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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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 MountainElevation: 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
