EISPIRATEN

Hiked up to Mt. Islip from Crystal Lake this morning. Started at the snack bar/visitor center parking area because the road to the upper parking area was gated. Just walk up the road to get to the trail head for the Windy Gap Trail. Took that to Windy Gap then followed the ridge up to Mt. Islip (stayed on ridge to avoid traversing snow on the trail/north side of the ridge). Took the Big Cienega trail back down.

Nice roundtrip. Just a couple of inches of snow when their was snow on the trails. Staying on the ridge up to Islip eliminates the need for microspikes/pons/ice axe (though I carried them just in case). No wind at all, even on the summit.

Both trails have a bunch of downed trees, rock slides, etc. which really slows things down (as if I wasn't slow enough!). I had a bit of trouble finding where the Big Cienega Trail heads east off of the south ridge of Islip. The trail on the ridge disappears every once in awhile, but keep your eye out for trail signs. Have to keep your eye on this trail or you'll lose it.

The ice on the trees was incredible.

Pics.

Ice...






Windy Gap...

Cool ice pics.

Thanks!

Really pretty pictures, dude!

HikeUp wrote: ↑

I really like this one!

Nice pics! Looked like an awesome day. 2 weeks ago it was all covered in snow. Now, just enough snow for some stunning pictures.

Thanks, Hikeup. Great pics!

I'll be up there soon.

99% sure I saw you up there. We went up the other way (Islip Ridge Trail up the southwest ridge, trip report coming... it was interesting, hardly any trail whatsoever). We summited, and then headed down the Windy Gap route. Down around Little Jimmy it was rough, and we looked up on the ridge and see the only other two hikers of the day traversing that ridge. We headed back up and used your footprints to make our way down that pretty steep spot to Windy Gap.

Did you notice how the Hawkins ridge was covered in snow in the morning, and almost completely melted by day's end?

Great pics, and wasn't it a perfect day to be up there?

mcphersonm80 wrote: ↑99% sure I saw you up there. We went up the other way (Islip Ridge Trail up the southwest ridge, trip report coming... it was interesting, hardly any trail whatsoever). We summited, and then headed down the Windy Gap route. Down around Little Jimmy it was rough, and we looked up on the ridge and see the only other two hikers of the day traversing that ridge. We headed back up and used your footprints to make our way down that pretty steep spot to Windy Gap.

Did you notice how the Hawkins ridge was covered in snow in the morning, and almost completely melted by day's end?

Great pics, and wasn't it a perfect day to be up there?

Beautiful day up there indeed.

I was solo and I only saw two people (man and a woman - guy had microspikes dangling off his pack) the whole day and that was about 12:15 as I was less than 1/2 a mile from finishing the hike. I saw what was probably day old foot prints on the windy gap trail and some old snowshoe tracks on the ridge up to Islip (probably DaveG and Phil). You probably saw my prints on the ridge from Islip down to Windy Gap - did you see where I fell on my ass!

I definitely want to try that Islip Ridge Trail - does it start at the Lake or somewhere else? If I couldn't find where the Big Cienega Trail dropped off the ridge to the east I was going to head down the Ridge Trail. I figured I couldn't get lost doing that!

Looking forward to your TR!

HikeUp wrote: ↑I was solo and I only saw two people (man and a woman - guy had microspikes dangling off his pack) the whole day and that was about 12:15 as I was less than 1/2 a mile from finishing the hike.

Ah, okay. I must have seen those two, then. Sounds like you were up there much earlier than we were.

I definitely want to try that Islip Ridge Trail - does it start at the Lake or somewhere else? If I couldn't find where the Big Cienega Trail dropped off the ridge to the east I was going to head down the Ridge Trail. I figured I couldn't get lost doing that!

Looking forward to your TR!

Well.... We didn't know where the trail started either, so we scrambled up the ridge from the southwest corner of the lake and found it. But I think there's a trailhead at the southeast corner of the lake. It was in surprisingly good condition at the start (I later found out that the SGM Trailbuilders had recently done some work on it).

Less than 3 miles in, though, after a lot of deadfall, rockslides, and washouts, the trail completely disappeared and we had to wing it the rest of the way up the ridge. About a half mile or so south of the summit, we were able to find the trail again.

It's a really straightforward ridge, though. Broad and the way up is obvious, you really don't need a trail.

Nice one! I had considered doing the Islip Loop from Crystal Lake on the day I did Smith Mountain, but my buddy wanted to avoid snow. Looks like it was one heck of a trip.

HJ