The Gothics

I am going to be staying with my good freind/hiking partner and excellent cook at his "rustic" cabin this weekend in Keene Valley New York. We will be leaving around 1 oclock on friday afternoon (right after marine science ), and will be there until Sunday morning (i have to work back at home at 4 oclock). Our goals are 1. To make it there, 2. to have a huge barbeque feast while listening to Led Zepplin (there is a grill there as well as electricity, but no heat), 3. plink some cans with his .22, 4. try to hike some point during all this madness.

I wanted to hike the gothics, but if it is a super serious trip then maybe we will put it off. I am more of a NH guy so if you all have any suggestions then i would be more than happy to listen. Remember, we like exposure, diffculty, and danger, hopefully accompanied by bad weather .

Thanks again,

Non

I guess it depends on how well you're equipped for the hike, from a gear, experience, and conditioning standpoint.
You'll have lots of unconsolidated snow up high, the summit ridge is exposed to the weather, and you may need crampons. Ascending from the Johns Brook Valley would be more of a challenge than approaching from the Ausable Club as the final pitch is steep from the Gothics-Saddleback col, and there is a steel cable that may be covered with snow or ice.
It sounds like a full weekend, and you'll probably have a better chance of summiting from the Ausable Club side.

Thanks, you were hitting what i was looking for at the end there. I really dont know much about New York and its mountains. Experience-wise...I am pretty sure we'll be just fine, even if the message doesnt belay that experience and responsability... oh well.

Anyone else with suggestions?

Well I am 17, but i turn 18 on sunday...haha. The beer is taken care of

I say go for gothics. Bring some crampons, bring your snowshoes up to the top with you. The summit is not the side with the cables, so you will have to traverse the saddle. The saddle will have deep snow.

-percious

Expect Ice & snow anywhere over there. IMO some the best views in the ADKs have Gothics in them which means you can't see Gothics from Gothics.

If unsure if you are up to a Gothics Trip, I'd recommend the Brothers & Big Slide. The Three Brothers are three minor (still a good hike in their own) summits with numerous open ledges with great views of the Great Range. If you get to Big Slide (4,240 Ft.) the view from the top across the Johns Brook Valley to Gothics & company is incredible.

The trip with Wright's Algonquin & Iroquois someone mentioned is a ADK classic but I'd think it would be more than a Gothics Trip. Wright's (4,580) however is a short (under 4 miles each way) without really any steep stuff & a wide open summit.

Cascade is generally thought of a the easiest of the ADK 4k peaks (4,098) with a wide open summit a high trailhead & RT of under 5 miles.

I'll suggest.......

Noonmark, as a way to become acquainted with the area. Nippletop would be more work but a step down from Gothics. IMHO Nippletop has the best view of any mountain and an especially great view of Gothics and the great range.

Mike

The only equipment required to do Gothics in the winter is a Ghetto Blaster. As long as you don't run out of Zep you should be OK. God help you if John Denver or (horrors) Celine Dion should spew forth from your unit.

Oh yeah, one last little thing, make sure you have warm mittens.

BTW, What's your friend's address?

Alternative approach to Gothics

Nonlegit............

Remember, we like exposure, diffculty, and danger, hopefully accompanied by bad weather.

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If you approach Gothics from The Garden in Keene Valley via the Ore Bed Brook Trail, you will (most likely) descend the same way. You could make a loop by traversing the Lower Range Trail over Armstrong and Upper Wolf Jaw before returning to the trailhead - but that (especially in winter) is above and beyond the usual "call".

An alternative is to approach Gothics from the Ausable Mountain Reserve via the Weld Trail by first ascending Pyramid Peak (arguably the best view in the entire Adirondacks). Pyramid alone may fulfill your need for exposure, difficulty and danger. You can descend from Pyramid the way you ascended and feel completely satisfied with your day. Or you can decide to extend the trip by descending the Pyramid/Gothics saddle and reaching the summit of Gothics (30-40 minutes) for a High Peak experience second to none. Then it would be another 30-40 minutes of steep descent to the Gothics/Armstrong col where the junction of the Beaver Meadow Falls trail connects to the Range Trail. By descending the Beaver Meadow Falls trail, you can complete a spectacular loop without ever having to retrace a single step. It is a classic High Peaks hike and one that you won't soon forget.

This strategy allows you to have a few choices if you need to amend or change plans. I would strongly encourage crampons and full winter gear due to steep and potentially icy sections and extremely high exposure on this route. Also, be aware that there is no water readily available (unless you melt snow) until you have nearly returned to the Lake Road. Totals for the entire loop would be close to 14 miles and approximately 3600 feet of accumulative elevation gain. More details in the High Peaks Region Guide (13th Edition); hike #25, Lake Road approach - page 71; hike #35 ascent - page 81; hike #34 descent - page 34.

I also enthusiastically second the recommendation of Noonmark Mountain for a great day (and much less time) without all the exposure, difficulty and danger, but almost as many rewards as a Gothics trip.

Good luck with your plans!

I second Pete Hogan's suggestion. That loop is a great one, simply cuz Pyramid is part of it. Also, you'll love the descent off the east side of Gothics. Here is a picture of the upper cone.



For perpective, here's a shot from Armstrong. The pictue above is seen as the narrow snow strip on the upper portion of the peak just above and to the left of my ugly ass



As hopefully you can see, on either side (of the puny scrubs in the first pic) there are straight-up rock slabs that fall about 1000+ feet to the valley floor (almost anyway).

As far as exposure, well.......... it's not bad if your careful. but visually, it's QUITE STUNNING. You'll likely find enough dicey spots going up Pyramid and down the upper portion of the Bever Meadow trail to whet your youthful exuberance for "excitement". BE WARNED, THIS LOOP WILL LIKELY HAVE YOU SLOGGING UP TO "OUR MOUNTAINS" ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.

Nonlegit, here's my 2 cents on the subject. Try the Ribbon slide up the Northface. It's really not that hard and the scenery can't be beat! For my money, it's as good as the trip from Pyramid!

Tim, nice avatar! I don't recall him on the expedition!

masshysteria said:

Nonlegit, here's my 2 cents on the subject. Try the Ribbon slide up the Northface. It's really not that hard and the scenery can't be beat! For my money, it's as good as the trip from Pyramid!

Tim, nice avatar! I don't recall him on the expedition!

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Yeah, but the last time I followed you into the woods, we almost killed ourselves, remember . But yes, we did pioneer a "new way" up that peak, did we not........ DOH

Ditto on Beaver Meadows Falls Trail. Coming down that trail was one of my most awe inspiring trips (Except that time I fell alseep in the September sun awash in fall colors on Indian Head). I could not get over the raw, massive expanse of open emptiness that lay below my feet and off to the wall of Gothics. I only wish I could have a photo that could capture the essence.

Nonlegit,

If I recall from some of your earlier posts and threads, you seem to have started to get some good experience in winter in the last year or two. Be prepared (proper clothing, crampons, snowshoes, headlamp, energy food, emergency gear and hiking company) and you will make this climb with no serious problems. Just don't get over ambitious. Climb the mountain (or abort if necessary) and call it a day. Don't start thinking about a Great Range traverse or anything crazy right now. Climbing Gothics will give you some good feeling for hiking the Adirondacks and will be good experience to build upon for future trips. Gothics is an extremely respectable mountain to start with in the ADK's, it's one of my favorites. I agree that the Ausable Club approach would be better for you for reasons stated above. Pete Hogan's suggested routes make excellent advice. When Pete talks, you should listen.

BTW, any kid 18 years old listening to Led Zeppelin has got my thumbs up! For something new, check out Warren Haynes, the guitarist for Govt Mule, The Dead and The Allman Brothers. He is one of the best rock-blues-jam guitarists playing right now. Warren ROCKS!

Tim, what was the date of those pictures? Two great shots!!

Mark

I would also recommend climbing Gothics via the Weld trail and descend via the Beaver Meadow trail.

One word of caution about this loop. A large portion of the Beaver Meadow trail traverses across a very steep mountain face. Snow eventually buries any level ground in this section and conforms it to the slope of the mountain. Depending on conditions, you may find yourself having to side-step for a lengthy stretch in what could be one of my most hated sections of trails during the winter months.

But don't let my words discourage you from doing this hike. The views on this loop are stunning. Give yourself enough time and you should be fine.

Mark Driscoll said:

Tim, what was the date of those pictures? Two great shots!!

Mark

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Thanks, the date of the photos was: May 10, 2003

You guys are great. I really appreciate the help. Just packin up my stuff right now, and having a blast thinking about the trip. Mavs, I figured youd probably like to know that the picture with you and your kids up on the mountain is forever burned in my mind in conjunction with "gothics", which is why i started this whole post...i remembered it from last year haha.

and fred, i love govt mule, the dead, allman brothers etc. I like EVERYTHING! my old guitar teacher was the bassist for the dickey betts band, a modern incarnation of allman brothers. its just that, well, barbeque, beer, and led zepplin all kind of go together you know?

and between the two of us going we have enough experience for the trip. my freind has extensive glacier travel and actual mountaineering experience (in the cascades), and i have quite a bit of winter travel experience as well as fixed ropes, climbing, the white mountains in winter, etc etc... we are just racking up trips right now, one after another. with each trip we learn something new

Thanks to you, Nonlegit,and your taste in music, I now have hope for this younger generation!

May I suggest LZ 1, donning headphones for "Dazed and Confused", then perhaps "Houses of the Holy". The Grand Finale being the Allman Brother's "Live at Fillmore East". The encore could consist of "Mountain Jam" on "Eat a Peach".

Even if you don't get into the woods, it's going to be a swell weekend! Have a blast!

Have a blast on Gothics and keep ROCKIN'!

BTW, Dickey Betts' Band rocks, too. Seen them here in Albany a couple times in the last few years and they sound great.

I agree with MassHysteria...LZ1: Dazed and Confused with headphones. Awesome!

PS: Keep your ears out for the Dead's 40th Anniversary Tour this summer. There are sure to be a few surprises and fun times.