Indian pass

[hiking morris]

Anyone knows what the Indian pass trail looks like lately? I'd like to try for Marshall and I think this is the shortest way. What about the herdpath that goes up Marshall?

 

[ADKdremn]

I don't have my guidebook in front of me to give you the exact mileage. Marshall by way of Indian Pass and up Cold Brook Pass/Iroquois Pass may be the shortest route, but it is certainly not the most popular or easiest route.....especially in winter.
Your best bet for Marshall is starting from the Upper Works parking lot and heading in towards Flowed Lands and up the Herbert Brook approach. This is the standard route used in winter. Or, if you wanted to park at the Loj to save driving distance you could head in through Avalanche Pass and then past Lake Colden to reach Herbert Brook.

 

[adktyler]

I don't have my guidebook in front of me to give you the exact mileage. Marshall by way of Indian Pass and up Cold Brook Pass/Iroquois Pass may be the shortest route, but it is certainly not the most popular or easiest route.....especially in winter.
Your best bet for Marshall is starting from the Upper Works parking lot and heading in towards Flowed Lands and up the Herbert Brook approach. This is the standard route used in winter. Or, if you wanted to park at the Loj to save driving distance you could head in through Avalanche Pass and then past Lake Colden to reach Herbert Brook.

The Herbert Brook trail was broken and in good shape when I was up there last Friday. I know there's been a little snow, so it might have filled in a little, but my guess is that people have re-packed it down.

 

[JoeCedar]

Upper Works via Herbert Brook to Marshall: 7.1 miles

Loj via Indian Pass/Iroq. Pass to Marshall: 7.3 miles

Loj via Lake Colden to Marshall: 8.0 miles

You can see that the differences in distance are small between the routes, making "other factors" more significant, e.g., climbing Av. Pass, the hilly Indian Pass route, or even driving distance to the trailheads.

The route via Iroq. Pass gets much use (marked trail or herdpath) in the winter, and there is a thick balsam corridor approaching Marshall which would be tough to penetrate right now. In contrast, Herbert Brook has been heavily used and is like a highway.

So do you want to follow an easy path and the shortest route with hordes of other hikers, or to enjoy peace and solitude while thrashing through deep snow and balsam? The choice is yours .

 

[hiking morris]

The route via Iroq. Pass gets much use (marked trail or herdpath) in the winter

Did you mean "the route via Iroq. Pass doesn't get much use in the winter"?

And when you talk about Iroq. Pass you do mean the trail that goes from Indian pass to colden lake don't you?

The reason I was asking about Indian pass is because we stay in a hotel in Upper Jay the night before. The loj is about 20 miles from there compared to about 100 miles from upper works. But from what I understand, if we're leaving from the loj, it'd be easier using the avalanche pass.

 

[Jay H]

Don't forget that when it's cold enough, one (from U.W.) can cross Flowed Lands and keep to the left, aiming for the Herbert Brook leanto. This avoids a short hill on the red trail that follows the shoreline for the most part. If from the loj, (and not going over the MacIntyres you could cross Avalanche and Colden Lakes, similarly, though assuming it hasn't become soft yet?

Jay

 

[adktyler]

Don't forget that when it's cold enough, one (from U.W.) can cross Flowed Lands and keep to the left, aiming for the Herbert Brook leanto. This avoids a short hill on the red trail that follows the shoreline for the most part. If from the loj, (and not going over the MacIntyres you could cross Avalanche and Colden Lakes, similarly, though assuming it hasn't become soft yet?

Jay

It was very soft when I was up there last week. I post holed about 50 times with my snowshoes on. Granted, I was carrying an multi-day pack. There are two "stream" crossing, and both were very wet, with water coming about 3 - 4 inches up my boots. The ice, however, was still thick and firm. My guess is that it has been cold enough for the last week to solidify things up again.

 

[ADKdremn]

Did you mean "the route via Iroq. Pass doesn't get much use in the winter"?

Yes, I do believe that is what he meant. Very rarely, if ever, will you see trip reports for that route. Now obviously, that doesn't mean people don't take that route, but it may only be used a handful of times each winter.

And when you talk about Iroq. Pass you do mean the trail that goes from Indian pass to colden lake don't you?

Yes, it's the same trail. The newer guide books refer to is as Cold Brook Pass while the older books refer to it as Iroquois Pass, basically because you are climbing the shoulder of Iroquois.

If you are staying in Upper Jay and hiking from the Loj, myself and pretty much everybody else, would recomend that you hike Marshall through Avalanche Pass. Trails will be well used and as Jay mentioned you can cross the lakes if possible. The Information Center at the Loj will be able to tell you the condition of the ice. Or you can use this website, scroll to the bottom for backcountry conditions.
http://www.lakeplacid.com/shared/whattodo/conditions-xc.cfm

 

[hiking morris]

Ok thanks everybody. I made up my mind, we're gonna use the avalanche pass trail.