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

Mount Webster and Mount Jackson, September 19, 2021, White Mountain National Forest

View to the South from Webster Cliffs, Mount Carrigain at Center

It's just one of those immutable laws of my hiking universe. Avoid Crawford Notch on the weekends. It has to be that way. There are just too many people. One time, a full SUV screeched to a halt as I was hiking back to my car so the dude could ask me where he and his family could see a moose. That incident pretty much sealed my Crawford Law for good. But I recently found myself missing the notch and since it was a mid-week day after Labor Day, I figured that the day of the week coupled with the end of the summer season would keep the pressure fairly light. So I headed out.

Waterfall and Pond on Webster-Jackson Trail

I arrived late by my standards (7 a.m.) but still found plenty of parking near the rail station/information center just south of the Highland Center -- A good sign towards having the trail all to myself. Indeed, the entire hike up the Webster-Jackson Trail to the summit of Webster was peaceful and quiet and I didn't encounter a single hiker. The views from the summit cliffs on Webster are fantastic, so I took a long break on an open ledge and enjoyed the sights, the sun and the absence of any wind. A perfect peak day, really.

Panorama to the West from Webster Cliffs

While relaxing, I encountered a pair of thru-hikers who appeared somewhat surprised to see someone up on the summit ridge at that time of morning. We chatted briefly and then I packed up and made my way along the Webster Cliff trail over to Jackson. I usually approach Jackson from the other side, via the high elevation bog, and was looking forward to an approach from a different direction.

Mount Jackson Summit, View to Mount Washington

Webster's atmosphere was peaceful, quiet and contemplative. Jackson was the total opposite. When I arrived there, I had the peak all to myself... for five minutes. Then, within the 10 minutes thereafter, the summit got mobbed by four groups of 4-5 people each and another group of 3 with 3 off-leash dogs that starting zipping all about the summit. Next, a gregarious, loud-talking solo hiker showed up and took it upon himself to talk to EVERYONE about his exploits doing hundreds and hundreds of hiking miles. When one of the loose dogs started sniffing my pack as if getting ready to take a leak, I quickly packed it in and got outta dodge.

A 4,000 footer in Crawford Notch... What did I expect?

Peaks: Webster and Mount Jackson
Elevation:  3,910 feet and 4,052 feet (Gain: 2,381 feet)
Distance: 6.5 miles
Route: Loop, Webster-Jackson Trail to Webster Cliff Trail to Webster-Jackson Trail 
Conditions: Partly Cloudy, 70 degrees F

Black Mountain, September 18, 2021, White Mountain National Forest

Lime Kiln on Chippewa Trail to Black Mountain

As far as I can remember, I'd always wanted to hike Black Mountain. The peak is well-known for its  open ledges and nice vistas. Though it is easily accessible from our home base of Sugar Hill, the problem has always been the trail mileage. It is only 1.8 miles to the summit; 3.6 miles for a roundtrip out and back. That's just too short. Thus, I always found myself passing it up for something a little more substantive. But on a day when I got up a little later than normal and woke to a cloudy, blustery day that was clearly going to be a little unsettled in the higher elevations, I decided that it was time to give Black Mountain a go. 

View from Black Mountain Summit

Although the north approach trail to Black Mountain was closer, I circled around to the southern access point off Lime Kiln Road. This is the start of the Chippewa Trail, which is thought to be the more scenic approach to the summit with the added benefit of taking one near the remains of the lime kilns. As one might expect, the trail is steep going the entire way since it gains so much elevation over such a short distance. I took my time on the approach and enjoyed both the trail and the summit very much. The steep-short-distance-for-big-payoff nature of the hike reminded me of a neat little peak called Catamount in the Adirondacks.  The only downside was that the celebrated long-distance views were pretty much totally obscured by clouds.

Final Approach to Black Mountain Summit

Peak: Black Mountain
Elevation: 2,820 feet (Gain: 1,587 feet)
Distance: 3.6 miles roundtrip
Route: Out and back, Chippewa Trail
Conditions: Summits in the clouds, windy, 70 degrees F