Mt Allen/Opalescent River trail bridge update

On Saturday June 7, 2008, a temporary and low water level crossing has been open and flagged. As the bridge will likely not be repaired before August of this year the East River Club and the Nature Conservancy under the guidance of Ranger Dell Jeffreys (DEC-Newcomb) opted to offer climbers a somewhat easier option than crossing the Opalescent River at the actual bridge location.

The new bypass is located about 2 minutes before the actual but presently crashed down bridge, marked with a small cairn and flagged. Within a minute one is at the river where the flow is wide, the current milder and the water relatively shallow. Still one will often be knee deep, if not more following a heavy rain. We can add that while it’s fun it’s still a bone chilling crossing! Once on the other side the “new” route follow, to the left, an old hunter path (now flagged) which within 6 minutes at the most rejoined the regular trail on the other side of the bridge.

Enjoy but remember that in high water crossing the Opalescent River is extremely dangerous and could only be a fast trip to Brooklyn.

BlackSpruce said:

Enjoy but remember that in high water crossing the Opalescent River is extremely dangerous and could only be a fast trip to Brooklyn.

Click to expand...

Is there a rope, or a cable, or just flagging?

Just flagging, no need for a rope. When Opalescent is very high crossing Skylight Brook is likely a challenge as well.

Christine,

Thanks very much for posting this information. And thanks for the ERC assisting.

Alan

Thank you Christine for those, very interesting informations.
We shall do Allen in 3 or 4 weeks from now, depends of the weather. We will use, that alternative route. Hope that route will be easy to find, because we never been in that place before.
Allen will be our #45 for Annie and me.
Thank you again Christine.

It's very easy to find and I am going to make sure that flaggings and cairns stay as is!

Thank you Christine for your help.
I dont know if you remember, but last year you had help me for Lilian Brooks, and now you will help me and several of us who need Allen with those informations.

Thanks, Christine, this sounds like an excellent short-term option which avoids an often dangerous option near the fallen bridge. I looked at it when I was there earlier this week but did not want to trespass, as the crossing was posted then.

Hikers are to be reminded that this is Private Property. The owners are very considerate of hikers to allow this detour. Do not stray from the flagged path!

thank-you

thanks for the generous teamwork and the good description. I too will be making the trek this month and couldn't do it without your assistance

yvon said:

We shall do Allen in 3 or 4 weeks from now, depends of the weather. We will use, that alternative route. Hope that route will be easy to find, because we never been in that place before.
Allen will be our #45 for Annie and me.

Click to expand...

My plans are for Allen on 6/21 (#44 for my son and I). Thanks for the updates on the bridge and alternate route.

I will posted pictures later today of the crossing of the river and how it is easy to find that alternate route. I was there saturday.

The Opalescent River "temporary" crossing will last all of this year (2008) and probably all of the next (2009).

Look at the photos, how it is easy to find the Opalescent temporary crossing photos

Beautiful pictures and very useful for me as I am soon heading to Allen as we haven't yet this year taken care of the herdpath section! Do you remember is the large tree Annie is going under is along the private section after crossing the Opalescent River.

Thanks.

BlackSpruce said:

Beautiful pictures and very useful for me as I am soon heading to Allen as we haven't yet this year taken care of the herdpath section! Do you remember is the large tree Annie is going under is along the private section after crossing the Opalescent River.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

I'm sure I remember that tree from last year being about 1/2 way between the Opalescent and Skylight brook.... Judging by the chronological order of Yvon's pictures that should be about right.

BlackSpruce said:

Beautiful pictures and very useful for me as I am soon heading to Allen as we haven't yet this year taken care of the herdpath section! Do you remember is the large tree Annie is going under is along the private section after crossing the Opalescent River.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

That photo was taken between the jonction to Marcy and Allen and the Skylight Brook. Just before the plain yellow markers stop.
But there is more obstacle, 3 trees across the trail like the photo. One big tree with the roots in the trail, we have to pass over it. 2 trees that we had to pass over it. I cannot remember exactly where those are, and I did not take picture of those to.
But the trail is in good shape, thanks for the good work.