Bob Marshall Traverse (ADK) - June 9

[halfmoon]

I have the weekend of June 9-10 to go hiking, the wife and kid are traveling. Is anyone up for the Bob Marshall traverse? The logistics of this hike are quite complicated if I were solo, plus it would be nice to have company. Let me know if you are interested. I would only do this hike if the weather forecast was favorable.

 

[eddie]

That is big - good luck to you Halfmoon! I am in awe when I think of the crap clothing, shoes and equipment Bob wore/carried and the "trails" he hiked on when he did this multi-range marathon. Love to hear how it goes so please give us a report whether you finish it or not.

 

[halfmoon]

Hi Eddie,

No one ever expressed any interest in this hike so I am going to change my plans a bit, just to simplify logistics. I'll go for Dial, Nipple, Colvin, Blake, then up to Skylight and then on North through LWJ. Should be similar in length and gain to Marshall's traverse, but not as elegant. Weather looks OK for the area as of now, and if it holds I'll give it a shot.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

Well, I did Dial, Nippletop, Colvin, Blake, Skylight, Marcy, Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, and Gothics. Just couldn't make myself do Armstrong, UWJ and LWJ. My legs were perfectly fine, but I just plain didn't want to do the last 3. I was less efficient through Colvin, Blake, and up to Skylight than I had planned also. The trails were pretty rough going and the rains the night before made things trickier. It was a very nice day in the mountains. Only saw one person during the first 20 miles of the hike. The trail along the Ausable River once down from Blake was wonderful. Panther Gorge was demoralizing. Views from the Range mountains were wonderful as always. 16 hours car to car. Wonderful hike, but you won't catch me on Colvin and Blake again any time soon, and you definitely won't see me again in Panther Gorge.

 

[halfmoon]

Oops, posted under my wife's accout "pudgy_groundhog", sorry about that.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Oops, posted under my wife's accout "pudgy_groundhog", sorry about that.

Either way, pretty amazing!

 

[Raymond]

What didn’t you like about Panther Gorge? Interminably long, miserable conditions, or what?

 

[halfmoon]

What didn’t you like about Panther Gorge? Interminably long, miserable conditions, or what?

Raymond,

I'll admit, my statement was too harsh. It was written from my perspective at the time. When I got to the height of land on the shoulder of Haystack and observed the descent and subsequent ascent to Four Corners it was a tough pill to swallow. I had determined Four Corners would be my lunch spot and I was annoyed at the time that Panther Gorge stood in between me and lunch. The low point in Panther Gorge was actually quite nice with the rushing water and all. I should go back to that area during a smaller trip to enjoy it more.

 

[eddie]

Wow, that is a huge day! Bob Marshall would be proud of you.

 

[halfmoon]

Wow, that is a huge day! Bob Marshall would be proud of you.

Thank you Eddie. I was actually inspired to do this particular hike from hearing about H.L. Malcom's completion of this hike on October 21, 1932. According to a post from ADKHIGHPEAKS referencing a Lake Placid Club News article, Mr. Malcom "climbed the Colvin and Nippletop Ranges, then the Great Range, then to the Loj via Lake Arnold... 22 hours, 39.5 miles with 15,760 ascent."

Mr. Malcom and Bob Marshall apparently had an intense rivalry going to see who could complete the biggest day in the Adirondacks. Malcom completed his hike shortly after Bob Marshall completed his traverse.

Somehow Mr. Malcom apparently negotiated his start from Lower Ausable Lake, which was really smart.

 

[JoeCedar]

Raymond,

I'll admit, my statement was too harsh. It was written from my perspective at the time. When I got to the height of land on the shoulder of Haystack and observed the descent and subsequent ascent to Four Corners it was a tough pill to swallow. I had determined Four Corners would be my lunch spot and I was annoyed at the time that Panther Gorge stood in between me and lunch. The low point in Panther Gorge was actually quite nice with the rushing water and all. I should go back to that area during a smaller trip to enjoy it more.

Actually, Panther Gorge is a beautiful place and well worth visiting. It's getting out of Panther Gorge which is hard. At 3250 ft, it is 500 ft below the junction on Bartlett Ridge for the Haystack trail, so the loss was not as bad as it seemed. It was the climbing to come (more than 2000 ft below Marcy in 2.0 miles) which was heavy on your mind, and rightfully so.

 

[DreamFarmer]

Helluva day ! Well Done !
I hope to take a stab at the "Bob Marshall" some day just to see if I could do it.
I keep a map of it on my office wall for inspiration.

 

[halfmoon]

Helluva day ! Well Done !
I hope to take a stab at the "Bob Marshall" some day just to see if I could do it.
I keep a map of it on my office wall for inspiration.

DreamFarmer,

If you decide to give it a go post here and I will go with you. It helps to have 2 people I think so that a shuttle can be arranged from the Loj to the Garden.