Redfield, Cliff, Colden

[mike1889]

You mentioned that there was an abandoned trail leading to the Cliff herdpath from the Uphill Lean-to. Is this easy to find?

Yes. There are 2 cairns near the Uphill Lean-to. The one closest to the lean-to leads along Uphill Brook to Redfield. The other is about 50 yards further away from the brook and leads along a very wet corduroy path (the "abandoned trail") to Cliff.

[Kevin]

You can follow the arm/ridge as a bushwack to Skylight, heard of people doing it. For time/efficiency, it's actually easier to climb down Redfield and take the trail up to Skylight as the spruce is very thick at those elevations in the dacks. There's also a means of wacking over to Cliff from Redfield, and it may actually be easier then working through the blowdown on the existing trail.

[Rookie]

Sounds like one heck of a hike.
You mentioned that there was an abandoned trail leading to the Cliff herdpath from the Uphill Lean-to. Is this easy to find ? Also, I didn't buy Map #742 from National Geographic yet but when I look at it online I don't see anything leading to Cliff....I hope this means there's more detail with the purchased product.

When atop of Redfield, does it look like you can bushwack over to Skylight...or is there a trail ?

[Rik]

Oddly enough, streams were not that high, however, trails were extremely wet.

I waited out part of the thunderstorms on Friday at the "clam rock" on the Beaver Meadows trail. The trail, which was already wet, was a stream with tons of runoff streams feeding it. Beaver Meadow Falls was the biggest, wettest, and most powerful, I had ever seen it.

[Pete_Hickey]

It apparently rained 3" the day before ...

The rain was very spotty. Some areas got over 3 inches, others got less than an inch. There was a good rain on both Thursday evening (took out some bridges... Road bridges, not trail bridges) and Friday. Oddly enough, streams were not that high, however, trails were extremely wet. We did a blowdown sweep of Dix on Saturday, and the trail was the wettest I've ever seen it. And I've been doing at least 2 climbs a year of Dix for over 10 years.

I suppose once the new Cliff path is cut though, the experiences of climbing the two peaks will be more comparable.

It won't be for another year at least.

[mike1889]

Did you do this climb on Sat? My husband and his friend did Redfield Sat. I thought they were crazy for going because of the heat. Most of the pictures from the trip look hazy.

Yes I climbed them Sat. the 11th. I ran into 2 guys on Redfield and then Cliff, one said he was climbing 4000-footer #112 out of #115 in the northeast. The other guy definitely had a New England accent. I didn't see anyone else on those 2 peaks. It was warm but not as bad as I thought it would be, definitely much cooler that it was in Albany (90), probably in the mid-70s tops.

[Hakuna Matada]

Here's a picture from his Redfield hike.

[Hakuna Matada]

Did you do this climb on Sat? My husband and his friend did Redfield Sat. I couldn't go because I have had Bronchitis all week so I paddled down to the Lake and sat on the beach. I thought they were crazy for going because of the heat. Most of the pictures from the trip look hazy.
By the way I've had Laryngitis with the Bronchitis and couldn't squeak out a single word for about 4 days. My husband says there is a God. I'm not sure I want to hike with him

[Gandalf]

I love what I feel is the very appropriate contrast between the quality of the Redfield and the Cliff wooden summit signs. I suppose once the new Cliff path is cut though, the experiences of climbing the two peaks will be more comparable.

[Rik]

Nice trip. I did Phelps on Thursday and Sawteeth/Pyramid/Gothics Friday and was amazed at the lack of bugs. Only a few on the Lake Road. It rained hard on Friday and the Beaver Meadows trail was a stream. The falls were the best I have ever seen them about an hour after the rain stopped. Thanks for the report.

[mike1889]

It apparently rained 3" the day before (according to a man I talked to who lives in Saranac Lake), so the trails were extremely wet. The streams were raging and I was a little worried about the bridgeless crossings of Feldspar and Uphill Brooks, but they were not a problem. I left the Loj at 6:45 under very murky, hazy skies. The path up Redfield is great and easy with almost no blowdown. Uphill Brook was gorgeous with many rushing waterfalls and deep pools. I reached Redfield at 10:30 and could just make out the silhouette of Allen to the south through the haze. I was amazed that the bugs were almost non-existent. They swarmed a little when I stopped but that's it.

I descended back to Uphill Lean-to and then went up the "corduroy river," the abandoned trail to the Cliff herd path. This has to be the wettest stretch of path in the High Peaks. I took the path at the first cairn and met up with 2 men who took the path at the second cairn. Both paths meet up after about 5 minutes of walking. I took the other path on the way down to see if there was a difference and I think the first one is a little better, but it doesn't really matter. There is some blowdown before the cliffs but not much. The soil on the cliffs is eroding badly, and it is good that this path won't be used much longer, after the 46ers establish the new path later this year hopefully. Above the cliffs the blowdown is extensive but negotiable. The path is easy to follow along the ridge to the partially broken summit sign and ubiquitous red trail marker above the sign. I reached the summit at 12:30. Descending the cliffs is tricky and time consuming. As I neared the bottom of the corduroy mess, I could hear Uphill Brook to my right and left the wet trail and met up with the Redfield herd path in 30 seconds and descended it the rest of the way, thus avoiding some of the wet trail. There are no cairns or other markings to mark this spot on the Redfield path.

I got back to Lake Arnold at 3:15 and decided to make the side trip to Colden, mostly because I need it for my spring round and it is only a 2.8 mile RT from there. I reached the top at 4:00 and the views were improved enough to make out the Sewards on the horizon. I got back to the Loj at 7:25 with very tired feet, but had a wonderful day in the mountains!