Mountain Time

 

The Adirondacks are known for poor signage and trails that are little more than creeks with disks nailed to trees along the way.  But right away I found a clear sign that directed me to the South Side Trail I desired.  

I knew the route didn't get a lot of use, and that it had to cross Johns Brook right away, but it wasn't an obvious trail to the creek, or where it crossed.  But once on the other side it mostly followed an ATV track used to get to Johns Brook Lodge and the Interior Outpost.  There were some spots it completely disappeared and I found myself boulder-hopping in the creek which was thankfully quite low.

At the far end of the South Side Trail I came to this sign that explained why it was so hard to follow.  Hmmm- if only there had been one of these at the other end...

The climbing began and I soon had a look west across Johns Brook valley to Big Slide Mountain, a 46er, and Yard, one of those that is over 4000' but doesn't count.

Funny, it doesn't look that steep.

After going over Saddleback, a 46er that I hadn't given much attention to, I got to one that I've thought about often in the past few years: Basin.  It's right next to Haystack, with Marcy and Skylight just beyond.  A hike over the three of them would be a day well spent.

From Basin looking north to where I planned to spend the rest of the day: back over Saddleback, up the first part of Gothics, a side trip to Pyramid on the right, back to Gothics and along the ridge over Armstrong and Upper Wolfjaw.

There's this section of Saddleback that is described as tough if you're backpacking.  Why not just be honest and say it's tough?  Going down was the most unnerving thing I've done in the Adirondacks, maybe anywhere.  I was worried about getting back up it, but relieved that going down was much worse.

Some backpackers coming up behind me.  What do you mean you can't see them?  Zoom in, there are three of them in the picture.

The next spot that gets a lot of attention is a steep slab on Gothics with a cable used for assistance.  I got my first view of it a couple hours before getting there, that gave me lots of time to think about it and why I had read so much more about it than Saddleback.

I decided it's because of the uniqueness of the cable.  In dry conditions it really wasn't much of a benefit to have it going up.  I'll let you know if I ever descend on a wet day, or go either direction on an icy one.

From Pyramid (4560'- not a 46er): Looking back where I'd been in the morning.

From Armstong (4400'- a 46er):  Looking back where I'd spent the morning and some of the afternoon.  Upper Wolfjaw is just north of this.  By the time I reached it I was pretty beat and ready to descend so didn't linger as long as on the other peaks.  The descent seemed to go on forever and I had no inclination to add the other 46er I passed, Lower Wolfjaw.  It would have added a steep half-mile up and then back down.

At roughly five miles from Upper Wolfjaw I came to that intersection where I turned to the abandoned South Side Trail.  At 5:45 am, in partial darkness, alone, with a fair amount of anxiety about what I'd face in the day, I had stepped up the the sign on the right and the abandoned trail sign was already behind me.  Don't hike alone.

I'm calling it 16.5 miles and two more peaks on my list visited.