Is there a Saddleback-Basin-Haystack Day Hike?

[beaner]

What is the best day hike approach to Saddleback-Basin-Haystack? Is it from Ausable club.

What I really want to do is hike from Ausable Club: LWJ-UWJ-Armstrong-Gothics then continue on to Saddleback-Basin-Haystack-Marcy. I will over night some where along the way. I will either go Marcy-Table Top- Phelps-ADK Loj, or Marcy-Gray-Skylight-ADK Loj.

How well used is the trail between Saddleback and Gothics? Am I likely to lose the trail and be GPSing through 6foot sink holes in the snow.?

 

[skidoc22]

Holy Guacamole, Batman

What is the best day hike approach to Saddleback-Basin-Haystack? Is it from Ausable club.

What I really want to do is hike from Ausable Club: LWJ-UWJ-Armstrong-Gothics then continue on to Saddleback-Basin-Haystack-Marcy. I will over night some where along the way. I will either go Marcy-Table Top- Phelps-ADK Loj, or Marcy-Gray-Skylight-ADK Loj.

How well used is the trail between Saddleback and Gothics? Am I likely to lose the trail and be GPSing through 6foot sink holes in the snow.?

I am not sure which is the best route, via the Garden (Keene Valley), the Roostercomb trailhead, or the Ausable Club. If you're looking for the "epic climb" of the Great Range it would be the Roostercomb trailhead I believe. That said, the trail involves a lot more up and down b4 the first 4k peak, LWJ than either the Garden or Ausable approaches. From there on the Range trail is virtually never flat, traverses all of your intended peaks to Marcy. There is a designated campsite b/w Basin and Haystack (a former lean-to site).

This trail in full pack is a very serious undertaking. There is a very steep and difficult drop going down Saddleback toward Basin (among others). Many would advise going up this face rather than down. Finding the trail should not be a big problem although the lower range was not very well marked when I last hiked it in January of this year. I think the conditions at this time of year are among the most difficult to hike the steeper ledges. Not enough snow or ice to use an ice axe or frontpoint. Best of luck if you decide to take this route, and as others have said, I 'll look forward to your TR.
Mike

 

[PINPIN JUNIOR]

Great Range in winter time.

Hi beaner,

Junior thinks the best way to summit Haystack-Basin-Saddleback is from the Garden parking and start by Haystack in first.
Always We prefer up the slide of Saddleback and every time when We hike at this place We put crampons in pack!!!
It is never safe to go in this area without all the gear to be able to up or down in a very icy place!!

If You will have a plan to hike the Great Range, We think it is better to start with Marcy in first after You will go to Haystack-Basin-Saddleback, the trail to go up to Gothics is not very difficult to find and hike, but the snow/ice condition in the winter can be change very fast: one day it is possible to hike all and the day after it is impossible to past over the trees line!!!

This year You will have a other ennemy many trees was slepping by big winds, it is particulary horrible at this time around Dial-Nippletop-Colvin-Blake & Big Slide!!!!

We just come back from Whitefave & Esther and We passed a large part of the day to remove branches and trees. If the deep snow will not come too fast we will go to make the same job in this area.

Anyway, your day choice it is very good, except for the very few hours of the day light, usualy a lot of people hike between the December 21 and the January 7,You will have a good lucke to have a large part of this area with the snowshoes tracks except if a big winter storm erase every things.

Every time it is different We will see day by day, summit by summit.

Have a great time to prepare this nice challenge.

Friendly Pinpin Junior.

 

[grasshopper]

the great range

go for the whole thing from keene valley (much better parking).from marcy you go out jbl to garden and walk down to keene valley and stop at the cliff hanger or spot a car and go out to adk.imho best to wait for winter conditions to settle down a bit and watch the weather.I like to do this in late winter when snow is consolidated and on a clear day.I've taken 16 hours to do this in very hard conditions but also did it this summer in 10 hours.Average time on snow and ice using mainly crampons and snowshoes took me 12 to 14 hours.Keep track of trail conditions on this site.

If you plant ice you're gonna harvest wind. (GD)