OK Slip Falls

[backpacker]

I'm in if anybodys heading that way and I'm free!!

[Matt]

If there is a way to get up to the falls from below, I'm in.
Looks like a vantage point from below with the small cascades in the foreground would make a nice scene.

[Des219]

Looks cool.
http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/pa ... l?nav=5008

[L_G_D]

There should be a way to get to the bottom of the falls, as I met several people from Northern Frontier at the mouth of the stream on the Hudson when we hiked in that way. They told us to go away, but if they got down there, then there's a way to get there from the top, as they didn't boat in, that's for sure. They must have trails down from their camp, and from what I gather, all that area is now state land, they only retained the area right around the camp itself, so it should be possible to walk in the road, to somewhere near the camp, then down one of the trails to the Hudson, then up the stream. I've heard, though, that's where all the rare plants and sensitive habitats are, and a lot of people walking up the stream is what concerns some people about damage to the area.

[Des219]

It is a fine balance of respect for nature and leave an area untouched or make it accessible to be able to be seen.

[hobkyl]

Toying with the idea of doing the Santanonis next month. Right in the neighborhood of OK Slip. It seems that the consensus is that it is open to the public....how do I get there? Without the bushwhack described previously?

[L_G_D]

We took a look and the access road is gated, with stern warning signs, so parking at the gate and walking in the road is probably not a good idea. I talked to my friend at Finch and he said that the falls tend to get thin or dry up this time of year. Plus, even driving the road if it were open would need an ATV or 4 wheel drive, he said it's not in that good a shape. Northern Frontier drives in and out, though, so it may be passable by car, but you may need to take extra caution. Moot point due to the gate anyway.

We tried hiking in from the Whortleberry Pond trail on Sunday. From the trail description, there should be a trail from there to the Northern Frontier camp, but it may be hard to find, but it sounds do-able. We only got as far as Ross Pond, as we started a bit late. Looks like it would be a 10 mile plus hike to the falls that way, but it seems at this point the most possible and least illegal way to do it. You'd still need to cross Northern Frontier land to do it, so there may be an issue there, though they have nothing going on this time of year according to their schedule, after early August and I would expect even care takers leave by September.

We didn't bother because we crossed Bell Mountain brook on the way, and it's a main tributary to the stream above the falls, and it was very low, just a trickle between the rocks. Taking my friend's information about the falls getting dry into account, we decided to cut our losses, and maybe try next spring.

[hobkyl]

I ended up going into the Dix Range instead. I had intentions to scope it out on my way home but it didn't work out. I saw a map somewhere that shows a trail right from OK Slip Pond on OK Slip Rd. I believe this is the trail the ADK and Carl Heiman used due to the location on the picture in relation to the falls. This would have been the way I tried to go.

I noticed most of the falls I visited were a trickle with the exception of Split Rock.

They've been mum about it since August, wonder if they will be able to open it this year still.