Esther Bushwhack

[ADKBrianW]

Has anyone bushwhacked due west off of Esther back to the Whiteface Highway? I'm considering a Whiteface/Esther loop this winter. Ascend via the highway to Whiteface, then on to bag Esther to the north. Looking at the map it would look to be a short hike due west back to the highway and back down to the parking lot. Having never hiked this I'm wondering about the terrain and vegetation. I've read some horror stories in the forums about how dense the tree growth can be up there at least on the north side of Esther.

Am I crazy?

[2505]

My guess is if you wait until later int he season so snowpack gets deep it would not be bad. Now would still be pretty unconsolidated. Have never been in that stretch, so just a hunch on my part. Would be a fun trip.

[Eddie Fournier]

I think there used to be such a path leading West to the highway, but don't take my word for it. I was there a few weeks ago (on the herd path) and from my recollection the vegetation was indeed quite dense in that area - essentially a young coniferous forest.

[Trail Boss]

You might want to plot a course that avoids the cliffy parts.

https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=44.3...a=c%2Cmba%2Csf

330° (True) to Esther's northern sub-summit then 310° to the road.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Trail Boss

You might want to plot a course that avoids the cliffy parts.

https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=44.3...a=c%2Cmba%2Csf

330° (True) to Esther's northern sub-summit then 310° to the road.

Or, back-track a short distance on the trail then head due west.

I went up and down Esther from the road in winter once. I left the road at about 2450 feet and aimed more or less south. I hit the NE ridge between 3600 and 3800 feet and followed it to the summit. Other than some very deep snow, it was straightforward. I thought that the sub-summit would be a worthy goal due to the open rock.

[ADKBrianW]

Thanks for the tips. Will probably try this one later in the winter season.