Rocky Peak Ridge Traverse

June 22, 2024

Hike-a-Palooza IX saw about thirty ACC Ottawa folk show up at Keene on Friday evening for a weekend of hiking the peaks. Ed and I coordinated a cross traverse of Rocky Peak Ridge for two groups of five, while other groups tackled Hopkins, Hurricane, Tabletop+Phelps, Colden, and even the ambitious Dial+Nippletop+Colvin+Blake hike. True to post-covid form, the weather gave us all a very wet adventure, yet despite this, everyone had a good time.

For the traverse, Ed, Paul, Barb, Ling, and Sha departed from Chapel Pond, while Alli, Jason, Adam, Helen, and I started at the New Russia trailhead. My group started off very slow as it took Adam a bit of time to get his mojo going. We climbed very slowly upwards, passing a bleak lookout in the clouds until we finally arrived at the junction for Blueberry Cobbles peak. We were moving so slowly to this point, I was really beginning to wonder if the full traverse was going to be feasible. Nevertheless after checking in with Adam, I declared we would take the shortcut trail skipping the foggy summit of Blueberry and push on to Bald where we would have first lunch and take stock of the situation.

The good spirits make up for the lack of views at this lookout on the way to Blueberry Cobbles

As we descended off the shoulder of Blueberry, Adam found his mojo hiding in a wet thicket of cripplebrush, and took the lead for most of the rest of the day, with the rest of us struggling to keep up with him. Bald peak was a foggy, rainy, wet mess, but we all sat down for a well earned sandwich, along with another group of four we would meet several more times during the day.

Approaching the summit of Bald

During the ridge walk towards Rocky Peak we checked out the numerous views of bleakness and imagined the fantastic vistas that surely hid behind the white veil. We stopped for another break on some convenient rock ledges just before Mary Louise Pond, figuring that the other group should be arriving fairly shortly. The rain continued, so we did not stay long and continued hiking around the pond and then up to the top of Rocky Peak. We met Ed and crew right at the summit... some of them looking a little tired at this point, but I gave some encouragement that it was mostly downhill from this point. We exchanged car keys, bid them farewell, and made the long descent towards Giant of the Valley.

Always stop to check out the giant erratic along the ridge

Summit of Rocky Peak

The climb up Giant had us slowing down again as tiredness was beginning to set into our legs as we carefully negotiated the slippery slabs of eroded trail. Finally we popped out onto the ridge trail, and from there it was a scamper to the summit where we were greeted by the friendly steward. We sat down for third lunch, took some dramatic photos of the clouds which were now below us, and then turned back downwards towards Chapel Pond.

Dramatic cloud views atop Giant of the Valley

By standing on the shoulders of the Giants, our collective shoulders are levelled

Just as we started to leave the summit there was a scream. Myself, the steward, and one or two other random people ran over to see what had just happened, finding Helen upside down in a mud hole at the bottom of the first slab. Fortunately she was alright, just scaring herself as she slid down the slippery slope. After brushing herself off she was good to go, albeit a little more cautiously. This being a good warning to us all, we made our way slowly down the steep slippery trail without any (serious) further mishap.

We took one more break on the beach at the Washbowl and even got a view of Chapel Pond slabs from the final lookout as we dropped below the clouds. Arrived at the trailhead finishing a nine hour day, all in good spirits from a great hike despite the poor weather. Bill's chilli supper did not disappoint as always, but our meal was slightly overshadowed by the fact that Ed's group had not yet returned. Fortunately, just as we were starting to coordinate some sort of investigation into their whereabouts, they showed up, exhausted but otherwise injury free. As darkness fell, the rain even let up for a while allowing for some socializing around the fire pit until the call of dry sleeping bags slowly pulled tired souls, one by one away from the light of the flames.

A stop by the Washbowl below the clouds

Chapel Pond slabs from the final lookout

June 23, 2024

Awoke to a deluge of rain in the morning. Packing up the tent was a messy job. The Sunday hike for several of us was from the car to the Noonmark Diner, and then we hit the road towards home. As we passed through Tupper Lake though, the sun came out. We made the split second decision upon seeing the Mount Arab sign, Pat pulling the turn off the highway at sixty miles per hour for the road up to the trailhead. Had a lovely jaunt with Pat and Mark up to the top where we were greeted by a friendly caretaker. Though I have been up this mountain on many occasions, this was the first time the cabin was open and we eagerly explored it. Some great views from the tower almost (but not quite) made up for the blankness of yesterday. A quick scamper down and we were back on the road less than an hour and a half later. Felt good to stretch the legs ending another successful HAP weekend in the ADK.

View from the fire tower

[Home] [Main]