Adirondacks: Cooper Kiln (Wilmington) Slide 5/21/21

On an unusually hot day for May, with temps reaching 90 in the valley, I climbed another slide born from Tropical Storm Irene. Cooper Kiln Slide is a mile-long scar on the east side of the Wilmington Range, with easy access to its track from the Cooper Kill Trail. For this approach I started on the lower eastern end of the trail on Bonnieview Road, outside of Wilmington.

The 1.6 mile approach started as a delightful easy walk, as seen here, then climbed moderately with pretty good footing to a sharp left turn.

At the turn an old woods road/herd path leads across to the track of the slide.

The lower part of the slide is a rubbly swath.

A decade after the slide came down, alders are flourishing in many places along the track.

From a point behind a huge boulder, I obtained a first glimpse to the head of the slide.

The very steep headwall of the slide is on the right. On the left is a short slide that fell during the same storm.

First ledges on the slide. Now it gets more fun.

More ledges, hot in the sun.

Looking back, hazy views opening up to the east.

Farther up, the vista is panoramic. Were it clearer, Lake Champlain and the northern Green Mountains would be prominent.

Weaving a route up the slide.

Spring foliage greening up the lower slopes of the Wilmington Range.

An impressive rock wall looms ahead.

I went over to the base on the right side for a closer look, then went back to the left for a tricky scramble up a series of ledgy steps.

Looking down from the top of the scramble.

Interesting formations in the white anorthosite.

View from the top of the rock wall.

Ledge steps ahead.

Steep pitch.

There's the headwall! Reports are that it is for experienced rock climbers only, with a pitch up to 45 degrees.

Working up to the base of the headwall.

It looks impressive up there.

I made my way up to the base of the big ledge step seen here on the right. The white bedrock was brilliant in the sun.

Looking up from my turnaround point.

Serious terrain up here.

A beautiful quartz vein cutting across the anorthosite.

Down-look.

View from my lunch spot.

 

 

 

Looking back up.

 

 

Partway down on the descent I took to the woods to avoid down-climbing at the rock wall.

Back onto the slide.

Crossing over to the other side.

Descending through open hardwoods - yeah!

Last look at the imposing headwall.

 

Adirondacks: Cooper Kiln Pond & Morgan Mountain 5/20/21

Ponds are a major part of the Adirondack experience - it's said there are 2600 of them in the Adirondack Park - and I opted this day to visit one with the curious name of  Cooper Kiln Pond. This small tarn, nestled at 3020 ft. on a high shelf between the Stephenson and Wilmington Ranges, is one of the higher ponds in the 'dacks. Nearby is Morgan Mountain, one the the ADK 100 Highest peaks, with a view ledge near the summit. A pond, a peak and a view - sounded good to me.

I took the Cooper Kill Trail (there is some dispute as to whether the name should be "Kiln" or "Kill") from a trailhead near the Whiteface Mountain toll road.

The lower part of the trail was quite pleasant.

A section of the trail ascending to the pass by Morgan Mountain had poor footing, wet and rocky.

The stretch leading through the long pass at ~3200 ft. was wild and appealing.

The trail descends a couple hundred feet from the pass to the pond. Here the trail gives a preview of this high-country beauty.

Beaver activity has raised the water level and necessitated a trail relocation.

There's a lean-to right at the shore.

One of the sweet spots in the mountains, overlooked by a spur of the Wilmington Range.

I lounged on a flat rock in front of the lean-to for an hour and a half. My only company was a squadron of squawking blue jays, plus a few singing warblers and peeping frogs.

On the return trip I made the fairly steep but short and mostly open whack to the summit of Morgan Mountain.

At 3458 ft., it is one of the ADK 100 Highest. The summit is marked only by a piece of orange tape.

In The Other 54, his guide to the 100 Highest peaks, bushwhacker extraordinaire Spencer Morrissey makes note of a nearby view ledge that some call the "Lunch Counter."

This was a fine spot to hang out for quite a while and enjoy the hazy views to the south, stretching as far as Dix Mountain.

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Off to the east I could see the Jay Mountain Range, where I had been two days earlier.

Close at hand the sharp peak of Whiteface Mountain rose above its lesser neighbor, Esther Mountain. After a long visit here, it took not much more than an hour to return to my car.