At a bit under 20 miles, this Lower Great Range loop is an incredibly rewarding trek that packs plenty of challenges and peaks. Gothics (and Pyramid by extension) are the absolute best so if you’re only looking to take on a small portion of the range that is probably where we would recommend heading, so just an out and back to that portion. Also if you were really looking to skim this down you could probably skip Sawteeth and Lower Wolfjaw, although you would be missing out on some solid views.
We start this loop by going all the way out to Sawteeth first, there is a scenic route with some extra mileage or a straighter shot if you’re trying to get there quicker. From there the order is Gothics, Armstrong, Upper and finally Lower. Although Gothics, Armstrong and Upper are basically perfectly lined up, both Saweteeth and Lower require a little bit of an off-shoot, nothing too extreme or difficult.
The views here are really tough to beat and the actual difficulty across all the peaks is pretty mild once you’ve gotten up there. Going down Upper is probably the steepest and most technically difficult spot across the range, it gets a little scary for a minute, but as long as you are sure footed you will be fine. Thankfully, there are some wood ladders where things get unreasonably difficult.
We’ve taken on the Lower Great Range a few times, in summer heat and nice autumn weather, and it’s been exceptional every time. This range doesn’t seem to draw the same crowds as other big ones, and since most people at the AMR are there for Indian Head, you’ll generally be safe from overly large crowds.
Basic Lower Great Range (Estimated):
Sawteeth is a relatively small peak, but it has an incredible 180 lookout that points directly back towards the club, with views of Gothics to boot. People will sometimes drop this on off their trip if they’ve already done it, which I think is pretty understandable, given that it’s a bit “out of the way” compared to the rest. Even still, our first climb here lined up almost perfectly with sunrise and it was one of my favorite memories of the trip.
Gothics, along with Pyramid, is a personal favorite of mine, and far and away the best of the range. Gothics is mostly open, and Pyramid offers roughly 180 views – partially looking back down towards Ausable Lake and over towards Gothics, where you can see open slides and rock-face. The Gothic peak is sprawling, with offshoots down towards Armstrong and over to Saddleback. Take your time here and look around a bit, it’s one of the best.
As you move down the range the views will start to become more limited, but still pretty great overall, and that starts with Armstrong. Your views here will mostly be pointing north-west towards all of the goodness over at the LOJ, but weather seems to be fickle on these peaks, we’ve had passing overcast almost every time we’ve been on this peak, as well as the ones to follow.
We’ve been on Upper Wolfjaw a few times, but only got the limited views there once. This is a pretty small, kind of 180 peak that isn’t going to leave a lot of room for large crowds. Thankfully the views here are pretty similar to Armstrong, so you could move on pretty quickly if things get crowded.
This one is an odd ball, and a bit further out from the last three. Again, the peak is relatively small and the views are limited. Good news is that there are some additional little lookouts along the way out, depending on your route.
This is one that you can – technically – get to in a number of different ways, but the most common by far is from the AMR. I’ve probably already complained about this on a lot of other trail posts so I won’t go on about it here (I think it’s lame that any part of something like the High Peaks could be privately owned). You’ll need a reservation to park and hike here – link below.
This is another set of High Peaks that could potentially be broken up, but given the fact that getting a parking spot can be difficult, we’d recommend getting as much of it as possible. The core part of the range is Gothics, Armstrong and Upper Wolfjaw – you could easily drop off Sawteeth and Lower Wolfjaw from either side, and come back for them later.
You’ll see plenty of spots on the trail and all along Lake Road where you can snatch some water, but once you pass Gothics, and until you get down the steep descent from Upper Wolfjaw – you won’t find too many good opportunities. The ridges between these peaks aren’t too tough, but packing a few liters would still be a smart move.
It sure does, some of the best across all of the High Peaks. Pyramid is a personal favorite, even though it is not technically a High Peak itself. The Lower Great Range is counted among a small handful of High Peaks we’ve climbed several times.
Rating considers trail conditions, difficulty, views and other notable characteristics
