Tom, enjoyed the TR. Well, not "enjoyed", but you know what I mean. That which don't kill you makes you stronger (and wiser) - right? Sorry you had such a crappy experience from the outset, but if you hike long enough it's inevitable. We've all been through something similar. I completely missed the peak I was shooting for once, in perfect weather and with a topo map - talk about feeling like a knucklehead! Notch your belt with the experience and look forward to the many times you'll get to entertain people with that story around a campfire with some brews.
I especially appreciate the fact you were so forthcoming with the story - it should help get the attention of others considering the same thing. This trail has not been maintained in many years, so it's a use trail. The thing about use trails is that they can be hard to follow going up, and generally have a spiderweb of other branching use trails attached. When you're descending a use trail, it's easy to see where you need to go (and not go), but it can sometimes be a mystery on the ascent, especially the first time. I definitely would not want to try this one the first time in the dark.
And yeah, this one is steep. My affinity for it comes from the fact that it bypasses the North Fork water crossing. I generally don't have issues with rock-hop water crossings, but when the NF is raging with snowmelt and the hops are inundated, I'm very conscious of that cascading drop-off just a few feet away from the rocks. This coming trip in July it's really my wife and daughter carrying heavy packs for the first time that concerns me on this crossing. Besides, while I've descended the Old Trail, I've never gone up it. My wife, however, has been up and down it three times, so I'll follow her . . .
Thanks again for the TR. Aug/Sep should be
much better!
