I haven't had the chance to write here for a while, but today I'm going to write about Trap Dike.
I wanted to climb this route for a while, but was a little intimidated, and I do have slight vertigo in some situations although it doesn't paralyze me or anything. Some people say everybody has vertigo, unless you feel totally neutral. If you like the sensation, it's because you have vertigo.
Trap Dike is an unofficial route up mount Colden. In 2011, Hurricane Irene caused a huge landslide by tearing a huge strip of vegetated scrub off the upper flanks of the mountain, which slid down into Avalanche Lake. Nature is so powerful, and I was pretty excited to see and climb that slide.
The dike should not be climbed if it rained within the past 3 days. That weekend was perfect because it was dry, and my cousin joined us which reassured me a little. I didn't sleep so well because of stress. I was a bit worried about the possibility of an accident. We arrived around 9am at the Adirondack Loj to start our hike. About an hour or two later, it brought us to Avalanche lake.
We had to take a herd path and hop over some rocks to get to the entrance of the dike, where my cousin almost fell in the lake. The lower dike was easy; it basically consisted of class 3 climbs. Right before the class 4 climb, it was so slippery that I almost couldn't stand still. I got a bit scared, because I know that one stupid mistake could end terribly. When we got to the crux, which was a class 4 climb, there were several people waiting there; two ladies from Quebec, an american couple, and a group that hired a guide and equipment.
The reason why there are so many rescues and even deaths in this area is because it's that kind of place where it would be better to have equipment, but it is still doable without, even if some areas are sketchy.
We heard the guide screaming on top, and helping his group through. Some people were panicking, which made me worry. The american couple turned back. One of the Quebecers turned to us and said, "Now we're all scared because of the group in front of us. All we need is really somebody to show us the way, show us how easily it can be done and reassure us."
My cousin took the lead and climbed over that rock. One of my friend tried to climbed through the waterfall, but it was too slippery. I climbed it fairly easily after because I'm more flexible and was able to reach higher with my leg.
After the crux, the dike became less steep...until reaching the slide. It was wide, smooth and clean...and very steep. Luckily, the rocks were covered of little tiny sharp dents, which hurt my hands a little. Climbing that slide was really all about grip and trust. That's how magical nature is. You really had to trust. My thighs were burning but I had to keep going.
One of the Quebecers had a vertigo panic attack, so my friend stayed with her for a bit. We were on a steep exposed slab, so you can't really do much other than staying with her and wait until she recomposed herself. When she finally made it to the top, she cried tears of joy. I'm so happy for her :)
The whole hike took us 9 hours.
