Seymour Mountain, October 15, 2021, Seward Range, Western High Peaks, Adirondack Park

Escalator log up the Seymour slides

I like to hike in all kinds of weather. But this year I found myself reserving all of my hikes to the highest summits for banner, blue bird days. It makes sense, I guess, since this means that all of the hard work going up is at least rewarded with a view. But there is also something to be said about a rainy day hike to a summit totally enveloped in clouds. If, like me, you sometimes want your one square inch of silence, I find this to be a great way to find it.

The flattest trail in the ADK?

On a recent Friday, my trusted weather service (NWS Mountain Points Forecast) called for warmer, slightly-humid temperatures, overcast skies, no lighting risk, summits in the clouds, and a 25% chance of passing showers. It seemed like the perfect type of day for Mount Seymour. The Seward Range gets light traffic anyway, but the rain forecast, I thought, might keep even more people off the trails. And although Mount Seymour does have nice some view points, it's a peak that I felt had the potential to be an equally-rewarding experience if totally enveloped in mountain fog.

Mossy summit approach

After an hour and fifteen drive in the morning darkness, I arrived to find the Seward Range parking lot on Coreys Road largely empty and hit the trail with headlamp and bear bell at 6:45 a.m. The sun was up by the time I reached the cutoff for the Calkins Brook approach trail to Seward, Donaldson and Emmons, which I had hiked earlier in the year. So the trail ahead was all new terrain. It's remarkably easy going - consistently flat, with few mud holes, rocks or tree roots. Decidedly un-Adirondack, really.

Quiet summit

The trail remained like that all the way to my first break point, Ward Brook Lean-To at mile post 4.5, which is where I rested and refueled before and after the climb to Seymour. Some people complain in their trip reports about the boredom of the overly-flat trail. I found it quite nice, especially in the autumn as the changing, falling leaves made for the sights and sounds of a pleasant, picturesque meander through the woods. It kind of reminded me of the Signal Ridge Trail to Mount Carrigain in the White Mountains - a seemingly-endless, flat approach before the climb.

Hazy view of Ampersand Mountain from Seymour shoulder

After the break, I stowed my larger pack and brought a summit bag the rest of the way. It's fairly easy to find and follow the unmarked herd path, which starts off climbing alongside a minor, trickling stream coming down the mountainside. Just when I started to climb, of course, it started to rain. I had packed raingear, knowing that a 25% chance of precipitation in the ADK really means 100% and spent the next hour clambering up the wet and slippery slides for which the path is known. It wasn't overly difficult - quite fun actually - and I made quick work of the hard parts to reach the beautiful, moss-covered summit cone. From there, it's a short, muddy distance over to the summit sign. There are no easy 46ers. But this one was certainly not one of the hardest.

Clothing change and dry out at the Ward Brook shelter

As expected, the top was fully enveloped in clouds. A light and variable wind rustled the trees on the wooded summit, breaking the otherwise eerie silence. I took another long break at the summit, which I had all to myself. In fact, the only other hiker I saw all day was ascending just below the slides as I was making my descent. We chatted for a few minutes, but I quickly got on my way to again enjoy the peace and quiet of a great trail and summit that I had all to myself.

Peak: Seymour Mountain
Elevation: 4.091 feet (Gain: 2,798 feet)
Distance: 13.7 miles roundtrip, 7 hours total time out
Route: Out and Back: Trail 129 aka Blueberry Trail to Seymour Mountain Herd Path
Conditions: Cloudy, rain, 55 degrees F

 

Mount Marshall, October 10, 2021, MacIntyre Range, Eastern High Peaks, Adirondack Park

Peace and quiet on Indian Pass trail on a Columbus Day weekend

I always try to avoid starting hike from the Heart Lake/Loj parking area on weekends, especially holiday weekends. I like quiet, contemplative mornings, not mob scenes. However, my schedule recently facilitated the unlikely decision to hike Mount Marshall on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. Of course, I had anticipated every detail of the veritable shit show that greeted me as I arrived. There was a steady stream of car headlights behind me as I pulled up to the entrance at 5:55 a.m. The parking booth was already staffed and open for business, as was the Hungry Hiker snack bar and the High Peaks Information Center. The lot was at 80% capacity and streams of huge hiking parties in headlamps were surging towards the main trail towards Marcy Dam. The cacophony of voices was deafening.

View towards Indian Pass

Knowing that the main trails to Mount Marcy and Avalanche Pass would be loaded on a holiday weekend, my plan was to tackle Marshall from the west. I'd take the trail to Indian Pass and then up the Cold Brook Trail to the herd path. I expected that this route, even on a holiday weekend, would be far less trafficked than the ones leaving the Loj to the east.

Trail break on banks of Indian Pass Brook

I started out on the Heart Lake loop trail and needed a headlamp almost until the junction to Rocky Falls. The Indian Pass trail had easy grades all the way to the lean-to site on the banks of Indian Pass Creek. At this point, there was a split in the trail which had a yellow blazed trail going one way and the red-blazed trail that I'd been following crossing the river. I stuck with the latter and it brought me past a couple of brook-side camp sites, after which the trail rises and dips steeply down. It then follows the creek again to the start of the trail through Cold Brook pass, clearly marked by two cairns. This proved to be a perfect break spot to prepare for the long climb. I used this point for two breaks, one on the way up and one on the return.

Only views of the day, from trail through Cold Brook Pass

Though very poorly maintained, the trail up through Cold Brook Pass is a splendid one. It follows the brook pretty much the entire way, passing many deep pools and waterfalls. The crossings provide some visual interest, though long distance views as you climb are pretty minimal. Almost the entire way up, I endured the constant sensation of wet branches brushing my face and clothing. The trail is really overgrown and needs a trim. Some people seem to complain about this. I rather like it. It feels like an undiscovered, secret trail that nobody ever uses.

Brook-turned-trail in Cold Brook Pass

The clearly-marked herd path to Marshall is located near the high point between Indian Pass and Avalanche Pass. It's a fairly straightforward herd path and not too difficult, despite a few classic ADK boulder scrambles. There is a demoralizing false summit towards the start, which the trail quickly crosses and then dips down and up steeply again to the true summit. Though only partly cloudy down below, the forecast called for summits in and out of the clouds. The timing of my arrival didn't allow me to take in the one view point that this otherwise wooded mountain offers.

Absolutely no views from the Mt. Marshall vista point. Bummer.

The absolute highlight of the day, however, was the total isolation of the trails that I had chosen. From Heart Lake to the herd path, I saw only two other hikers. Two. On a warm and dry autumn day. At peak foliage time of year. On Columbus Day weekend. 

I'll definitely be going back.

Peak: Mount Marshall
Elevation: 4,360 feet (Gain: approx, 3,000 feet)
Distance: 14.5 miles roundtrip
Route: Out and Back: Indian Pass Trail to Cold Brook Pass Trail to Mount Marshall Herd Path
Conditions: Partly Cloudy, 70 degrees F