Cliff & Redfield

[Wayne]

I am planing on hiking to Redfield & cliff via Marcy Dam pass Lake Arnold & Feldspar lean-to. Any report on trail conditions and blowdowns in that area?

[Kevin]

Nothing on views from the top...

http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/trail/ny/index.html

Nothing on our trail conditions page... (which doesn't see nearly as much use as I would hope)

http://www.adkforum.com/conditions/Conditions.php


If it were me, I'd look elsewhere in the high peaks for a hike. Conditions this time of the year can rival those of the Spring. Mud, muck, snow, ice, standing water, and because of recent wind storms and early snows - lots of blowdown. Unless you like putting a lot of obsticles in the way to liven up the hike, a shorter trip (up Giant or something) would probably be more appropriate given the above reasons.

[Dick]

Hi Wayne, welcome to the forum -- though it sounds like you need no welcome to the Adirondacks! Personally I'd wait until next summer and do it then, or do it in the winter from the "route" from Flowed Lands. I agree with Kevin.

Dick

[Wayne]

Thanks Kevin & Dick. I am going to take your advise make them winter hikes.
Wayne

[Skyclimber]

Thanks Kevin & Dick. I am going to take your advise make them winter hikes.
Wayne

Cliff and Redfield are NOT EASY TASKS in Winter! They are a bear and a half! Redfield especially. Only once did I do Redfield in Winter, without having to struggle to the top of it. The same for Cliff.

The Flowed Land approach is choked with blowdown (as is the approach from Felspar Lean-To.) If you decide to do them in Winter, I would wait until there is enough snowpack to cover the blowdown and hopefully a broken trail to the top.

[Pete_Hickey]

If you're a halfway decent skier, you can save a lot of time by skiing into Lake Colden, and stashing the skis, while you switch to snowshoes. Doing that let me get the two peaks with RELATIVE ease one day. Skiing from Lake Colden to South Meadows takes doesn'T take much more than an hour.

Of course, if you're a good skier, you can ski to the summit of each peak.

[Neil]

Of course, if you're a good skier, you can ski to the summit of each peak.

And if you're really good you can ski back down.