Gothics, Armstrong, Upper Wolf Jaws

Trip Report:  A Beautiful Lower Range Trial Hike!

Dates:            September 18, 2004

Location:       Adirondack High Peaks

Team:           Mike, Joe, Alan, & Sharon

Destination:  Gothics, Armstrong, & Upper Wolf Jaw Summits via Lower Range Trail

Approach:     Ausable Club

Author:          Mike

Route In A Nutshell:  
1.  From JBL, moderate hiking most of the way, then steep hiking with a few short, very steep sections from JBL to the Gothics-Saddleback col via the Ore Bed Brook Trail. 
2.  Steep and very steep hiking from the col to the summit of Gothics over primarily smooth rock face.  The trail up the face occasionally passes through small islands of conifers which provide good shelter in case of wind.  A very strong, flexible cable is provided over most of the ascent by DEC to assist those wanting added security during the climb. 
3.  Easy traverse from Gothics' false summit to its true summit.  Easy-to-moderate hiking from Gothics to Armstrong and Upper Wolf Jaws.
4.  The descent from Upper Wolf Jaws to the pass between Upper and Lower Wolf Jaws is steep and involves negotiating a number of 5-10 foot ledges.  However, it is entirely in wooded terrain with lots of handholds.
5.  Ascent of Lower Wolf  Jaws is quite steep in a number places.  Fatigue will be a problem for the occasional hiker this late in the hike.  Care is warranted.  LWJ's summit is reached 0.5 miles from the pass and 660 vertical feet above it.
6.  Moderate descent to Johns Brook Lodge via the Wolf Jaw Brook Trail from the Wolf Jaws' pass. 

Details:

Gothics, Armstrong, Upper Wolf Jaws, and Lower Wolf Jaws.   Together, these 4 peaks are generally referred to as Lower Range.   Together with the Upper Range Trail (Basin & Saddleback), they constitute The Great Range.  To do the entire Great Range in a day is more difficult than most hikers can manage, not to mention a waste, since if you manage to do them all in a day, you will be too tired and rushed to really enjoy the splendid views. 

More detail to come...


 
What will we remember from this trip?  The glorious views!  The quick pace once we ascended Gothics! 

Pictures:

Algonquin

Algonquin
Adirondacks
"An Adventure"
a.k.a. "Hot Tubs"
September 27, 2003

It started innocently enough.  It was time for the fall hike. The usual email was sent to the usual list of suspects. A couple of emails and quick conversations later, a day was selected. The emails went out to the fringe groups (anyone not a usual suspect).
And that’s when it got interesting. 
 
Planning
In short order, the group was 4 committed and no less than 6 semi-committed.  Not bad considering they haven’t had a group larger than 3 since April, 1999.  And that group only managed to summit Mt. Jo after failing on Macomb (too much time spent arguing on the trail about whether or not to wear snowshoes or slide across the snow on stomachs [see the trip report here]). 
 
It’s not clear where the planning activities got out of hand. Trying to analyze all the email messages, timelines and threads would be a challenge for the CIA.  At the beginning, this much was clear:

• Alan wanted a GQ hike. GQ is a term Alan coined and is short for "Gentleman’s Quarterly" which we are told is some sort of magazine for “gentlemen.” (No one in this group, save maybe Alan, have seen this purported magazine.)  A GQ hike consists of staying in a motel, a challenging hike that ends before 4:00 PM, showers, nice dinner, and a micro brew to end the evening.
• Sherry just wanted out. Challenging hike. Dinner. Sleep.
• Mike wanted to hike almost anything, preferably something new. He hadn’t been out in 2 years.
• Joe was as confused as ever.

Then the semi-committed started to state their desires and goals. Which, when looking back on some of them, is interesting since none had really climbed a mountain before. A sampling:

• “Can we do all 46 in one day?”
• “One where the weather is nice.”
• “Are they all uphill?”
• “Marcy, Haystack, Grey and, if there’s time, Algonquin.”
• "There are bathrooms on the trails, right?"
• “One that has a hot tub!”

Based on the requests, the demand for GQ, and taking into consideration the number of first-timers with unknown abilities, Joe proposes a plan of attack:

• Shoot for Algonquin – nice 1st peak and doable for most.
• Those wanting more and a new peak can go on to Iroquois.
• Those wanting even more can hike out through Avalanche Pass or hit Wright on the return.
• Backup, if conditions are right: Gothics, which, by the way, is a really neat climb, Armstrong and Upper Wolf Jaw.

This is where planning went to the dogs.
There must have been a hundred different counter-proposals. Most of which involved a hot tub. After several weeks of wrangling and well over a hundred emails, Joe suggested that Alan splurge and spend $5.95 for a map of the Adirondacks if he were going to continue to make suggestions to the itinerary. Trying to keep things in control, Mike convened a conference call with the primary trip planners, Alan, Joe and himself. The result: Go with Joe’s original proposal. Had you been in Joe’s office at the time you would have seen steam coming out of his ears.
Somewhere in here the group settled in on Doc Sherry, Alan, Mike and Joe with first-timers Liz, Jackie and Derrick.  Most opted to stay at the Golden Arrow with their indoor hot tub.  Joe & Sherry went cheap.

The Night Before
Joe had the opportunity to meet up with Mike, Teena and kids for dinner.  Also along were Mike's friend, Scott, his wife Cat and baby Reese.   Scott was unable to join the crew on the hike as planned but was enjoying the town.
What a flashback for Joe watching new parents handling kids in a restaurant.  He just sat at the end of the table (soaked from the glass of water Reese had spilled 30 seconds after sitting down), smiled and offered tidbits of guidance.  Like:
J: "Hey, Mike.  Have you heard that crayons make great tools for shoveling ketchup into your mouth?"
M: "What?! No, I hadn't."
J: "Elizabeth has."
M: "Huh?" (turning to see Elizabeth with ketchup laden crayon going in mouth): "Aahhh!!"
Later the rest of the group managed to arrive in Placid and, through the miracle of cell phones, finalize plans. Most of which involved a hot tub.
A few even managed to get to the micro brew for some preliminary introductions.

The Hike
Everyone managed to get out of bed Saturday morning and meet, unexpectantly, at the mini mart for coffee. Caffeine seems to have become a necessary pre-hike staple for the older members of the group.
The forecast could have been better but at least the temperature was decent. The group left the Loj after being instructed in hiking’s prime directive: “Don’t feed Mikey.”
First-timer excitement probably explains why the group was in a good mood even as conditions deteriorated the higher they climbed. While the temperature was in the upper 50’s, the winds were picking up and the odds of getting a break in the clouds looked slim.
About half way the group stopped at the waterfall for a snack and water refills. The first-timers were introduced the finer points of hiking. Specifically, snacks of the experienced. Nothing healthy about most of it. Outside of the occasional piece of fruit or Power Bar there were enough Combos for a small army (thanks to Alan) and peanut butter M&M’s. Another rule of hiking, “You don’t diet on the trail.” Jackie, probably the most health-conscience among them, was looking at this bunch rather skeptically.  Had she joined the right crowd for a first hike?
When they reached tree line the wind was formidable. The summit gusts were probably in the 60 mph range making standing up a little difficult for the lighter members of the group.
On the summit it didn’t take long for before plans of going on to Iroquois were summarily tossed. Quickly pictures were snapped all around. Not that there was much to see. Records of the ascent complete, everyone headed back to the Loj. They didn’t even stay for the traditional lunch on the summit.
Getting below tree line the group spread out on the trail. Lunch was consumed. Everyone was happy again. Except Mike and Derrick. Not satisfied with one peak, they decided to head for Wright where it was rumored that the winds were even stronger. Everyone else just smiled and wished them well. Someone had said something about a hot tub.
Breaking up at the junction to Wright the smarter half of the group headed down and tried to enjoy a couple of breaks in the clouds. There was just enough clearing to see the valley and Placid. Mike and Derrick began to sprint (yes, sprint) up the path to Wright.
Taking their time and enjoying the day, the smarter half of the group was later accosted several miles down the trail by Mike and a somewhat frazzled-looking Derrick as they trotted down the mountain. Except for Derrick’s condition, this was expected. Those that know Mike knew that he was going to go all out to see to it that the group did not leave him behind at the Loj. And he knew there were hot tub discussions.
Derrick’s condition was brought on by Mike’s swift pursuit of the group. He wasn’t out of breath. His expression was more like he had just missed getting run over by a truck. Seems Mike was pushing the safety envelope to catch the group. Again, nothing new.
To make matters worse, the wind was so strong on Wright that Derrick had to sit down and hang on to the rocks while Mike tried to advance to the summit on all fours between gusts.  Neither made it.
The day ended with three new "1er's".  Looking back, with the weather and winds what they were, Liz, Jackie and Derrick had “an adventure” that left them with a tale to tell much better than had the weather cooperated. Had it been nice this would have been just a walk in the woods. From the post-hike emails it seems they want another challenge. Joe is thinking he should get a guide's license and charge if they think he's going to take them up the complete 46.  Although it would be worth doing for free if it means getting city-boy Alan to go backpacking.  Talk about an adventure!
Oh, yeah.  There was a hot tub at the end.  Except for Joe and Sherry.  They just flooded their cheap motel room with hot water and made bubbles the old fashioned way.

Pictures:

Prepared for the worst the Adirondacks can throw at them.  Almost.

Alan

"Dude!  Don't forget we need time for a hot tub break at the end."

Jackie & Doc Sherry

"Are you really a doctor?  I mean, look at what you guys are eating. You want some grapes?"

Mike

"How did I pull water duty?"

 Sherry 

"These Combos taste so good out here."

Alan

"Doc Sherry! Help! I think I got a Combo stuck in my throat."

  Mike & Derrick

Mike: "Hey, Derrick! Look!  I'm soaked and it's not even raining.  This is how you start your journey to hypothermia."

Derrick: "Uh, can't you die out here from that?"

Mike: "Huh?  Oh, its OK.  We got Doc Sherry along."

Sherry:  "Sorry, Mike, you're gonna die."

Mike:  "&*%$ !! Anyone seen my dry shirt?"

 Liz

"Are these guys for real?"

 Going UP!  UP!  UP!

On the Summit

Editor's note: Joe's camera lens had fogged up on the summit and he got no decent summit photos.  Others did get shots, though.  Mike has collected them and agreed to burn CD's for all.  Joe is planning to put some here.  But Mike is withholding the collected photos for ransom.  (Actually, he's had a rough time since the climb and has not been able to get the CD's burned.)  Anyway, check back later to see the summit mayhem.

 On the Summit

Look at the wind!

On the Summit

"Who's idea of fashion is that?"

On the Summit"Oh my god!  I've never seen one that big!  And you said you're going to put it where?"

On the Summit"Alan!  Take your hands off those!!"

On the Summit"Medic!"

 

The Waterfall!

End of day

No worse for the wear they look almost as good as when they started.

"To the hot tub!!"

Liz, Alan, & Jackie

"How do we tell this guy to keep his hands off us?"

Liz & Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, I have one word of advice for you.  Handbags.  Think lots and lots of designer handbags."

Teena & Elizabeth.

"Next trip, Mike gets to watch Elizabeth and Nicholas while I pack a couple of Empire apples and climb them thar hills!"

Note: to understand the Empire apples reference go here.

Hurricane Mountain

Trip Report:  Great Views Atop Hurricane Mountain

After yesterday's hike of Algonquin with Andy and Gordon, we (Rick & Mike) decided to take another crack at taking in some High Peaks views by hiking Hurricane Mountain.  Once again, Teena and Elizabeth hung out in Lake Placid with Gordon, Andy, and Sue (and Andy Jr.).  Teena plans to test her hiking feet in October.
After a 1.5 hour hike up, Rick & Mike reached the summit.  The weather started out chilly and windy with beautiful sunny skies.  However, by the time the summit was reached, a new blanket of clouds arrived and shrouded the summits of the tallest mountains. 
The hike started out with an immediate steep pitch.  The pitch remained relatively steep for the first 1/4 - 1/2 mile.  After that, the hike was relatively flat for about 1+ miles.   Through this flat section, we crossed several bog-like fields, and one evergreen "tunnel."
One thing that stands out about this hike is that we were the first ones to the trail head.  We started hiking around 8:30am.  As a result, we had the distinct privilege of eliminating all the spider webs.  Yuck!  Neither of us could believe the sheer volume of webs we took out.  (My skin itches everywhere as I write this!)  Luckily, neither of us is really bothered by spiders or their webs.
 Eventually, the level trail gave way to a steep ascent.  The trail was pretty much uphill most of the way from this point to the summit, with a few sections that were very steep.  Near the top, we had to "button-hook" right to get to the large rock formations that lead to the summit.
We were told that Hurricane Mountain was once used to conduct geological surveys of the surrounding region.  NO Wonder!!!  The summit has awesome 360 degree views, and the hike up was pretty quick.  Cascade, Big Slide, Algonquin, Colden, and Marcy (as well as all the other peaks in-between were visible to the west.  To the North, Whiteface.  To the East, the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain were easily in sight.  What was really cool about the eastern view was that Vermont's Mount Mansfield and Camel's Hump Mountain were plainly visible before the cloud formations obstructed them.  To the south, "back" side of Giant, Rocky Peak, Bald Mountain, Noonmark, Bear's Den, and the Great Range were visible.
Our views were somewhat mixed because of the extensive cloud cover, but they were far superior to the views we had from Algonquin the day before!  In many ways, we liked this because the clouds add a certain "character" to the mountainous scenery.
When we tried to climb the fire tower at the summit, we found it to be in a state of disrepair.  If you look at the pictures closely enough, you'll see that the ladder rungs have been removed to prevent people from climbing it.  This tower is listed as an "endangered tower" on page 18 of the September/October 2001 issue of Adirondac magazine.  According to the article, it is a "non-conforming" tower that was slated to be removed in August 2001.  We're glad we got the opportunity to see it before it gets taken away.
We hung out at the summit for about an hour to eat some lunch, scope out the surrounding mountains, and chat with a fellow hiker named Kathy.  We departed from the summit around 11:30 so we could meet up with Teena Baby Elizabeth, and begin the long ride home.

What will we remember from this trip?  A "nice" quick hike up and down.  Spectacular views.  The fire tower - a first for each of us - with its ladder rungs ripped out.

For more information on Hurricane Mountain, click here to visit the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) writeup, or here to visit a nice winter report at a "Towns and Trails" site.

STATS SUMMARY:

Date of Summit: 09/23/2001

Team:  Mike Bowen, Rick Allen

Location:  Adirondack High Peaks (44.214694,-73.840485)

Summit Elevation:  3,694'

Vertical Ascent:  ~1,982'

Approach: South Trail from Rt. 9N

Trailhead to Summit: ~2.6 miles

Time to summit:  ~90 minutes

Weather:  Sunny at first, then overcast.  Chilly, with temps in the fifties

Trail Difficulty:  Moderate - sustained steep sections at the start and summit, with relatively easy hiking in between.

Photo Album:  (10 pictures)  Click on picture to see a larger version.

Rick points to the approaching clouds and offers his sandwich as an offering for clear skies.

Looking west, Algonquin is shrouded in clouds.

"High" Peaks, from left to right: Giant Mountain, Bald Mountain, Noonmark Mountain, Bear's Den Mountain, and the Ausable Lake valley.

Rocky Ridge Peak and Giant Mountain.  That's "Green Mountain" in the foreground - not to be mistaken for Vermont's Green Mountains.

The "Great Range" of the High Peaks is in the background.  Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong, Gothics, Saddleback, and Marcy.  Colden is farthest to the right.

Rick & Mike pose in front of Hurricane's fire tower.  Notice the missing ladders at the lower levels.

Meanwhile...  Mike decides that his climbing exploits for the day aren't finished yet.  "Missing ladder rungs are no obstacle!"

...Here's the "Farscape" shot.  It's too bad that this tower is "non-conforming."  The debate as to how strict New York's  "Forever Wild" clause should be enforced is an interesting one.

Rick squares off against intrepid explorer Kathy.  It looks like a great struggle is about to ensue...  Neither one giving an inch.

The stalemate is broken by Rick's clever wit, and by the "cameraman" shouting "Hey!  Look into the camera!"

Algonquin

Trip Report:  Los Amigos Tackle Mighty Algonquin!

SUMMARY:
Teena, Elizabeth, and I visited Lake Placid for the second time in three weeks to meet up with our friends Rick, Gordon, Andy, and Sue.  "Los Amigos" planned to hike Algonquin and Iroquois on Saturday while the ladies shopped, toured, etc...  Teena, still recovering from a July delivery of Baby Elizabeth, plans to make her big hiking comeback debut in October 2001.

After a rough start, three of "Los Amigos" successfully ascended Algonquin Mountain (Andy, Mike, and Rick), reaching the cloud-shrouded summit at about 11:30am.  Gordon reached to within a few hundred feet of the summit before being turned back by the generally inclement weather - a fact that we will constantly remind him of.  Unfortunately, the cloud cover never dissipated, meaning that Andy and Gordon had to apply their imaginations in new and creative ways to see the surrounding scenes.

Because of the lack of views, the very high winds, and because Mike knows he'll be back on Algonquin again someday, the ascent of Iroquois Peak was abandoned.

We arrived back at the Loj trail head around 4:15pm, making much better time on the way down than we did on the way up.  We regrouped in Lake Placid for dinner at 7:00pm at the Lake Placid Brew Pub.  There, Rick and Mike discussed plans to hike up Hurricane Mountain the next day (click here for that report).

This was Mike's 2nd successful ascent of Algonquin.

DETAILS:

Teena and I headed to Lake Placid for the second time this month.  The first trip resulted in a Phelps Trip Report and a 1st Adirondack trip for young Baby Elizabeth.  This time, instead of checking into the trusted Woodlake Motor Lodge, we decided to stay at Placid Bay Inn.  Earlier this month, we learned that travel with a baby requires additional space.  Placid Bay offered a room with a king size bed, kitchenette, and walk-in closet for ~$75.

It was a cold, wet start as we arrived at the Loj trail head and started hiking at 7:25am.  Yet another major weather system went through the area overnight, unloading an extensive payload of rain on the area.  Even as Rick picked us up at 6:30am, the rain was still pouring.  The weather was a about 50 degrees, drizzly, and overcast when we started hiking.  Like the Phelps hike a few weeks before, this wasn't exactly the type of weather you want for taking some friends on their first High Peaks hiking trip.

Each hiking trip has its own interesting side story...  That story for this trip belongs to Rick.  He started the trip quite "ill,"  fertilizing the local plant life with plenty of oats.  The cause of this sudden illness - seedy, bottom of the barrel "Ubu Ale" at the Down Hill Grill, or the "love fest" in the room above him at the St. Moritz - remains unknown.  Lucky for all of us, the Ale worked it's way out of his system, his lack of sleep energized him, and his terrifying memories of "squeaking" the night before provided plenty of jokes and tall tales throughout the hike!  At the end of the day, Rick was arguably better off than any of us!

This first mile of the 4.2 mile ascent took us only 20 minutes, after which we stopped for a quick breather and posed for pictures at the trail junction for Marcy Dam.  Somewhere in our conversations at this point, the following exchange took place:  "How far is it to the summit, Mike?"  "About 4+ miles."  "Great...  We should be there in an hour then."  "Uh huh...  Hold on to that spirit........"  Within the first 1/4 mile, the drizzle stopped, and we were able to put away our jackets.

After the next 1/2 mile and another 20 minutes (notice the diminishing return on time?), we arrived at the Whale's Tail ski trail to Wright's summit.  We stared for a few moments and wondered aloud at how hard it must be to ski uphill at such a pitch.  We then hiked and rested on and off for another mile, and another hour (what happened to 20 minutes per mile rule?), hitting some increasingly steeper terrain, until we reached a beautiful waterfall.  There, we stopped for 20+ minutes to climb the falls and take pictures.  Once we got started again, we hiked for another 1/2 mile to the trail junction for the summit of Wright Peak.  Shortly into that 1/2 mile, Gordon began to fall behind, and requested that the rest of us continue up - he would meet us at the summit.

"Remember I told you that this gets steep?" Mike chuckled...  The next 1/2 mile or so to the tree line was extremely steep, but took little time to traverse as we "bulled" our way through it.  Once above the tree line, we were greeted by extreme winds and powerful gusts.  Above our heads, the canopy of clouds could almost be reached.  At this point, we could still see the summit of Wright peak, and much of the northern regions behind us.  But within a few minutes, we were in the clouds for good.

At the summit, we were kept company by constant 40mph winds, with gusts that were probably close to 60mph.  One of those gusts nearly knocked Rick cleanly off the summit in his eagerness to get there.  Rick, Andy, and Mike hung out at the summit for ~45 minutes, waiting for Gordon and thinking about whether or not to hike Iroquois.  In the end, we decided against hiking to Iroquois because we had no views, and the weather appeared to be getting worse.  Besides, we routinely saw blue skies above us, leading Mike to exclaim that there was a possibility to have "undercast" skies similar to those he experienced in January's ascent of Wright peak.

The weather began worsen with the arrival of increased winds and colder temps.  As we began our descent, we began asking fellow hikers if they had seen our friend, Gordon.  Surprisingly, about 1/2 said he was way back on the trail - behind the Wright Trail junction.  The other 1/2 said he was only a couple hundred feet away.  The latter proved true as we met up with Gordon less than 5 minutes from the summit.  Due to the lack of views, Gordon decided he'd rather turn around and head back to the trailhead instead of hiking to the summit.  In spite of the heckling and jabs we gave him on the way down, it's worth noting that intelligent people turn around before they've gone too far.  We posed for a couple group photos and headed back.

The hike down was uneventful and quick.  We stopped by the High Peaks Information Center for a quick break and some coffee.  Then we went back to Lake Placid, hit the Placid Brew Pub for dinner, and told tall tales to our friends and significant others.

What will we remember from this trip?  Yet ANOTHER "white out" atop a High Peak, this time being on top of Algonquin!  Andy's and Gordon's first High Peaks hiking adventure.  50mph+ gales on top of Algonquin!   ...And of course, Rick's adventurous start of the day!

STATS SUMMARY:

Date of Summit: 09/22/2001

Team:  Mike, Rick A., Gordon P., Andy Z.

Location:  Adirondack High Peaks (44.143664, -73.986536)

Summit Elevation:  5,114'

Vertical Ascent:  2,936'

Approach: ADK Loj parking lot

Trailhead to Summit: 4.8 miles

Time to summit:  ~4.5 hours

Weather:  Sunny, and HOT enough to melt rock!!!  91 degrees!!!  The heat index was over 100 degrees!!!

Trail Difficulty:  Difficult with steep terrain for the last mile of the hike to the summit.

Photo Album:

One mile into the trip...  Only 20 minutes?  4.2 miles to the summit?  We'll be home in time for lunch!!! 

The Whale's Tail ski trail junction...  "People actually ski UP  that?"  Mike explains the concept of "skins." 

Mike stands near the top of the waterfall.  In January 2001, he passed this same waterfall during his ascent of Wright Peak (click here for trip report, and click here for picture).

...Mike and Gordo pose in front of the waterfall. 

Andy also posed...   What can you say...   It's a nice shot!

Think Algonquin's last mile isn't steep?  Here, mighty mighty Rick clings onto life after a near fatal misstep.

¡Los Tres Amigos!  Andy, Rick, and Mike pose atop the shrouded peak of Algonquin, awaiting their compadre, Gordon.

Meanwhile...  "Indiana" Mike always says that being on top of a mountain must be what heaven is like.  (Nice leg-warmers!)

...Amidst the clouds that shroud Algonquin, it looks like he may have found it!

Although Andy's not too sure that there are actually views from up here, he still gives the thumbs up.  for the trip.

30 minutes:  Where's Gordon?  Los Tres Amigos begin to ask fellow travelers, "Have you seen a bald guy in a green shirt?"

One last group pose atop 'ol Algonquin...  Should we go to Iroquois?

Iroquois!  I can't even see the camera man!  Besides...  Where's Gordo?

It's amazing what one sees when approaching the summit!

Just below the summit, Los Tres Amigos regroup with Gordon in the place described by several hikers.

We all pose before heading back down to the parking lot.

 GR-R-R-R-R-R-UNT!!!
Rick explains, while flexing his muscles, that hiking Algonquin requires a strong will, and an even stronger physique.

"We were right here!"
Gordon pauses while on Loj Road to squash all the little people still atop of Algonquin.

Though not yet old enough to hike the Adirondack High Peaks, Baby Elizabeth dreams of the day she can join her parents, after studying the trail descriptions over dinner.

'Tis the end of the day...  The hiking party successfully regroups with Sue, Teena, and Baby Elizabeth at the Lake Placid Brew Pub.  Though we gave it our best shot, there was still plenty of Ubu Ale left in the keg by the end of the night!