area, I thought I'd save some time by following the East side trail along the brook. It looked like someone else had done it so I figured I'd just follow their bootprints. BAD IDEA! The prints only went about a half mile before they turned up toward the slide on LFJ. But the trail was very open and I kept going. BAD IDEA. This trail really sucks. It's badly marked (like so many of the high peaks trails) and enters the edge of Johns Brook for a while where it is very difficult with full pack and snowshoes.

At this point it was getting dark and I kept looking for the crossover to the other side of Johns Brook. Well, there ain't none!! Maybe I missed it in the dark, but it never crossed the Brook. However the trail kept going! I bivied for the night figuring I'd find the cross over around the next bend when it was daylight. At 4:00am it started raining. My tent sucks in the rain too.

I hit the trail again at 8:00am. It never crossed the brook. It just kept going down, down down until I'm seeing camps! Dang! And then a road. Crap! I ended up going all the way down to Keene Valley almost before I had to turn back up to the Garden. I never did see any sign indicating a cut across to the West side of the brook. According to the map, it just goes right there.

Is there a bridge there? Maybe it's just as well, because maybe it's been washed out & I'd have to continue on down the E side trail anyway. The map does not indicate that this E side trail continues to the public camp areas.

Worst trip of my life in the Daks! Pity though the ones who were starting in today in the rain.

Can't wait to get back there. Heheh! Must be an addiction.

Joe 3102W

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

"Worst trip of my life in the Daks! ...Can't wait to get back there. Heheh! Must be an addiction."

You got that right! Those "bad" trips provide some vivid memories, though.

 

[mike1889]

Is there a bridge there? Maybe it's just as well, because maybe it's been washed out & I'd have to continue on down the E side trail anyway. The map does not indicate that this E side trail continues to the public camp areas.

I think you were on the Southside Trail. There is no bridge across Johns Brook, the trail just crosses the brook on the rocks. I remember not being able to find the crossing in the summer as it was poorly marked, so I can imagine why it was hard to find in the winter. I imagine locals use the unmarked trail that continues down to the camps.

 

[MrOysterhead]

I may be mistaken, but I think the southside trail enters private property after it crosses Johns Brook and is some sort of privatly maintained trail. I coulda sworn I saw it labeled on maps like that...I'll have to check...

cheers
Oysterhead

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

That Southside Trail DOES suck. I took it out after hiking the Great Range this past spring. It wasn't fun then... I don't wanna picture it in the winter. I remember the cross-over trail being well marked, however. No bridge, but an easy rock-hop.

 

[Oldsmores]

That Southside Trail DOES suck. I took it out after hiking the Great Range this past spring. It wasn't fun then... I don't wanna picture it in the winter. I remember the cross-over trail being well marked, however. No bridge, but an easy rock-hop.

The ONLY good thing about the Southside Trail is that there are some great swimming holes along it (probably some good fishing too, but I can't vouch for that). I came out that way last summer and swore I wouldn't do it again. I don't remember the crossing as being too tough, but I do remember wandering around trying to find the trail for a while after crossing, when I was in no mood for exploring.

 

[Doc McPeak]

Nice report ... (a bit hellish, but not full blown purgatory!)

I usually use the Southside trail on my approach and the boring trail for the hike out. Exceptions are on hot summer days (as noted by OldSmores) when swimming is called for. Then Tevas for the rock hop out work pretty well.

As for fish, one day we were sitting around the swimming hole when some little troutlies went slithering up the flume right in front of us. It was about a fifteen foot slither, but with a low success rate. Only one or two made it the whole way out of maybe a dozen attempts. Great entertainment, and kept our three dogs amused. Nothing like squirming fish to squirm up a Rotty, German Shepherd, and Karelian Bear Dog!

 

[oldfogie]

Yeah, "Southside" trail. Got my directions mis-named. The trail was actually quite nice with a foot of snow on it, except for the part where it descended into the river edge. Then there was one 6' scramble at the inlet of a large stream coming down off Rooster Comb I guess which was a bit tricky covered with ice and me wearing snowshoes.

But right after these points someone had skiied up and back all the way to Keene Valley. The SS trail connects directly to the paved road the serves the camps there.

 

[1ADAM12]

South Side Trail

Whenever I am in the JBL area heading for the range and the water is low I prefer the SST. It IMO is more scenic and less people. Also great swimming after a long day of hiking. Nothing beats that 50 degree water on a hot summer day The only thing I recall that sucked about the trail was the section that crosses over a small brook and you have to descend down and accend up some short but doable rocky sections that are tough with full pack. I would definately not want to try it with snowshoes.

Happy trails,

ADAM