For our first ADK hike of 2019, Tredhed and I decided to revisit Square Falls on the East Branch of the Sacandaga River in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area. We last visited this neat destination way back in the late summer of 2013, http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?t=19167
We weren't really sure what the snow conditions would be like this morning, so we slapped on the snowshoes after we arrived on the Rt. 8 parking area. A loose granular base under a couple inches of powder were perfect for an enjoyable one mile snowshoe hike to this great destination.
A few flurries greeted us as we turned onto the unmarked path. (Actually, a driveway to a nice car camping site about 100 yds from the large parking area).
Just past the car camping site, the path narrows as it drops down to cross Martha Brook.
Once across Martha Brook, we entered the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area and climbed slightly along the banks of the East Branch of the Sacandaga River.
Navigation was fairly easy as all we had to do was follow the coyote tracks down the middle of the path.
Within a few minutes, we arrived at the cable crossing site. Both cables were still attached, but we decided not to test their tensile strength on this occasion.
The path changed its character once we got past the cable crossing. It undulated over uneven terrain, past ledges, ice falls and large erratics.
After several short, but steep pitches, we were walking on the top of the gorge. The East Branch tumbled through the rocks and ice some 70 feet below us. I thought the pea soup green color of the ice was interesting.
A steep downhill over sketchy snow/ice conditions brought us close to the river in a beautiful hemlock grove.
A hundred yards later, we passed a very secluded designated campsite complete with moose tracks. :clap:
Just past the campsite, we came to the falls. While they were iced over, they did provide a great place to enjoy some hot chocolate as we took in some nice views of the river.
When it was time to head back, I decided to take off my snowshoes and put on micro-spikes. The short, steep sections of the path were a lot easier for me in spikes today. Tredhed kept his snowshoes on and didn't have any problems.
Soon enough, we recrossed Martha Brook and made it back to the Tredhead mobile. A quick stop at George Henry's in Warrensburg for a pint of Fiddlehead was a good reward for a short, but enjoyable day in the woods.
We weren't really sure what the snow conditions would be like this morning, so we slapped on the snowshoes after we arrived on the Rt. 8 parking area. A loose granular base under a couple inches of powder were perfect for an enjoyable one mile snowshoe hike to this great destination.
A few flurries greeted us as we turned onto the unmarked path. (Actually, a driveway to a nice car camping site about 100 yds from the large parking area).
Just past the car camping site, the path narrows as it drops down to cross Martha Brook.
Once across Martha Brook, we entered the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area and climbed slightly along the banks of the East Branch of the Sacandaga River.
Navigation was fairly easy as all we had to do was follow the coyote tracks down the middle of the path.
Within a few minutes, we arrived at the cable crossing site. Both cables were still attached, but we decided not to test their tensile strength on this occasion.
The path changed its character once we got past the cable crossing. It undulated over uneven terrain, past ledges, ice falls and large erratics.
After several short, but steep pitches, we were walking on the top of the gorge. The East Branch tumbled through the rocks and ice some 70 feet below us. I thought the pea soup green color of the ice was interesting.
A steep downhill over sketchy snow/ice conditions brought us close to the river in a beautiful hemlock grove.
A hundred yards later, we passed a very secluded designated campsite complete with moose tracks. :clap:
Just past the campsite, we came to the falls. While they were iced over, they did provide a great place to enjoy some hot chocolate as we took in some nice views of the river.
When it was time to head back, I decided to take off my snowshoes and put on micro-spikes. The short, steep sections of the path were a lot easier for me in spikes today. Tredhed kept his snowshoes on and didn't have any problems.
Soon enough, we recrossed Martha Brook and made it back to the Tredhead mobile. A quick stop at George Henry's in Warrensburg for a pint of Fiddlehead was a good reward for a short, but enjoyable day in the woods.
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