Anyone up for a 1-2 night this weekend?

[kennykb]

Sorry about the short notice, but I didn't think I was going to be able to get out. (Turns out that my Exploder doesn't need a new tranny after all. Whew!)

Anyway, anyone up for an outing 1-2 nights starting Saturday? I'm tentatively thinking the Burroughs Range and maybe either Table/Peekamoose or else Panther. I'm curious about the campsite up on the ridge between Cornell and Slide. But I'm willing to entertain other possibilities, so if you've got an itch to backpack somewhere else, drop me a line anyway.

Pace is relaxed, some would say I'm a snail. Be prepared to take lots of pictures or something.

PM me here or email kennykb@acm.org if you're interested.

[mike]

I have to be somewhere on Sunday morning, so I can't go.

There used to be a campsite between Slide and Cornell. But, not anymore. If the rangers find you camping there you will get a $250 ticket. You would have to get 150' off the trail.

There is a cave over towards Friday. I haven't gotten there, but have seen pictures.

[kennykb]

I have to be somewhere on Sunday morning, so I can't go.

There used to be a campsite between Slide and Cornell. But, not anymore. If the rangers find you camping there you will get a $250 ticket. You would have to get 150' off the trail.

There is a cave over towards Friday. I haven't gotten there, but have seen pictures.

Hmm, I don't have the link to hand, but I saw a fairly recent trip report that reported there was still at least three CAMP HERE disks up there. The closest one to the trail is about 150 feet off, so as long as there's no NO CAMPING disk, it's still legal. (And if it is no more, it's been removed since the latest edition of the NYNJTC map.) If it's gone, I'm pretty good at finding a stealth spot, and the col looks pretty flat on a contour map, not like the knife edge between Wittenberg and Cornell. Just to make sure, I'm sending an email off to Martin. He's the NYNJTC supervisor for that section. I'll let you know what I find out, either by hearing back or with boots on the ground.

[mike]

The Rangers are up there often giving out those pretty little tickets. Years ago there was a campsite there, but no more. But, like you said that if you get 150' away from the trail, and away from the no camping disk, you'll be okay. Just head towards Friday Mtn from the col and find a good spot.

Another good backcountry route is: Batavia Valley - > Blackhead -> Arizona -> Dutcher's Notch -> Field by the Fall (stay overnight in the field). Then hike out to Colgate Lake or hike out to North-South lake. The route from BH to Arizona is fantastic in the Fall. But, you can't go wrong with Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg either.

[mtnclimber]

Rangers are pretty tough on hikers who try to hike in the old camp site. If they see you with a bag backpack, they will threaten you with a ticket if you try to sleep there. Just get 150' off the trail, and you will be ok. Should be a fun trip. Hope to see a nice trip report. Have fun!

[Jon]

I thought there was a primitive site there, and a spring there. I guess not. Probably had too much problems with waste disposal and fires in that col.

I wouldn't mind an overnighter, but I can't until november >.<

next time maybe

[kennykb]

That's cool. November is a better time for bushwhacks, a lot of the scatchy and sting-y brush will have died back. I know you wanted to do something like Graham/Doubletop/Fir. (Oh, wait, they don't give permission for Doubletop in hunting season, do they?) Oh well, there's lots of ones I've not done; I'm only about a third of the way through the 35(13/39, if memory serves).

[TrunksWD]

I don't have camping equipment, so that is a problem for me. I've just bought some crampons, so I don't have the money right now. However, I'm usually down for a day hike. I've got no problem doing most of the high peaks again just for fun. My brother is currently working on the 35 (6 down plus needs the 4 winters) and I am working on my winter badge (12 down).

[mike]

If you have a sleeping bag, that would work. Just put down a piece of plastic, and put the sleeping bag on top. It's going to be a great weekend, so sleeping under the stars might be real nice.

[kennykb]

There used to be a campsite between Slide and Cornell. But, not anymore. If the rangers find you camping there you will get a $250 ticket. You would have to get 150' off the trail.

There is a cave over towards Friday. I haven't gotten there, but have seen pictures.

I didn't get to the cave, either. It'll be there next time.

There are three side trails between Slide and Cornell with DEC campsite markers. This is a picture from yesterday of one of the turnoffs:

Campsite disc by ke9tv, on Flickr

One of them has at least two tent sites with small fire rings and CAMP HERE discs. I didn't follow the other two. There is one site just below the 3500 foot marker on Slide, one just below the 3500 foot marker on Cornell, and one near the spring on the ridge (the one that gives a trickle of skanky water but gets the trail all muddy). The trees are pretty far back from the westernmost one. It looks as if it would be a nice spot for stargazing.