During an unusually pleasant and dry stretch of weather in the northeast I decided to get in another mountain or two. Originally I was planning on Basin and Saddleback, but after reading about how difficult the west sides of these mountains were I decided that with the shorter daylight at the end of summer these would be better saved for earlier in the season. (I move kind of slow when the climbing gets difficult)
Instead Mount Marshall would be the goal.
Starting about 7 am, with barely enough light to sign the trail register under cloudy skies I felt great. Leaving the comfort and warmth of my sleeping back and dressing in the cold air I wonder why I do this? But as soon as my feet hit the trail and the excitement of another adventure takes over the question is answered...
It is cool in the morning, but within a few minutes of walking the air feels comfortable. Checking the weather while driving to the ADK Lodge confirms a perfect day for hiking. High temps near 70, mostly sunny skies and ZERO percent chance of showers in the forecast. The clouds overhead should burn off as the sun get a little higher.
I walk fast knowing that this hike is listed as 11 hours and decide on a 1 PM turn back time.
The remains of Marcy Dam (destroyed by Hurricane Irene)
Adirondack Firmoss
It took about 2 hours to reach the top of Avalanche Lake, arriving as it began to rain. This was one of the few times that I have hiked where my raincoat was not with me. Fortunately it doesn't rain too hard or long. Though my camera is weather sealed it spent a little time in a ziplock bag.
This was by far the most interesting part of the trail. Leading down to and around the lake, the trail shoulders up against a vertical cliff and around or over large boulders that have rolled off the mountainside.
To the left of the trail are slides off Colden.
Hikers rounding the lake after several days in the mountains
Rounding Avalanche Lake there were many ladders and walkways to make navigating this area of rockfall possible.
Across the bottom of Avalanche Lake
The DEC Interior Outpost on Colden Lake
A small waterfall on Herbert Brook
It was beyond this point that I made an error following the unmarked trail up Marshall. The trail starts on the right side of Herbert Brook and crosses back and forth a couple times. Walking up the mostly dry and bare rock of the brook I saw what looked like the continuation of the trail into the woods on the left and continued up. What I didn't see was the cairn on the right side.
The trail led me a few hundred feet, in elevation, up the mountainside and became less and defined as it went. At points the only way that I could tell which way to walk was there was only one direction that was passable. Occasional footprints and marks from hiking poles on a rock encouraged me to continue. I know this is a new trail on a mountain that I probably not as popular as others but it was beginning to make me uncomfortable. The trail finally came to an end at 3570'. I tried bushwhacking back and forth to pick up the trail and even thought about continuing up through the woods but decided against it. I could spend an hour struggling through dense growth only to find that it became too steep.
It was getting close to my turnaround time. After some effort I located the path I was on and headed back down to Herbert Brook. Emerging from the woods I immediately spotted the cairn across from me.
On the correct path now, my first thought was to sprint to the top. After traveling a few hundred feet along the correct, and well defined, trail I did some quick math and came to the conclusion that if it took me an hour and a half to get back to this point, I would arrive back and the ADK Lodge almost an hour after sunset. Though I had a headlamp, walking in the dark didn't appeal to me. This summit will have to wait for another day...
Golden Lake. Algonquin on the far left. Slope and slides of Colden on far right.
Colden in the background.
Avalanche Lake from the south end
All the way back I questioned my decision to turn back with only 700 vertical feet and a little over 1/2 mile to go.
Back at my car at 6:00 pm there was still 40 minutes until sunset and twilight after that. There probably was sufficient time to summit and return with only the easy trail from Marcy Dam to the ADL Lodge in near dark.
Oh well. I was both disappointed over not taking a chance and proud of myself for deciding to err on the side of safety. It still was a great hike!
According to my Fitbit 47,000 steps, 21.5 miles, 302 floors, 582 active minutes, 5,435 calories for the day!
The good weather will last through the weekend. I will try again on Saturday or Sunday. (Otherwise this will bother me until I do...)
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