August 14, 2014
Avalanche Mountain is one of those tall peaks seen by many but explored by few. Standing at Marcy Dam, like many of you may have in the past, your eyes gaze southward toward Mount Colden and through Avalanche Pass and there’s this smaller mountain right in the middle, with two distinguishable mounds for summits, that’s Avalanche Mountain. There is no trail up this 3800’ peak that is swallowed by two very prominent passes, Avalanche Pass on its left and Caribou Pass on its right, the Macintyre Range shadows over the region a bit further to the west making even 3800’ feet look very small.

I recently started a Facebook page called “Adirondack 100 Highest” as a way for those working on the mountains to meet-up and hike as a group, ask questions, relay conditions, voice opinions and so forth. Through this page Corenne and I were fortunate to hook up with five other fantastic peak-baggers –Tracy, AJ, John, Jim and Dan. The plan was Avalanche Mountain and the weather cooperated.

The Hike to Marcy Dam

We met at South Meadow parking area near the access gate, packed up our gear, shook hands and started an almost uninterrupted exchange all the way to Marcy Dam. I had never had the 2.6 mile hike to Marcy Dam go by so fast, seemingly, locked in conversation helped. At Marcy Dam the summer crowd started to appear and the dam itself was dotted with visitors and they continued to file in along the trail from the Adirondack Loj; we pushed on. We continued our brisk pace, passing by the newly constructed lean-to and off toward yet another, named Kagel Lean-to. Once at the lean-to we took a short restroom break and snapped endless shots of the painted trilliums along the forest edge. We now would start a bushwhack to, and up through, Caribou Pass, as previously planned on paper. A faint herdpath lead us downstream for about 100’ before it no longer existed in any way that would benefit us, so we dropped to the edge of the brook and rock hopped to a spot we felt we could cross, without the fear of an early morning dip.  The crossing brought us to the brook that drains Caribou Pass, which I like to refer to as Caribou Pass Brook.

Flower
Painted Trillium

Into Caribou Pass

When Tropical Storm Irene came through and dumped buckets of rain upon our region she also managed to widen the brook through the pass. We started out rock-hopping the brook but soon realized it would be a quicker endeavor to be in the woods, especially while the forest was so open and welcoming. Through the pass an old road/trail used to exist. The details of this trail are unknown but it is thought to have been built by local guides as a way to avoid Avalanche Pass and get to Lake Colden. The ability to hike though Avalanche Pass would have been near impossible without the “Hitch-up Matilda’s.” No matter the reason, we were soon on it and in many cases found sections that were still easy to follow.

Old Trail
The old trail through Caribou Pass

Other segments became overgrown and some totally blocked by dead-fall. We made all appropriate attempts to remain on it, but eventually we fell short. We moved along through the forest until the trees began to tighten up on us and eventually we got pushed back down into Caribou Pass Brook where we needed to rock-hop a bit further, until the brook pushed us back to the forest, almost on cue. About 10-feet from the brook we were back on the old trail, on a wide section like it had been there all along. Of course this lasted only so long and we ended back up in the brook one last time, only to make the hard decision to start heading up the steep western slopes of Avalanche Mountain.

In the pass
We moved swiftly through the trees in Avalanche Pass

Contouring on a steep uphill, but ever so slightly south we eventually came to a narrow gully that acts as periodic drainage, almost like an obscure path through the wilderness. The rocks were a bit loose and for the most part quite slippery, mixed with a steep grade we had to take precautions for safe travel. We slowly moved higher and higher up the mountain until we came to a tricky section with a pinched boulder and a rock wall on our left. A bit of help from one another and we managed to get above this section and enjoy the outstanding views of the slides on Wright Peak. The gully continued but was moderating a bit as it spat us out atop the ridge near a steep trench with a 20 to 30 foot wall of rock in front of us, we were on the top of it, we had to manage a safe way down. Skirting the top we found it and from here the views started to open up.  

View
View from Avalanche Mountain looking South

Viewing Mount Colden and Flowed Lands

Through the trees the slides of Mount Colden presented themselves in grandeur, the Trap Dike was slightly hidden but its presence well known. We loved the views, but we had to push on toward the summit, and then we could see it. Like a pin head it pointed toward the sky, only a tenth mile away, maybe a bit more, but it was right there. The excitement of sitting atop this mysterious peak gave us strength to push even harder through the trees, we did, and we didn’t stop until the small opening of the summit was under our feet. The summit, offered only limited views; we poked around a bit to find what we could until all of a sudden a small rise put us above the trees and looking out over Lake Colden and Flowed Lands to the south. The attractive peak of Iroquois sat in the distance and Algonquin looked down on us. Our adventure to the top had come to an end, but our descent was ahead of us and the dream of standing atop another Adirondack 100-Highest peak was in our mind and on our tongues all the way back to the parking lot.

Plan your Hike

Interested in visiting an Adirondack 100-Highest peak or maybe some other mountain has caught your eye, check out one of our local guide services for details. Need a place to stay and cleanup after a long hike, before going out to dinner? Lake Placid can provide.    

Flower
Painted Trillium
Old Trail
The old trail through Caribou Pass
In the pass
We moved swiftly through the trees in Avalanche Pass
View
View from Avalanche Mountain looking South

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