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Skylight/Gray/Marcy loop?

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  • Skylight/Gray/Marcy loop?

    Heading up Thursday night to get an early start Friday on this loop. Anyone been in that area recently and know the conditions? Was reading that the bridges around Feldspar and Lake Arnold were pretty neat up toward the end of the summer and was just wondering what to expect in that are with the recent rain. Also, any snow? Friday is supposed to be pretty cold so I'm expecting some flurries but didn't know if they had full cover up there yet

  • #2
    Expect a veneer of ice in places so don't forget your microspikes. Keep a close eye on Marcy's summit weather forecast, on Thursday, to avoid surprises: http://www.weather.gov/btv/mountain_...=MOUNT%20MARCY I believe the temperature is predicted to plunge to wintry levels.

    FWIW, my personal preference is to go over Marcy to access Skylight and Gray then backtrack over Marcy. Given nice weather, I find the open area above Schofield Cobble to be more scenic and interesting than returning via the Lake Arnold Trail. There's little difference in distance but you will ascend about 450 feet more than via Lake Arnold.

    Good luck and I hope you get good weather!
    Looking for views!

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    • #3
      I agree with Taras. Friday would not be a good day to get wet feet on the swampy Lake Arnold trail. NWS Marcy summit forecast:


      Friday

      Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 7. Very windy, with a northwest wind 41 to 46 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph.


      Friday Night

      Mostly clear, with a low around -2. Very windy, with a north wind 42 to 47 mph decreasing to 32 to 37 mph after midnight.

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      • #4
        Thanks for the input and suggestions, guys. New plan is to head up over Marcy, hit Gray and Skylight - fingers crossed for some views that make it worth trekking out in those temps - then head back over Marcy and down

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        • #5
          I second the plan for going over Marcy and down the other side.

          On 2 occasions I have climbed at nite and watched the sunrise with the entire summit to myself.

          For fun, as you are climbing Skylight resist the temptation to turn around and look at Marcy until you reach the very summit. Close your eyes, then turn around and open your eyes. The initial reaction is worth it.

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          • #6
            Agree with returning over Marcy. Mid Sept did a nighttime hike up to Marcy from the loj for a sunrise, down to Gray for 45, and back to Skylight for 46. As we had never taken the Feldspar Lake Arnold route, we returned that way (hey had to experience the bog bridges once on the 46er journey.

            Next time, and there will be a next time minus Gray, will do Marcy Sky Marcy. Even though a bit more vertical, as stated here on another post, its open exposure and fantastic. Rather do 900 back up Marcy than the 400 or 500 back to to Lake Arnold from Feldspar anytime. Enjoy it!

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            • #7
              Opted out of the original plan based on the weather report from Thursday night calling for a high of -5° at Marcy with a windchill of around -50. Hiked Jo around 6am with around 3 fresh inches of snow at the Loj. Any open face was pretty windy and cold so I assume our original plan would've been brutal (would've been my first time for those three peaks so I wanted to enjoy them). Then headed over to Indian Head where there was just a dusting on Lake Road and the GB trail. Every trailhead we passed was almost empty so it was a great day despite the wind

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              • #8
                Thanks for letting us know. Sounds like you reached your objective: enjoy the outdoors.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                Eyes on the Forest, not on the Trees

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