Upper Works and Flkowered Land

[Schatz]

I'm planning a vacation from Kansas back to NY and hope to get back into the adirondacks.

I plan for 1/2 of the trip to be through the Dix Range since I need all of that range except for dix. I plan to hike Macomb Slide, then South Dix, East Dix and Hough before either bushwacking to the trail or go back to Dix to link up with the trail (any suggestions)

For the 2nd 1/2 I'd like to hike from UW to FL and then hit whatever I can. I'd like to hike between Algonquin (on of the few I've already hiked) and Iroquois, head over Boundary to Iroquois, then to Marshall and down Herbert Brook back to UW. Any thoughts, recommendations or idea how long a day this may be? Additionally, any recommendations and time estimates for any other hikes from UW. As far as the Peaks in the Area I have Marcy, as Well as those from sawteeth to LWJ. I have reservations for JBL later this year and hope to hike Haystack, Basin and Saddleback on that visit.

Thanks in advance


Schatz

 

[KZKlimber]

If you finish on Hough it may be easier to continue to follow the herd path to the Beckhorn and then pick up the marked trail for your return trip via Elk Lake. I went back over "Pough", Carson (South Dix), and Macomb and it was a long trip back. I've read recent trip reports where people have gone from Hough to Dix via this route.

Anyone who has done this -please comment!!!!!

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Bushwhack vs. good trail

Lots of blowdown in Lillian Brook if you try that descent from Hough. I advise that you continue over Hough to the Beckhorn (by Dix) and descend on that trail. It will probably be faster than fighting through the mass of fallen trees toward the bottom of Lillian Brook.

From Flowed Land, I would hike up Herbert Brook to Marshall,descend to the bottom, and then go up the trail from Lake Colden to Boundary and Iroquois. I know that's a lot of work, but there is no good trail between the two peaks, although it has been done. If anybody has done the bushwhack between Marshall and Iroquois, please comment.

You can do a search here to find other threads about the Marshall-Iroquois climb.

 

[bubba]

Agree about going over the Beckhorn. Also, it isn't that much further to go over Dix and down Hunters Pass (on a clear day, Dix is tough to pass by).

I'm really questioning why you want to mess around with Marshall and connect to Iroquois/Boundary. Like AlG mentioned, it's not something that most would care to tackle and the likely route is down to Lake Colden and up Avalanche Mtn Trail, one of the steepest trails in the HPs. (tell me you're not going to have a heavy pack on... Dorothy wouldn't have wished that on the Wicked Witch of the West)

I'd opt for heading over to Uphill Lean-to area - excellent camping opps with way less bear activity and access to such great mountains: Grey, Skylight, Redfield and Cliff (okay - interesting, not great) and Colden.

 

[SherpaKroto]

bubba: good to hear about the Uphill leanto area. I'm headed there in July and something tells me I'm not bear friendly

Schatz: 1/2 of my July trip plans are what bubba describes, with the only change being that I will likely stay at Feldspar for 2 days, Uphill for 2 days. I've gotten lots of good advice leading me there.

 

[bubba]

Sherpa, you'll love it. Some of the best of everything: right off the trail, nice water supply, newer Lean-to, nice camping areas, close to trailheads, AND naked woodland nymphs!

Schatz: just to give you some feeling for time, we left UW early AM (full packs) and headed over Calamity Brook trail to Lake Colden and up to Uphill LT. Dropped off heavy packs set up camp and headed up to Grey and Skylight. Back to camp, dinner a bit late and an enjoyable nights rest.

 

[Schatz]

Thanks a lot everyone,

Based on recommendations, I can't help but alter my plan. Since I now live in Kansas I'm trying to plan an efficient trip. Unfortunately, I hiked Algonquin once after a long and tiring trip and now have Iroquois left, and don't know if, or how to combine it with Marshall. I've noticed on some lists that the round trip time for Iroquois is 8 hours, for Algonquin it's 9, which leads me to assume that the shortest trip to Iroquois is not back over Algonquin. However, I'm not sure if it's from the Loj or UW and which path is shortest.

I've got 4 days in NY; if I could hike 6 peaks I'd be happy. All of the Dix (minus Dix which I did over Labor day after another tiring journey) along with Iroquois and Marshall would be great. Adding any of Skylight, Gray, Cliff or Redfield would be icing on the cake.

Thanks again for all the help

Schatz

 

[bubba]

Schatz, again for your planning... Dayhike: when we did Dix range we headed out of Elk Lake parking lot (early) and stayed low with plans of heading up to Beckhorn. Missed the cutoff and stayed low around Dix and up the Hunter Pass Trail. (I'm glad we did it this way, the views are wonderful and I think the other trail up is fairly steep. I don't think we lost that much time.) After Dix we headed over to Hough, Carson (South Dix), Grace (East Dix) and back over Carson and onto Macomb. Down the slide and back to the parking area. About 16-miles (if I remember correctly) and out about 8:45PM. We started around 6:30AM. It is one of the best days I've had in the ADK's!! Suggest you take eye protection - I took a pair of industrial ones and was happy to have them on. Also suggest that if you have two trekking poles, going down the slide is way easier (of course, getting over downed stuff is always easier for me with two poles).

Other note: Iroquois and Marshall is tough unless you really want to do some bushwacking - close yet so very far away. Besides, AlG is a great peak, doing it many times is customary. I've been there several times and plan on leaving Iroquois for my 46th.

If you really want to do Marshall and Iroquois, base yourself at Lake Colden and do one each day. Take bear protection and anticipate lots of neighbors.

 

[KenG]

Hey Schatz,
I went up Iroquois last spring on the first 80 degree day. I left from the Upper Works, in to the Ranger station at Colden, and then up "the steepest trail" in the Adks. I was going to go down from Shephard's Tooth and hit Marshall, but the herd path to get to S'sT was so thick, I decided against it. I was hiking alone, and lost the herd path on the way back to Iroquois, 100 feet from the rock slides. It took me a half hour and a liter of Gatorade to get to the slides!
Later, in the fall, I met some people from the Albany Chapter of the AMC who had done it. There were about six in the group, and two had done it before. I was on my way up MacNaughton, and they were going to bushwack up Iroquois from the col between Iroquois and Marshall and return via the yellow (steep) trail. I was tempted to follow with them and probably should have as I didn't make it to the top of MacNaughton that day. There were no leaves on the trees, and snow at about 2000 feet so it may have been easier. Someday I'd like to try it, but not soon. But, it can be done! Just be careful!