Up Gothics
The hike down Ore Bed Trail was largely uneventful. As dawn broke, the first group of folks from JBL passed us and Sunny was happy to get some pets. When we passed the Lean-To, I was kind of glad I wasn't carrying a full pack for camping.
The Ore Bed path is stony, but not nearly as obnoxious as the Van Hovenberg or Algonquin Trails. However, if you do find yourself on a smooth path, it's likely you've veered off on one of the junctions leading to a camp.
There was lots of water along Ore Bed trail and I managed to keep my water usage to just my BeFree filter flask. I'd decided to just bring that and a full 1.5 liter bladder for this trip. I figured with the cool temperatures, overcast day, and water along the majority of the trail, that it would be enough.
About 1.5 miles into the trail, it passes through a narrow valley at the feet of Gooseberry Mountain. Both this time and last time, I got mixed up going through here. There are lots of deadfalls, boulders, dead ends, broken stairs, and other refuse here which I suspect are all victims of the slide above. You can get tangled in here fairly easily, but it's hard to get truly lost since, as long as you keep climbing up along the valley to the left, you'll eventually come to the actual trail and eventually the slide stairs. The wooded section between the stairs and the cables felt very long indeed, but it's only about half a mile.
Don't forget to turn around every once in a while making this ascent.
Sunny never fails to have a look at the view he probably can't actually see now that I think of it.
The cables ascent was bone dry this time. I did bring my spikes and gloves this time. I didn't need the spikes, but the gloves were a big help.
Like a lot of things about this hike, the ultimate ascent of Gothics reminded me of how far we've come since last year. Both of us have much more confidence on the tough spots. Sunny can judge an ascent and pick the best route for him with ease, and even tends to try to stay on rock. We made it to the Gothics false summit 45 minutes faster than last year.
In the interest of full disclosure, despite keeping hydrated during the entire summit, the moment I started to dismount the false summit, I keeled over with a double leg cramp for a few minutes. I took it easy across Gothics to avoid angering them further.
I hadn't bothered with the Southern ledge of Gothics summit last year because of how socked in it'd been that day. On this day, it provided what I believe is the best photo of the trip.
Pyramid Peak
After reading about the peak between Gothics and Sawteeth, I was pretty excited to experience it for myself. It seems daunting from Gothics, but distances between peaks are often exaggerated in our minds.
The real factor is elevation, and it was only about 400 feet down and 200 feet up to get to the summit of Pyramid. The climb down from Gothics was mainly a few short slides at the top and rocky trail at the bottom.
The view back from Pyramid.
The views from Pyramid are spectacular and you can see in all directions. Despite the incredible views, I actually didn't take hardly any pictures from Pyramid. Sunny and I took a break and simply enjoyed the cool air and the serenity of the moment.
I absolutely recommend the short jog over to Pyramid for anyone summiting Gothics from JBL. It only took us thirty minutes to cross over and it isn't very much work for a great payoff.
Pyramid Descent
From the summit of Pyramid Peak, Sawteeth does not look all that impressive. That's because it isn't.
I've been researching this hike for quite some time. Although I knew the descent and ascent from Pyramid was going to be the major X factor and it featured over a thousand feet of elevation change in a little over a half mile, I didn't know what the actual topography would be like or what conditions to expect.
All of the stages of the south side of Pyramid are steep, whether they be the slides or the more earthy rock stairs. As difficult as these climbs are, I am pretty sure it's still the safest and easiest way to scale the mountainside. The few switchbacks that exist on the side of this mountain seem to be there in order to avoid certain doom. Although there are plenty of trees to arrest a fast descent down any of these slides, I absolutely do not recommend going off-trail here.
Here's the location of the previous photo. It's clear that it was literally the safest path down.
Sawteeth
Sunny and I met a lot of friends on the way over to Sawteeth from the col. First, we met a man who had just finished Sawteeth as his 46th High Peak, and he got a high five from me and some hugs from Sunny. We'd also been playing Marco Polo with some college kids since the summit of Pyramid and we ascended most of Sawteeth with them.
This summit was mostly stable, rocky, and relatively easy.
Sunny was not impressed with my desire for an amusing summit photo. We made the summit of Sawteeth before noon. It always calms any anxiety I may have to reach the midpoint of a hike by midday. The views from Sawteeth are pretty, but nothing compared to Pyramid, so we gave up the little outcrop to some new friends from New Jersey. We sat off to the side and chatted with everyone a bit while we ate our Summit Sammiches, then moved on.
Adirondack Kommando sez: "Of all da high peaks, dis iz abzolutely one uv dem!"
The Way Back
The view back at Pyramid and Gothics was daunting to say the least. I don't recall a lot from the climb back up. The hike back up this side of Gothics isn't as steep as the North side, but it is relentless and it came to us after we'd already made a number of summits that day and that compounded the difficulty. We took the ascent one stage at a time. Sunny had no issues whatsoever. I was also feeling pretty good. My muscles were sore, but no longer crampy and my heart rate actually felt better than earlier in the hike.
One of the things I've been doing differently since hiking Lower Wolfjaw earlier this year is bringing and eating a lot more food. As someone with gastric bypass, I can often forget to eat during a hike. I've been making a point to eat something at every major waypoint and have a sugary snack for my pocket as we go. Candy has a bit too much sugar in it, so one favorite has been the sugary toasted almonds from Cumberland Farms. I think these extra calories helped me a lot.
We both took a short nap on the Gothics true summit. It felt so good to relax, feel the breeze, and hear literally nothing whatsoever except the wind. It was also nice to be able to see the views from Gothics this time and I must say, this mountain is a real banger. It is a difficult mountain, but it sure has a lot to offer both for the challenge from three different approaches, and for the actual summit experience. I can't definitively say I'll ever be back to Gothics, but I can't rule it out either.
Our friends from New Jersey showed up and took a picture of us chilling.
We were grateful for the water sources in the valley when we dismounted Gothics. I'd realized by Pyramid that I'd have to start rationing. It occurs to me that even with using the BeFree filter most of the time, if we are doing more than one peak, we still need my 3 liter bladder.
As usual, of course, the long hike back to the trailhead was grueling. We got to JBL around 5:30 if I am recalling correctly and the trailhead at 8:00pm. I forgot my headphones, but none of the hikers we met along the trail from JBL complained about me listening to some podcasts on that dark, brutal 3 miles. They got to pet a lovable Golden, so that probably won me some brownie points.
Actually, all the folks we met during this hike were super friendly and kind to Sunny. He was in his element, giving and accepting big love from beginning to end.
Sunny and I are now officially caught up!
Serenity
It was a gorgeous weekend in the Adirondacks. Shortly after the hike, my lizard brain tried to convince me I wanted to go home immediately the next morning, but fortunately cooler heads prevailed and I enjoyed the next couple of days with some friends at the Trombley Landing lean-to on the shore of the Raquette River.
I first met them over at one of the Corey's Road primitive sites late Friday night for fire, snacks, and drinks.
(Aside: there sure are a lot of squatters in those sites. Why is nothing done about that?)
We woke up the next morning with a delightful breakfast fire. We chatted and made fun of all the people driving to the Seward Range trailhead post-dawn. Afterwards, the fellas headed over to Axton Landing to put their boats in the water while Sunny and I drove over to Trombley Landing Trailhead.
I wrapped all of my camping stuff in a tarp burrito and sunny helped me pull it towards the lean-to 1.7 miles down a picturesque trail lined with pines, ferns, and a smattering of hardwoods. I can see why this might be a popular hike for local residents.
There was already some gear and a tent set up at the site when I got there, but I'm always happy to share a site with someone and make new friends. They weren't there, so I suspected they were paddling and/or fishing.
I rolled out our sleeping arrangements and started cutting up a bunch of wood. The site was dry and the trees were thin enough that we had a comfortable amount of sunlight. The lean-to was in great condition and featured a prep table. I tried not to think about how much fish guts had been on there in the past.
It was a bit of a hike to find decent dead wood. Unfortunately, it seemed like many campers had decided that the hunt was too strenuous and they had felled live trees instead.
When we were done setting up camp, I strung up the hammock and we snoozed while we waited for our friends.
My buddies showed up not too long after they shoved off from Axton Landing.The original campers also showed up shortly after. Despite (or perhaps because of ) my attempts to be friendly and welcoming, the original campers decided to leave and find a quieter site.
Sunny was done.
It was a great night. Sunny did find the energy to do a lot of begging with limited results. The firewood lasted as long as we needed it to. The One Bag on the 20 degree setting, my Therma-Rest, and Sunny cuddled with me (and a bit of assistance from Laphroaig) kept me warm all night long.
The next morning, we awoke a bit stiff, but well-rested. We cooked up breakfast, said our goodbyes, and Sunny helped me drag the sled back to the car. The drive home through the High Peaks region during peak foliage season was a bit peopley, but it was gorgeous. And it's okay if it's peopley; it means people are getting out there and enjoying nature and bringing prosperity to the region.
It was a great night. Sunny did find the energy to do a lot of begging with limited results. The firewood lasted as long as we needed it to. The One Bag on the 20 degree setting, my Therma-Rest, and Sunny cuddled with me (and a bit of assistance from Laphroaig) kept me warm all night long.
The next morning, we awoke a bit stiff, but well-rested. We cooked up breakfast, said our goodbyes, and Sunny helped me drag the sled back to the car. The drive home through the High Peaks region during peak foliage season was a bit peopley, but it was gorgeous. And it's okay if it's peopley; it means people are getting out there and enjoying nature and bringing prosperity to the region.
Invigoration
I am not totally sure this is the last high peak of the year, but I suspect it is and I've made peace with that. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to do it, especially with a 4-year-old at home, and I definitely have to thank my wife, Wendy, for her support.
I am tired and sore, but I am fulfilled. I am hoping to get out for some low peaks and other trails later in the month, including one or two costumed hikes for Halloween with Sunny and/or Quinn.
Sawteeth from the Garden.gpx (950.43 KB)