I set out this morning around 7am to begin what I was dreading as a long day of off trail/cross country travel or “bushwhacking”. The local fisherman I had camped with the night before gave me some great insights into the area and where I had to travel but it was still going to be mostly off trail travel.
I pretty easily bushwhacked my way around the end of Cedar Lakes where I was supposed to catch a “faint footpath” and cross over to Pillsbury Bay on the other side. Since I was now on the side I’d need to catch the faint path on I made my way down to the shore figuring it would be easier than cutting through the bushes. Once on the shore I began looking for the “faint path” but didn’t see it. I knew that in the worst case scenario I could walk the shore right around to the bay. Since it was going so much easier than bushwhacking and it was really beautiful I just kept along the shore about the entire time. It probably took me twice as long but wow it was a really beautiful and fairly easy walk!
I reached the head of Pillsbury Bay and began looking for the “faint path” described in the guidebook. It wasn’t so easy to find but after about 10 minutes I was able to locate it. I followed the path and came out in the beaver meadow of the Whitney Area as described in the guidebook. It was a very beautiful open expanse. I honestly wish I had taken more time for some photo’s and just to look around but I was unfortunately a little too focused on crossing the creek which ran through the middle of the meadow. It wasn’t large or anything, I had crossed the Opalescent River a few days earlier which was much wider but a lot less deep. I could tell by checking with my hiking pole it was certainly over knee deep and had some pretty soft mud. There was going to only be 1 way across and it was to walk straight through the creek. I had just dried out my socks and boots and didn’t want to get them soaked so early in the day. So I took everything off from the knees down, emptied my pockets and everything else into a stuff sack, threw it over my shoulder with my pack on and made a big 4 step plunge across Whitney Creek.
Once on the other side I suited up and once again began looking for a “faint path” A term I grew to hate as it was something I would have the hardest time finding, become overjoyed once I did and almost always loose it a few minutes later. I searched across the other side of the meadow and found nothing. So I set out to bushwhack towards Pillsbury Lake and hoped I could cut into it eventually. I did and once at Pillsbury Lake I needed to cross water once again. I did again and though I found the path on the other side this time it did not last long at all.
I bushwhacked and constantly found and lost the “faint path” but after a few hours and not too thick of brush I managed to make my way around the head of Pillsbury Lake avoiding a swamp at the head of Whitney Lake exactly as my fishing friends had advised me, dry boots and socks! I was pretty Happy!
Pillsbury BayPillsbury BayPillsbury BayLava rocks in the Adirondacks?Beaver Meadow in the Whitney AreaBeaver Meadow in the Whitney AreaWhitney Creek crossingWhitney Creek crossing
After hiking through the High Peaks it was a long day. I had hiked maybe 15 miles and was just looking for a place to set up for the evening. I saw a couple of lakes on the map with primitive DEC campsites and decided to press on to one of these.
It was getting late and I found the first, Lake Sally but it offered little water access and the trees & brush around were awful for hammocks. I was starting to regret not taking a earlier site. With a hour to go I decided to press on to the second Lake Jimmy.
With light fading I knew I must be getting close. I saw a man in a boy scout sweatshirt and his kids come out from a side trail. I asked how far Lake Jimmy was and he said he didn’t know but a parking lot was only a mile away. I was sure I was close and according to my map both us and the parking lot were right there.
I was looking for a DEC primitive camp site which was noted on my National Geographic map somewhere at the head of Lake Jimmy. I ran into more boy scouts and another parent. I asked again they did not know anything. I just kept thinking if was glad these weren’t my den leaders. It was getting darker so I just set up on the shores of Lake Jimmy. Not my best camp spot but I couldn’t go any further.
Though it’s not on the Trans Adirondack Route, the Adirondack Mountain Club owns and operates a Loj & campground at Heart Lake in the Adirondacks. Since I have always wanted to see it and it’s only a 1.5 mile side trip. I stopped there for some supplies, a wash, and hopefully some great scenery. It did not disappoint!
I paid for a basic tent site for the evening. Upon checking in and heading to my campsite I was greeted by the campground hosts, Dan and Maureen. They were a couple from Albany and Dan was fascinated by the trip i am taking.
Dan is a 46’r or one who has summitted all of the Adirondack High Peaks, which are the peaks over 4000 feet. He is also a winter 46’r which takes some doing. Dan and I spoke several times throughout my stay here. He picked my brain about the TransADK and I his about 46’ing. They were a very nice couple. I enjoyed talking with them.
I made dinner, set up camp, took a ice cold shower and raced down to the lake to see the sunset. It really was picturesque. I was also able to catch both sunset and sunrise on Heart Lake.
Adirondak LOJAdirondak LOJGlamping at the Adirondak LOJHeart LakeHeart LakeHeart LakeHeart LakeHeart Lake
After making my way around the snow mobile trails around Taylor Pond, stopping to enjoy the view at Taylor Pond Damm and a second but much shorter bushwack on the south shore I eventually made it to the “Loon View” or Taylor Pond leam to. This was close to where I would begin my bushwack summit of Catamount Mountain. I stopped for some water and a quick bite but as it was nearly 3pm and I wanted to catch sunset from the top of Catamount I needed to press on.
The guidebook had suggested starting the bushwack from either the lean-to or a stream just a little past it, leaving the option up to me. I chose to begin about half way between the two. As I began my ascent again I tried to avoid the densest brush. For the first hour and a half things were going ok. It wasn’t too thick but it certainly was a bunch of work going uphill. I was drenched in sweat from head to toe but glad I had on my long pants and gaiters.
About two thirds of the way to the summit things really started getting thick. My progress became very labored and slowed to nearly a crawl. I grew impatient and frustrated as I wondered who would enjoy such travel and why? The brush kept getting thicker and thicker and soon at times I was literally crawling on my hands and knees to get a few feet ahead where I might be able to stop and catch a breath.
Things were turning from bad to worse fast as I wondered if I would make it to the summit in time for sunset and if it got dark, then what? I knew panic would only make the situation worse so I stayed calm keeping up my hard work determined to press forward. It seemed like the harder it worked the more difficult things became. I could only liken it to one of those horror movie scenes where someone is covered in tar or slime and trying to move through it or perhaps swimming through molasses.
For a brief moment I stopped to ponder what it would look like if I needed help getting out of this situation. What would I say? I’m lost “somewhere” in the brush on the north side of the mountain. How would anyone even get to me? It didn’t seem possible, certainly not a good scenario.
Of course at the time things seemed their worse I started coming out on what I believed was the ridgeline leading to the summit. It was still a lot of work but things were starting to open slightly.
With about a 30 minute push across the ridge I finally made it to the summit. Despite the unpleasantness of the bushwack, the views from the top were absolutely breathtaking! I could see Whiteface Mountain to the south, many other peaks and the views seemed endless.
It was 6:30 and sunset was a little over a hour away. I looked around and though some mountains can offer space within a few hundred feet of the summit that is camp the brush around was simply to dense and I knew my plan to catch sunset and sunrise wasn’t going to work out.
While some people will hike in the dark with a headlamp, not having established camp yet and having a full pack, I decided I needed to descend and find a place to camp. I hiked down about 2hrs and set up camp for the night about two thirds of the way down and 200 feet off trail.
Looking north west from the south shore of Taylor Pond‘Loon View’ lean toSome very interesting mosses on the way up CatamountUS Geological Survey marker, summit of Catamount MountainWhiteface Mountain in the distance from the summit of Catamount MountainOther views from Catamount Mountain
