Mount Colden via Trap Dike in Adirondack Park, NY

Hike Mount Colden via Trap Dike Adirondack Park, NY

Class 4 12.7 miles 2900 gain 5-7 hrs Loop Sep 28, 2014
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Mount Colden via Trap Dike GPX Track

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Take the well-traveled trail from the Heart Lake parking lot trailhead toward Marcy Dam. Enjoy the nice mountain views with Marcy Dam in the foreground. Once you reach Avalanche Lake, keep a lookout to your left across the lake to find a big chasm in the middle of the mountain (see photos below). To get to the chasm (the Trap Dike), turn left almost directly after Avalanche Lake's southwestern most tip onto a fairly visible trail, though unmarked. Follow it around the lake and approach the obvious crack that goes up Mt. Colden (the dike). After some scrambling, you'll get to a 30 foot waterfall. If wet, this can be really dangerous. With the Dike framing your mountain view, continue past the waterfall (use your best judgement – this likely has one 4th class section) and continue up the Dike. Do not exit the Dike too early, or risk being on some seriously exposed slab climbing. Continue up toward the encroaching trees toward the top of the Dike and then find a way to scramble onto the slab to your right. Route-find up the slab (which is really a landslide that left bedrock exposed), avoiding the steeper sections. Go until the slab ends, and you'll be greeted with a likely muddy, steep ending that has an unmaintained trail to the summit of Mt. Colden, and a well-earned view of the surrounding Adirondack Mountains high peaks. Turn left at the summit and go down the traditional way.

Definitely requires some rock climbing abilities to get up the waterfall. There's a 4th Class section for sure that could have pretty bad consequences if you slip. The slab after crawling out of the dike is also fairly scary: there are some steep spots, and if it's wet, be careful. Don't exit the Trap Dike to enter the slab too soon, or it will be some serious climbing. Go until you reach a wall of trees before climbing to the right and ascending.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Mount Colden
4715 ft
876 rise
2
Mount Colden-North Peak
4560 ft
65 rise

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Image 0 from gallery
Marcy Dam looking out at the High Peaks.
Marcy Dam looking out at the High Peaks.
Avalanche Lake.
Avalanche Lake.
Headed along Avalanche Lake. The Trap Dike is somewhere ahead and to the left.
Headed along Avalanche Lake. The Trap Dike is somewhere ahead and to the left.
Avalanche Lake.
Avalanche Lake.
Looking at the Trap Dike from the opposite side of Avalanche Lake.
Looking at the Trap Dike from the opposite side of Avalanche Lake.
Looking back to the real trail from the opposite side of Avalanche Lake. That railing is where I took the previous picture looking toward where I am currently standing.
Looking back to the real trail from the opposite side of Avalanche Lake. That railing is where I took the previous picture looking toward where I am currently standing.
At the bottom of the waterfall in the Trap Dike.
At the bottom of the waterfall in the Trap Dike.
At the top of the 30 foot waterfall in the Trap Dike.
At the top of the 30 foot waterfall in the Trap Dike.
Image 9 from gallery
Definitely a bit treacherous.
Definitely a bit treacherous.
Right after exiting the Trap Dike and getting onto the slab. That crevasse is the Trap Dike.
Right after exiting the Trap Dike and getting onto the slab. That crevasse is the Trap Dike.
Steep section of the slab.
Steep section of the slab.
The Trap Dike slab. Yes, it's very steep.
The Trap Dike slab. Yes, it's very steep.
At the top of Mt. Colden, looking down at the slab below. The very top is the steepest section.
At the top of Mt. Colden, looking down at the slab below. The very top is the steepest section.
Summit of Mt. Colden.
Summit of Mt. Colden.
Gorgeous view of the high peaks from the summit.
Gorgeous view of the high peaks from the summit.
Image 17 from gallery

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!