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Warmup in the Daks - Algonquin Peak

12/4-5, 2021

Bit of a late start on Sat 12/4. We left from the Loj at 3:30p. VanHo to Marcy Dam was well packed and we broke trail to Avalanche Pass after which we donned snowshoes. Aimed for Caribou shelter but I guess it no longer exists! Make sure to cross-check your maps with others. We pushed a bit further to the campsite closest to the Colden interior post.

We continued the following day up Algonquin trail and were treated to magnificent, clear views of Colden. Wind was surprisingly mild on Algonquin and we passed by 4-5 other people on way back. After the junction for Wright, trail conditions were well-traveled enough for us to switch back into microspikes. Overall, a fantastic “warmup” trip for Alan who has yet to experience the Daks in the winter!

With all the winter trips we’ve done together, this was our first arriving at a trailhead with fresh legs and a proper “glamping” winter backpacking setup instead of slogging a 100+ miles with loaded bikes and lighter packs. I thought this loop would be a relatively smooth introduction to above treeline conditions for Alan and, yeah, it ended up being veryyy smooooth. Maybe too smooth for what we planned to tackle two weeks later..

Day 1 and 2.


Avalanche Lake, frozen over Alan's first taste of alpine territory in the Daks! Wallface Mountain looking like a mountain with a wall on one side ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Changing film amongst the cauliflower ice (rime) Look at all those lines on Mt Colden! Pre-hike photo at Noonmark Diner but you get the point. Lovely people and satisfying food. Of course we came back when we were done!


Type 2 miles and misadventures


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