Slide, Cornell, Wittenburg in the Rain April 23d 2011

[Nasrettin Hoca]

I was thinking about the old guys as I hiked the Phoenicia East road. The old guys would’ve been bouncing around on the horse drawn carts with the iron shod wooden wheels on the rocks. Or would they’ve been walking beside? That would have a certain element of danger. One slip and it’s trouble. The wheel might go over your foot. Like the hiking that begins after Slide summit heading toward Wittenburg. A problem in there on a day when no one else is there is trouble.

On the west side, there’s another old road, straight, flat, rocky. I made nice speed the first 7 miles from Woodland Valley PA to Slide summit. That’s when the fun began. The rain had iced onto everything, giving the ladder and rocks a glazing of treacherous ice. The snow on the trees obscured the trail.

It rained steadily throughout and I was good and wet as I switched gloves at the Slide PA. There were a few small groups doing Slide but once on the other side, there were no fresh prints in the overnight snow. A lot of the problems up top, could’ve used more equipment, I donned my crampons for the descent from Slide. There were places where I could’ve used more gear – ropes – an ice axe, but it’s a long hike, dozens of obstacles you really have to keep moving. The east side of Cornell was about the worst.

Everything was wet. Reaching up for a hand hold would be to stick your hand in a pool. Trees shook water. The snow bridge of a winters worth of packed snow in the trail collapsed frequently into the stream running beneath. I postholed often as the afternoon warmed. I was jumping off many of the rocks and removed my crampons for the Cornell descent so I wouldn’t break an ankle.

Coming into the summit of Wittenburg was a huge relief. The rain had stopped, the sun was trying to break through and better yet, the flat rocks were dry courtesy of a strong breeze. Having a dry place to eat, drink, rearrange things, dry my camera etc etc was wonderful. I was even able to dig out the map. Still, 3.9 miles remained the day wasn’t getting any younger and the east side of Wittenburg is a constant obstacle course all the way down to the Woodland Valley PA.

The day had warmed so much by then, past the cutoff for the lean-to, the trail was all either running or standing water.

Eleven and a half hours of being soaked. No views. A late April day in the Cats.


The old guys road


Glazed ladder East Slide


An obstacle that would be way easier dry.

Wut do? Can't glissade. Top Rope and double axes? When you're in a rush you dive for the tree and slide down. East side of Cornell

Camera was pretty steamed by the time it got to Wittenburg

[mike]

That was one tough hike. It is hard enough on a dry sunny day. But, add ice and rain, it is quite difficult. At least the Cornell Crack had snow in it. If that was icy, things would have gotten difficult.

[Nasrettin Hoca]

Is one of those photos the "Cornell Crack"? If so which one?

It was a tough hike. One big toe is black and blue and the backs of both ankles have the skin off. I haven't been running since.

[mike]

The Cornell Crack is just east of the summit of Cornell summit. Here is a picture in the summertime:



It can be challenging in the summer. Probably still filled with snow right now.

[Nasrettin Hoca]

Yup. It's the one in my 4th Photo. So that actually has a name.
Made an impression on me coming down into it. Here's another shot from Saturday.



The top is solid ice.
I couldn't even do a sideways glissade on it.

[mtnclimber]

Sure does look much easier with all that snow in there. In the summer it can be quite daunting to climb. But, with all that ice, it still had to be a difficult hike.

[Nasrettin Hoca]

Coming up, I don't think it would've been the problem it was going down. That crack was clear ice. Runoff no doubt. So going up, I would've kicked in the front points. I hadn't brought an axe or a rope, but I've used the trekking poles as ice axes before where I collapse them, hold them at the base and stick them in. The rocks were wet so there was no help there.

But down climbing? Once you lose your grip on that ice you'd fly to the bottom.

Anyway, it's a great hike and I think I'd like to do it again. Maybe the opposite way. But I'm gonna go do the Escarpment first.