Hiking in the White Mountains: Rocky Peak Ridge

Date of Hike: 6/27/15

Zander Scott Trail: 3.2 miles / East Trail: 8.2 miles

Total Miles: 11.4 miles (4,565 feet elevation gained)

Trip Report:

- A few years back I wanted to do a Rocky Peak Ridge Traverse, my car spot bailed on me so I did a long out and back from the trailhead in New Russia all the way to Giant Mountain where I turned around and hiked all the way back to my car. 16 miles and almost 7,000 feet of elevation gained later I was in love with the Rocky Peak Ridge and couldn't wait to get back. Luckily for me I had a car spot this time as my friend Diaz was up for the weekend working on his 46 High Peaks list.

- We got an early start to be on the safe side as a monster of a rain storm was supposedly fast approaching. Almost all the elevation gain would be accounted for over the first 4.5 miles of the hike as the Zander Scott Trail ascends steadily up to the summit of Giant Mountain. If you've never hiked this trail move it up to the top of your list and save it for a clear day. The trail travels over many open ledges with incredible views to the west. You basically get a front row seat for viewing the High Peaks from south to north; The Dix Range, Dial, Nippletop, Sawtooth, The Great Range, Big Slide, Porter, Cascade, Whiteface, Esther. The best view of course is from the summit itself where we took a nice long break in the early morning mild temperatures.

- From Giant Mountain we headed over to Rocky Peak Ridge's summit. It's one of the most grueling descents off of a 4,000 foot peak in the Adirondacks. It's an excessively steep descent made worse by the beyond awful footing. I was very familiar having descended into this col on three previous occasions so I knew what to expect. On the other hand this was all new to Diaz and a few times I caught him shaking his head at the rough trail but he did well and enjoyed the drop down into the Giant / RPR col. From the col the trail up to Rocky Peak Ridge is still a grind but much more forgiving than the east side of Giant. I motored on up to the summit where I relaxed and waited for Diaz. When he arrived we both took a bunch of pictures and refueled before starting the mostly 6.5 mile descent back to the Jeep at the New Russia trailhead.

- From the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge we descended to Mary Louise Pond and over to Rocky Peak's summit. It's a really beautiful hike over ledges with moss and shrubs off the trail. There are great views from the open ledges down into the Boquet River Valley. The trail from Rocky Peak Ridge back to New Russia is mostly downhill as it passes through Dickerson, Hedgehog, and Mason Notch. There is one steep descent with bad footing coming down from Rocky Peak but other than that the footing is pretty good. The uphills on the way back to the car are relatively tame and come in short bursts of no more than a few tenths of a mile. It's definitely an easier hike heading east towards New Russia than the long steady uphill in the direction of Keene Valley.
- The East Trail travels through a nice little birch glade as it makes its way up to Bald Peak, which like other spots along the way has great views. The last few miles of the trail are mostly in the woods with the last highlight being Blueberry Cobbles where there is a decent outlook along with a bunch of Blueberry bushes where Diaz and I picked a bunch and had a nice snack before heading back into the woods. The final two miles is a mixture of open woods that is blanketed with pine needles and a tote road that leads to the trailhead.
- It ended up being another great hike and in the Adirondacks and the weather held off until much later than forecasted so we had great views and weather for the whole traverse. After the hike we headed to Lake Placid for dinner and drinks before calling it a night. The rain came down in buckets over night so on Sunday we said our goodbyes and both headed our separate ways. Diaz ended up hiking seven more High Peaks this weekend; Macomb, South Dix, East Dix, Hough, Dix, Giant, and Rocky Peak Ridge and is halfway to becoming a 46er!

Heading up the rough and rugged lower section of the Zander Scott Trail

As the trail makes its way by the first outlook, the Great Range starts to rise above Keene Valley to the north

Chapel Pond and Round Mountain

The Giant Washbowl

Heading up through the woods and over the ledges to the summit of Giant Mountain

Dix Range (top). Great Range (bottom)

Dial, Nippletop, Colvin, Sawtooth

From the summit of Giant there are many four thousand footers in view!

Hunters Pass between Dix and Nippletop

Diaz navigating the steep descent down the East Trail into the Giant / Rocky Peak Ridge col

A few nice sections of the trail between summits!

Super-Dork on Rocky Peak Ridge!

From the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge you can take in the views of the scarred wall of Giant Mountain to the west (top). Looking east there is a great view down to Rocky Peak (bottom)

Looking down on Rocky Peak from Rocky Peak Ridge

Heading to Marie Louise Pond and Rocky Peak

The map says Marie Louise Pond but this signs has it labeled as a lake. Whatever it is, it sure is a nice spot!

Looking back up at Rocky Peak Ridge and Giant Mountain (top). Looking down to Bald Peak (bottom)

Heading down into and out of Dickerson Notch

Just before reaching Bald Peak the East Trail passes by a well known glacial erratic

Summit of Bald Peak

Heading down towards and past Blueberry Cobble

The final stretch of trail

Finish line!

Trailhead info on both ends

Signs spotted along the way

Route info, click here for more details

Date of Hike: 12/23/13

Zander Scott / East Trail: 8.4 miles (4,000 elevation gain)

Trip Report:
- Monday was another iffy weather day in the High Peaks so I played it safe and stayed away from long miles and trails with multiple stream crossings. I decided to head to Keene Valley and do an out and back of Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge.
- Today's conditions were ground ice, bare ground, frozen mud, ice bulges, and some failing packed snow between peaks.
- I started out on the Zander Scott Trail around 8:45 a.m. I have been on this trail before, it's a nice trail with some great ridge views as it makes its way to the summit of Giant Mountain. The real interesting thing about the trail is that it has quite a few switchbacks over the first mile, which is a rarity for the Adirondacks. I'm usually not a fan of switchbacks but with the recent warm weather and the ice on the trails it made for an easier path of travel than a straight up, steep, and icy trail.
- Less than a mile into the hike is a pretty cool flooded spot called the Giant Washbowl, which has been made bigger by some eager beavers. There's an old rickety footbridge that safely takes you across the pond. It's definitely not a place you'd want to fall in this time of year!
- About a half mile after the washbowl the trail travels in and out over an exposed ridge for about a mile. Views from the ridge are some of the best in the Adirondacks; to the east is Vermont and the Green Mountains, directly across to the west is Chapel Pond with Round and Noonmark Mountains rising above it, then south to north is the impressive Dix Range, Hunters Pass, Dial and Nippletop, Elk Pass, Mount Colvin, the Ausable Valley with Sawteeth, and then the dramatic scarred walls of the Great Range looming high above Keene Valley.
- I was expecting to be clouded in but as luck would have it the Lower Great Range (Rooster Comb through Gothics) were in view, as well as obstructed views of the Dix Range and a chilly looking undercast to the south.
- I enjoyed the views from the open ledges as I made my way up the rocks slab which were sometimes bare and other times filled with ice. It made for an interesting hike, I couldn't get into a really good rhythm and my microspikes took a beating.
- Once past the 'bump' I was back in the clouds and made my way up to Giant Mountain's summit before heading to Rocky Peak Ridge.
- The hike between Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge is known for being one of the steepest and most tiring hikes between 4,000 foot peaks in the Adirondacks. It descends steeply over very rough and muddy terrain to the G / RPR col, then ascends steeply over better but still rough footing to the open summit of Rocky Peak Ridge. It's 1.2 miles of steepness, just what I like!
- Today's hike between peaks was the usually, except with ice and unstable snow pack making it a little slower. I didn't posthole too badly, maybe five times over the 2.4 miles of the out and back. There was some slipping and indents but the snowshoes stayed on the pack, they would have been useless in these conditions.
- Rocky Peak Ridge was in the clouds so I just snapped a couple of pictures and headed back over to Giant, descended the ridge, back over the bump, down to Washbowl, and eventually to the car.
- I ran into a ranger along the way, he was spending a half day just exploring the trails. It was nice to see someone else out there on a cloudy day enjoying the scenary.
- Back at the car I changed into dry clothes and headed back to Placid. It was a quick hike of two of my favorite High Peaks. I was happy to get some views along the way which was unexpected!