Mount Redfield and Cliff Mountain, NY
Date: 08/25/2006
Persons in Group: Brian.
Weather Conditions: 670 degrees, overcast for the most part, sun in the afternoon.
Route: Upper Works and the Calamity Brook Trail to Flowed Lands. From Flowed Lands to Lake Colden, and then to the Uphill Brook camp. (7.4 miles to this point). Next, the Redfield herd path to the summit and back (approx 3 miles). Next, the herdpath to Cliff (again, approx 3 miles) and back. Retraced steps back to the upper works parking lot.
Total trip distance: approx 20 miles.
Total trip time: 11 hours, 30 min.
Notes: Little later start than what I was hoping, I reached the Upper Works parking lot at 7:45 and was on the trail at a little after 8:00. Only one other person had signed in for the day at this point, although as I was getting ready, someone else had pulled in. I believe he said he was headed for Marshall.
The trail was fairly muddy, but nothing compared to other places in the ADK's (Bradley Pond Trail for example). At Flowed Lands I ran into a group camping, the first people I had seen in the woods. Excellent trail from there to Lake Colden, my first time there. From Lake Colden to Uphill Brook, it was a great section of trail. Some great views of Marshall and Iroquois popping in and out of the trees, and the Opalescent River is amazing.
As I approached the Uphill Brook Lean-To, I noticed the trail markers changed from Red to Yellow. This is where the old Twin Brook trail (and the current path to Cliff) intersects, marked with a Cairn. This is only about 100 yards from the Redfield herdpath. At the Lean-to, I had a quick snack and water break. 7.4 miles in at this point. From here, almost directly accross the main trail from the side trail to the Lean-to, the herd path to Redfield starts.
The Redfield herd path is in great shape, and the water level on the brooks is fairly low, so you can actually just hop up the brook, save for the steep waterfall sections.. The brook that you follow for part of the way is amazing. On a negative note, I saw a snake, not my favorite things in the world. The climb up Redfield isn't too difficult, it's just a constant uphill to the summit, with great views on the way up, and when you reach the top. Great views of the Dix Range, and Allen in particular. I could easily see people on Skylight and Marcy as well. Great peak, especially to have it to yourself. I recharged the batteries quickly, took some pictures and headed down at a pretty brisk pace.
I took another quick break at the Uphill Brook lean-to, and then started up Cliff. All I can say is, what a f'n disaster this herd path is. One of the toughest climbs I have done, Cliff really took it to me. The bottom part is complete boot sucking mud (which you can skip around, I'll get to that after). As you continue up the Twin Brook trail, you'll reach a cairn marking a path to the right. (The first of two if you were to continue straight). Take the first one, it's a more direct and cut route to the cliffs. After climbing through lots of blowdown, and trying to stay on the path as best as possible, you start climbing some near vertical cliffs all the way to the top of the false summit. The entire way, is blowdown blowdown and more blowdown. Once you reach the flatish top of the false summit, you just start running into walls of tree's, where herd paths just splinter all over the place. It's not too bad to follow through it all, and eventually you descend the false summit to the col, and climb back to real summit, which is marked by the broken sign and a yellow disk. From the summit, you get an excellent view of Colden, as well as some views of the surroundinng peaks. I took a couple picture, swore for the 100000 time, and started heading down.
As I climbed back up to the false summit, I ran into a huge blowdown field, with no path to be seen going around it. I could see some marks where people had gone over it, I took a quick bearing and started climbing over it all. After a bit, I reached the main herd path, and started heading down. Next thing I knew, I was back in the col between the false summit and main summit...damn you Cliff! Stupid me, I didn't recheck my bearings when I picked up the herd path I assumed I should head down...wrong way. So I tried it again, this time made it succesfully keeping an eye on the compass, and started dropping down the cliffs of the false summit. Once I got down, I again picked a different herdpath, and ended up at the second cairn on the twin brook trail, a little farther up from the first one I turned on. Also, as you reach the very muddy section, you will see some flagging on the right, follow this and it leads you to the Redfield herdpath, where you can bypass the majority of the mud.
Final thoughts - Cliff is a tough tough mountain, that will feel like a victory when you get to the top, great feeling! Lots of swearing, some spilled blood, bruises and soreness. I would recomend long pants or gaiters (I wore gaiters). Definatly some headwear, at least a baseball cap to deflect getting stabbed in the head. I popped some Advil at the Uphill Brook lean-to and started the long 7.4 mile trek out to the Upper Works parking lot. Back to Burlington for Domino's pizza by 10 PM.
#85 and #86 on the NE111, and #25 and #26 on the ADK46.
My trail for the day. I climbed Redfield first, and Cliff second.
Upper Works parking lot.
Signage.
About 1.6 miles in, the first of a couple suspension bridges.
Falls above the suspension bridge.
4.7 miles in, Calamity Pond lean-to at Flowed Lands.
Junction at Flowed Lands.
View of Colden at Flowed Lands.
A leanto just around Herbert Brook, where a herdpath to Marshall branches off.
5.6 miles in, approaching Lake Colden.
The dam at the edge of Lake Colden.
A view north of Lake Colden. On the right is Mount Colden, and the left is Avalanche Mountain.
Colden from Lake Colden on my way up. The sun was out on my way back...better picture comming!
One of the many falls you see following the Opalescent to Uphill Brook lean-to.
A view of Mount Marshall from the trail between Lake Colden and Uphill Brook.
Some ladder/steps heading to Uphill Brook.
Starting up the Redfield herd path, some views open up quickly
Iroquois, Boundry and Algonquin from the Redfield herd path.
The brook you follow for the lower half of the herd path.
Again, Iroquois, Boundry from the herd path.
More of the brook on the herd path.
Marcy, as seen from climbing Redfield.
Marcy and Gray Peak from the Redfield Herd Path.
Colden, Wright Peak and Algonquin.
Redfield summit.
Close-up of Nippletop, Dix, Hough, South Dix and Blake from the summit of Redfield.
Dix, Hough, South Dix, Macomb.
Marcy from Redfield.
Skylight from Redfield.
Allen from Redfield.
I think I'm looking at Cliff (or a sub-peak of it) from Redfield.
Colden, Wright Peak, Algonquin, Boundry and Iroquious from Redfield.
The start of the Cliff herd path.
A few yards into the Cliff Herd Path...this follows the old Twin Brook trail.
And the blowdown begins.
Lots of Cliffs (hence the name) and lots of blowdown all the way!
More Cliffs.
More cliffs to climb...complete with some blowdown!
A view of Marcy, Gray Peak and Skylight from the trip up Cliff.
Redfield from the herdpath up Cliff.
Colden from Cliff.
Summit of Cliff.
And the disk.
An afternoon shot of Colden from Lake Colden.