Colden 2
Topographic map courtesy of Topozone.com
July 2015
The scarred western face of Mt. Colden as seen from Algonquin.
MT. COLDEN
TRAILHEAD
A few of my hiking buddies needed to tackle Colden, Tabletop and Phelps, so we set out for a weekend of hiking together. We all backpacked in to the Marcy Dam area, and set up camp at one of the tent sites there. The next day, we did our day hike of peak-bagging. I just did Colden, because frankly, it was the only one I wanted to repeat. I hiked with the other guys until the Tabletop turn off, and then continued back to camp to relax the rest of the afternoon.
TABLETOP
MARCY DAM
Getting closer to Lake Arnold, there are some log bridges across some wet bogs.
A quick break on the shore, before continuing on to Colden.
From the false summit, the view of the entire MacIntyre Range, from L to R: Marshall, Iroquois, Algonquin and Wright Peak.
Almost near the top of Colden, there’s a giant boulder covering the trail. You have to climb up through a chimney to get past.
A happy bunch of day-hikers.
The trail is occasionally obstructed by a rock or some roots, but overall, it’s really an easy one to hike on.
We reach the Marcy Dam area.
Sweating pretty good, but feeling good so far!
Jim balances carefully on the beam.
Of course, we make ourselves completely at home while we refuel and relax for a few minutes. Our view is spectacular.
After signing in a the registration kiosk at the trailhead near the Adirondak Loj, we took a group photo. From L to R:
Mark, myself, Jim, Peter, Paul, Jonathan and Tanner.
The first couple miles are simple, easy and flat, through the woods, on the most heavily-traveled trail in all the Adirondacks.
The oddly off-camber boardwalk through the bog area.
We pass a cross-country ski trail intersection.
At an intersection, we turn leftish, heading towards the Marcy Dam area.
What’s left of the Dam, after the remnants of Hurricane Irene washed it away. Now you have to turn left before the dam, down along the stream to a new bridge.
No more walkway across to the other side anymore...
Our new base camp. The one luxury item that I brought, my hammock.
Paul and I crack open the bear-proof food canisters, and start making dinner.
Pete and I take a short hike to nearby Phelps Brook to filter some water.
The next morning, we pose for one group picture, before heading out on our dayhike.
After heading south from Marcy Dam, we reached our first intersection. We head to the left on the blue trail towards Lake Arnold, Mt. Colden.
Soon after the turn, we begin steadily ascending up a long climb, with lots of boulders.
We take a break halfway up to Lake Arnold, where there’s a convenient survey marker, where we can calibrate our altimeters.
We’re at 3,415 feet above sea level.
We emerge from the bog to see “Lake” Arnold ahead of us. (Truth be told, it’s really a small pond).
Soon after that chimney scramble, we emerge onto a false summit; a kind of shoulder to the north of the true summit of Colden. We’re heading to the summit here in this photo, the hump ahead of us.
Here I am standing near the summit lookout. This is what I came for, the view I was robbed of the first time I hiked this peak. You can see way, way down to tiny Avanlanche Lake, (that tiny dark blue slice next to my left elbow).
The guys from Chase on the true summit rock.
The sign about protecting and not trampling the fragile alpine plants at the summit.
My cousin Mark finding his way up the chimney.
The zoomed-in view of distant Lake Placid. You can see the two white vertical towers of the Olympic Ski Jumping facility if you look carefully.
The summit of Algonquin.
Let’s do a super-zoomed in shot, shall we? Here are some people on top of neighboring Algonquin.
After our break on the summit, we headed back down, past Lake Arnold, and then crossed this stream, and headed towards Indian Falls.
A little while later, some of the guys bushwhack through the woods to the base of Indian Falls. Due to the lack of rain this summer, the water wasn’t really flowing too heavily.
The view from the top of the mostly dry Indian Falls. It looks directly towards the MacIntyre Range and the valley between Colden on the left, and TR mountain on the right.
Soon after Indian Falls, we split up. Everyone but me turned off to tackle Tabletop, a mountain I didn’t care to repeat. I can be choosey about which ones I want to repeat, now that I’m a 46er ;-). So I spent much of my afternoon sitting in this wonderful pool in Phelps Brook, relaxing. And then I took a nap in my hammock. I loved it.
Later, after everyone returned back to camp safely, and after we’d eaten and hidden our bear-proof food canisters, I once again retreated to my hammock for some stargazing.
Just before leaving Marcy Dam, we pose for one last group picture.
It was so cold, but so refreshing.
The guys get ready to continue on our journey.
The view over the “falls”. Tanner sits below, contemplating something...
Jonathan climbs up the dry falls.
The next morning, we packed up camp, and departed for home. First stop, the bridge crossing Phelps Brook, on the way to Marcy Dam.
A spongy bed of moss just off the trail.
Our last view of Colden on the left there, and Avalanche Mountain in the middle.
I sort of lied. After we got to the cars, cleaned up and packed up, we hit the road, and just before reaching route 73, we stopped in the big meadow and looked back at Colden for the last time, (really).
The End.