October 7th, 2015
Great Range from First Brother at Peak Foliage.
“Everything happens for a reason.” Few words nettle me and my friend quite like these. Emblazoned to many a social media profile; we repeat them facetiously amongst ourselves when the right moment arises. Those who proclaim these words fail to account for the misfortune wrought by the same furtive hand of destiny. Yet, as I clamber to the top of the First Brother, Keene Valley blotched in reds and oranges beneath me, a brisk breeze bracing me, I am thankful of the series of circumstances, minor inconveniences, which schemed to have me here in the Autumn, most especially during peak foliage. If you recall, in the beginning of August, Big Slide was my destination, but the crowded Garden parking lot prevented it from being climbed then, so on that day I did Wright. And 10 other peaks over the proceeding two months. A Wednesday during the Fall and an earlier arrival, just after 8:30, did the trick. Nonetheless, I think I will glue the Garden parking lot ticket to a plaque and hang it on my wall.
Panorama from Second Brother.
Right out of the Garden, Brothers route to Big Slide forks to the right. There is no delay, the climb begins immediately. A little ways in, I begin to tail another hiker. I follow him then grow concerned he has led me astray, as the trail has become unexpectedly rugged and I struggle to remember the last DEC plate I saw, though the trail looks trodden. He decides to backtrack and I continue on to see if I could re-find the trail — which I do right before the First Brother. The conditions are largely cloudy across the greater Keene Valley with the Sun endeavoring to break through the clouds in the east. While the cloud cover may be foreboding, what’s neat about it is that I can reckon its altitude within a hundred feet or so. The tips of Basin and Gothics, the two largest Great Range members in view, are enveloped by clouds while the Wolf Jaws, Armstrong and Saddleback are entirely below the cloud line for much of the hike; my guess is the clouds are hanging out at about 4600 feet.
A typical Rock Scramble up to a Brother.
Old Mountain Phelps imagined a great water slide park. Only in recent years has his vision come to fruition.
White girl mounting a Brother.
The Brothers are very generous with their views, there must be some sort of sibling rivalry as each Brother tries to outdo the other. Tony Goodwin, of the High Peaks trail guide, describes the Brothers approach to Big Slide as “spectacular” and I strive to find a more fitting descriptor. For all the reports I have read about Big Slide, not many have been enthusiastic about the view at the top, but dwelling on this belies the inherent beauty of the trail. On the Second Brother (I believe), the view is 270 degrees, with the north opening up. There is a lot of yellow blaze following, friendly rock scrambling on the Brothers, and once you leave them, they retain their views. I am caught off guard by the distance between the Third Brother and the summit of Big Slide. This trail is relatively flat, uninspiring, muddy, and insidiously long. The views don’t start again in earnest until a tenth of a mile from the summit of Big Slide.
The final three tenths of a mile to the summit of Big Slide is the real climb of the hike, there is one log ladder segment over a series of steep open rock faces. It is a huff and puff though short-lived final three-tenths of a mile. At the summit, I am greeted by clear blue skies, one would never guess it is the same day I spent on the Brothers. The view from the top of Big Slide is better and more encompassing than I imagined. A bunch of hikers abound on the summit and assail me with queries, “which mountain is that?” I was under the impression the view from Big Slide only included the Great Range, of course, and just squeezed in Marcy, too. I was wrong. Not only is Colden visible, but the MacIntyre Range. Even (so far as I’m concerned) Santanoni is visible (though don’t quote me on this). Out to the east, Hurricane, Giant, and Rocky Peak Ridge stand in prominence, Noonmark, Dix, Dial and Nippletop continue on south-ward. It should come as no surprise the view is great, as Big Slide is readily visible from just about every peak I’ve done. Right before the summit, there is one path cut right to the edge with perhaps the most spectacular (and stomach churning) view of all; there is a drop of several hundred feet, if not more, off the 19th-century avalanche engendered cliff. Views of the north are to be had, principally of Cascade and Porter, but it is a tree branch obstructed view which entails some backwoods exploring.
Log Ladder up to Big Slide.
Encompassing view from Big Slide.
Author on the summit of Big Slide.
Some of the mountains seen from Big Slide.
I decide to return via the Slide Brook trail instead of the view lush Brothers route I took out This trail is nice in its own right and a gradual descent to the Phelps trail. The Slide Brook is crossed, then re-crossed, then crossed again, etc. Once I get to the junction, I take a brief excursion to Johns Brook Lodge which I have never seen. Johns Brook Lodge is the confluence of many trails, and distances for many summits and landmarks are provided on signs pointing in every direction. The 3.5 mile hike from Johns Brook Lodge to the Garden parking lot is meandering and mostly flat. The trail is comparable to the one coming out of the Adirondak Loj.
Gothic as seen from Slide Brook.
Along with Cascade and Giant, Big Slide via the Brothers is one of the best family hikes in the High Peaks. It is, similarly, a great choice for hikers of any experience level. However, if unadulterated solitude is what you’re after, there are better options.
Adirondack Hiking 