Guinness
Active member
Blakclab2020 and I choose Algonquin and Iroquois for our first climb together. We set out from the trailhead at the Loj parking area at 6:30 am. The trails were ice covered with a light dusting of snow. We made good time this cool morning, which was near the freezing mark. Blacklab2020 wanted to use this trip as an extended training event. He carried a 45+ pound pack, I saw that pack as an equalizer allowing me to keep up.
We bare booted to the base of the Nubble where we put on our Insteps and Crampons. From here to tree line, the trail was ice with 3” - 4” of fresh snow. At tree line, Blacklab2020 dropped his pack in favor of a daypack for the final ascent and traverse of Algonquin and Iroquois. Mother Nature was not going to welcome us as she threw high winds and low visibility at us. We were able to see cairn to cairn and at times that was difficult. We estimated the winds gusting near 50 MPH.
We made good time to the summit of Algonquin. From there we tried to find the next cairn that leads toward Iroquois. I did not see it, but Blacklab2020 caught a glimpse of one and we were off. Coming off Algonquin and hitting tree line was a welcome break from the wind, but now we entered virgin trail conditions with deep snow. I changed from Insteps to full crampons as the descent off Algonquin was made more difficult with limited traction. The trail was mostly closed in, but easy to follow. At the split, we took the right fork toward Boundary. At the base of Boundary, we could see a Cairn just 50’ away and 20’ above us. It took me 5 – 7 minute to cover that distance as the snows were above my waist and not being consolidated under the initial 6” crust it made breaking the trail very slow.
After the summit, we wandered about one minute attempting to locate the start of the herd path toward Iroquois. The cairn that marked it looked just like a small tree with all its ice cover and we walked right past it. The trail to Iroquois was a narrow path, mostly closed in from the weight of the snow on the branches. The final scramble to the summit was somewhat difficult as the rocks were covered with glazed ice. It took us 1.5 hours from Algonquin to this summit. We spent 15 seconds on the summit and reversed our course.
Returning to Algonquin was not all that bad, but it seamed like the return ascent up Algonquin was taking fovever. Mother Nature was not done with us and the winds increased to an estimated 60 MPH. Both of us commented how the winds we stronger coming off Algonquin and the final descent was done with more caution. Returning to tree line, Blacklab20210 retrieved his monster pack and I went ahead. I stopped at the junction with the trail leading to Wright and waited. Earlier in the day we talked about adding Wright to this day’s effort, but no one before us went to visit Wright and we decided not to head up.
We kept our crampons on until the 3,400’ foot level. From there to our destination; Lake Placid Pub and Brewery took us about 3 hours. While replenishing our nutrition and hydration needs, AlgonquinBob stopped in after his event in the hills. We had a well-deserved sleep at the Loj campground and then a long drive home. We were back in the Buffalo area just after 2:00 in the afternoon.
We bare booted to the base of the Nubble where we put on our Insteps and Crampons. From here to tree line, the trail was ice with 3” - 4” of fresh snow. At tree line, Blacklab2020 dropped his pack in favor of a daypack for the final ascent and traverse of Algonquin and Iroquois. Mother Nature was not going to welcome us as she threw high winds and low visibility at us. We were able to see cairn to cairn and at times that was difficult. We estimated the winds gusting near 50 MPH.
We made good time to the summit of Algonquin. From there we tried to find the next cairn that leads toward Iroquois. I did not see it, but Blacklab2020 caught a glimpse of one and we were off. Coming off Algonquin and hitting tree line was a welcome break from the wind, but now we entered virgin trail conditions with deep snow. I changed from Insteps to full crampons as the descent off Algonquin was made more difficult with limited traction. The trail was mostly closed in, but easy to follow. At the split, we took the right fork toward Boundary. At the base of Boundary, we could see a Cairn just 50’ away and 20’ above us. It took me 5 – 7 minute to cover that distance as the snows were above my waist and not being consolidated under the initial 6” crust it made breaking the trail very slow.
After the summit, we wandered about one minute attempting to locate the start of the herd path toward Iroquois. The cairn that marked it looked just like a small tree with all its ice cover and we walked right past it. The trail to Iroquois was a narrow path, mostly closed in from the weight of the snow on the branches. The final scramble to the summit was somewhat difficult as the rocks were covered with glazed ice. It took us 1.5 hours from Algonquin to this summit. We spent 15 seconds on the summit and reversed our course.
Returning to Algonquin was not all that bad, but it seamed like the return ascent up Algonquin was taking fovever. Mother Nature was not done with us and the winds increased to an estimated 60 MPH. Both of us commented how the winds we stronger coming off Algonquin and the final descent was done with more caution. Returning to tree line, Blacklab20210 retrieved his monster pack and I went ahead. I stopped at the junction with the trail leading to Wright and waited. Earlier in the day we talked about adding Wright to this day’s effort, but no one before us went to visit Wright and we decided not to head up.
We kept our crampons on until the 3,400’ foot level. From there to our destination; Lake Placid Pub and Brewery took us about 3 hours. While replenishing our nutrition and hydration needs, AlgonquinBob stopped in after his event in the hills. We had a well-deserved sleep at the Loj campground and then a long drive home. We were back in the Buffalo area just after 2:00 in the afternoon.
