Dial and Nippletop from Round Pond via Gravestone Brook - 5/25/14

This was a repeat of a trip I did in July of 2013 with my dog Rev.  This time my wife Leesa wanted to go this route so she could hike Dial and Nippletop; two peaks she had not climbed.  These would be #'s 38 and 39 for her.  Since Rev was going with us we used Gravestone Brook to get from the Dix Trail to Dial.

It was a nice morning; sunny and about 50 degrees.  An afternoon thunder storm was possible, but we never saw any rain.  We arrived at the Round Pond trailhead just after 7:30 and claimed the last parking spot in the lot.  In minutes we arrived at Round Pond.  There was a tent at the first campsite on the right.  Three canoes were out on the pond with men fishing.

  

Round Pond in the morning sunlight

It was a peaceful morning at the pond.  I'm sure the men were enjoying the fishing.  We continued on and reached the height of land at 1.6 miles after 45 minutes from the car.  Next we dropped down along the Boquet River and followed it towards the Boquet lean-to.  

Round Pond

This was the first time on the Dix Trail for Leesa in spring.  Her only previous trip on this trail was in winter so everything looked different from when she last was here.  

A beautiful oxbow along the Boquet 

At the 3.5 mile mark we reached Gravestone Brook and it was time to do a little bushwhacking.  From my previous trip, I recalled that the right side of the brook was easier terrain to navigate and we chose that way again.  There is a slight herd path (animal path) that we followed along the way.  The biggest impediment was a lot of Witch-Hobble which would trip us up occasionally.

Witch-Hobble 

We enjoyed the cascades of Gravestone Brook.  There are numerous 4' drops and lots of areas where water slides down sheets of rock.  We weren't always at the waters edge.  At times, the walking was a little easier a short distance away from the brook.

Near the top of the brook, it splits in a Y.  We took the right hand fork to avoid bushwhacking up the steeper left fork.  Shortly the brook ended and soon we popped out on the trail near the Dial/Bear Den col, just slightly on the Dial side.  The elevation at this point was 3200'.

  

Gravestone Brook

The trail felt easy after the bushwhack, and we quickly climbed the 800' to the summit of Dial.  Number 38 for Leesa.  There was one lone gentleman enjoying the view of the Great Range from the summit rock.  We still had blue skies and some nice puffy cumulus clouds.  Rain was nowhere in sight.   

We stopped and had some left over pizza here.  I had brought a few drinks (some frozen) and the frozen ones weren't thawing as fast as I thought they might.  I fact, they were still half frozen when we got back to the car.

The Great Range!

Great Range, take two.

Leesa and Rev

As we made our way up the pointless ups-and-downs (PUDs), we soon began to see a few hikers and had a couple nice chats along the way.   We reached the summit and shared it with four other folks before they all left and we had a little time to ourselves at the top.  I didn't expect that on Memorial Day weekend.  High peak number 39 for Leesa! 

On the way down we saw one man with a dog near the sign for Elk Pass.  I didn't think to ask him which way he came up with his dog. 

I love this view of Dix from Nippletop

We had an uneventful descent.  The bushwhack seemed longer on the return, even though it was downhill. 

Elk Lake in the distance (from Nippletop)

A couple more clouds, but still nice

Dix

A PUD on the way back to Dial

This was the only patch of snow we saw.  They were also a couple small ice patches.

We stopped twice to soak our feet in the cold water on the return; once at the bottom of Gravestone Brook, and once at the Noonmark Trail junction.  It always feels good to stick hot feet in cold water!

We saw one tent pitched a mere 20 feet off the trail just a little east of the Noonmark Trail junction.  The holiday weekend crowd don't always know the rules (150' from water or trail, and no camping above 3500' unless at a designated location).

We got back to the car around 6:30 after another nice day in the woods.  Rev slept on the way back to Schroon Lake.

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  15 miles

Hike Time:  10 hours + stoppage time

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 4000'

    

The route (click image to enlarge)

Dial and Nippletop from Round Pond (via Gravestone Brook) - 7/12/13

The Dial and Nippletop  Adirondack high peaks are generally reached from the Ausable Club.  People often make a loop by going over Bear Den Mountain then up the ridge over Dial to Nippletop, then down to Elk Pass and out via the Lake Road.  The loop can also be done counterclockwise, by going over Elk Pass first.

 

If your hiking partner is a dog, you are out of luck on the above loop hike.  The Ausable Club does not allow dogs anywhere on their property.  The most well known alternative, is to begin at the Round Pond trailhead and take the Dix trail as if you are climbing Dix, then bushwhack up Gravestone Brook to the Henry Goddard Leach trail.  This will put you on the trail near the Bear Den/Dial col, well off Ausable Club property.  You can then turn left and climb Dial and Nippletop.

 

This was my plan for the day, and I planned to return via the same route.  I started off from the trailhead at about 7:45 AM.  I was surprised to see someone had signed in the day before saying they were headed up Gravestone Brook.  At Round Pond I stopped to look at the 2 designated campsites near the pond.  Both were empty on this morning.  I thought both sites were average.  Both had decent spots to pitch a tent, and both had fire rings.

 

I continued on along the Dix trail.  After an hour, I passed the intersection with the Noonmark and Round Mountain trails.  The weather was pleasant and the bugs weren't bothering me. 

 



A nice oxbow along the Boquet River

After about 1.5 hours I reached a tributary that feeds into Gravestone Brook and a minute or two later I reached the brook itself.  If you cross Gravestone Brook, you will see nice stone steps on the far side and a trail arrow pointing left.  To the right, is a faint herd path heading up Gravestone Brook.

 

I wanted to hike to the Boquet lean-to before going up Gravestone Brook so I continued on the Dix trail another half mile to the lean-to.  It was there that I found the 2 guys who had signed the register indicating they were headed the same way I was.  They had arrived at the lean-to late the night before.  They slept late and were just having breakfast at about 9:30.  I told them I would probably see them later on the Dial/Nippletop ridge.

 

I returned to Gravestone Brook and began on the left side of the brook following a herd path.  It quickly faded away after about 2 minutes.  I starting rock hopping up the stream, but I was slipping on the wet rocks.  I found the right side of the stream to be easier walking than the left side.  At times there was a faint herd path, but certainly nothing that could be followed.  I just kept the brook on my left and worked my way up.  

 

Looking across Gravestone Brook to the stone steps

 

A faint herd path on Gravestone Brook that quickly ends

 

Nice water holes early on Gravestone Brook

High up the brook forks.  I stayed with the right fork to head for the col.  It took me about an hour to bushwhack up the brook to the Leach trail.  The last five minutes of the bushwhack was the hardest, but it still wasn't bad.  As I approached the trail, I saw a hiker headed for Dial.  He looked down at me like I was crazy.  Why was I coming out of the woods?  He didn't stop to ask.  He just kept going.

 

I stepped out of the woods and stopped to have a snack with my dog Rev.  We were at about 3300' and pretty much in the middle of the Bear Den/Dial col. 

 

The trail up to Dial felt nice and easy compared to the woods.  Then I reached the summit, two young guys were resting on the summit rock talking to the lone hiker who saw me coming out of the woods.  I didn't stop to chat; I just continued on.   I was feeling good and enjoying a day with low humidity.

 

After about an hour I came to the junction with the Elk Pass trail.  I had come up that trail when I climbed Nippletop and Dial in the winter.  Today I wouldn't be descending that way.   Someone had dropped a pack at the junction so I knew I'd be seeing someone on the summit.  I went up and over the false summit before reaching to top.

 

The Elk Pass trail junction

At the top there were two guys relaxing and enjoying the views.  It wasn't a bluebird day, but visibility was good and the entire Great Range was on full display.  On the other side, Dix and Hough provided great focal points.

 

Blake Peak and Pinnacle Ridge

 

The Great Range!

 

A little of Elk Lake...

 

I didn't see any summit disc on Nippletop or Dial.  I don't believe I saw any in winter either.

 

Dix Mountain

 

The picture below, for contrast, is from my 2/5/12 winter ascent.

   

Here is roughly the same shot in winter... I like winter better!

 





A zoomed in look at Dix and Hough

 

 

I talked with the guys on the summit for a little while.  They were planning to go to Elk Pass and camp.  As I headed back down, I was surprised to see 3 different groups with young children.  The first was a guy had a daughter who looked to be around 9.  Then I saw a guy with 2 boys who looked even younger.  Lastly I saw a dad with boys that looked like perhaps 12 and 14.    

 

 

Giant and Rocky Peak to the North

 

The summit of Dial Mountain

 

Nippletop from Dial

I saw several lone hikers and several couples.  One guy was doing Dial and Nippletop for high peak numbers 43 and 44.  He planned to finish in August on Esther and Whiteface.

   

 

The Great Range from Dial

 

Once I got back to the Bear Den/Dial col, I bushwhacked down Gravestone Brook following the same approximate course I had taken on the way up.  I stopped near the bottom to play in a nice water hole with the dog.

 

This water hole on the Gravestone was home to my feet for a few minutes

 

 

 

Once back on the Dix trail, it was an easy 1.5 hours back out.  As I got to the Noonmark trail junction I saw a large group of teenagers heading for Noonmark.  After that, all was quiet.  I got back to the car at 5 PM.

 

Gravestone Brook proved to be nice means of getting to Dial and Nippletop.  Route finding is necessary, but having the brook there makes it pretty easy.  It also provided good water for the dog (and me)!  A nice day with a combination of trail and bushwhack.

 

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  ~ 17 miles

Hike Time:  9 hrs, 20 minutes (including stops)

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 4000'

Nippletop & Dial Mountains - 2/4/12

Today was just the perfect winter day in the Adirondacks (except for the lack of snow).  I really wanted to go backcountry skiing, but the rain earlier in the week ruined that.  My only chance to find snow was to climb high, so that's what I did.

I parked in St. Huberts at the parking lot off of Rt 73 and hiked past the Ausable Club on the lake road to the Gill Brook Trailhead that leads past Elk Pass to Nippletop Mountain (4620').   I wore microspikes, but packed snowshoes in hopes of finding snow up high.



Sunrise approaching Round Mountain



I was on the trail by 7:15 and reached Elk Pass at 9:30.  At that point the trail climbs steeply about 1500 feet to the summit. 



Signage on the Gill Brook Trail



 I didn't run into any significant snow until I reached the summit ridge.  At that point it began to pile up quickly and I put on my snowshoes.   There was at least 2 feet of snow on the summit, maybe 3 feet.  Funny, since a half mile before the summit there was only a couple inches. 

Looking towards the summit of Nippletop


The weather was perfect.  Blue sky, sunshine, temperature in the mid 20's and no wind!  I was on the summit at 10:45 AM and no one was there.  Nippletop has great views of the entire Great Range to the north, views of Dix to the south and Giant and Rocky Peak to the east.



A great view of Dix Mountain





It really was a winter wonderland, but only at the summit





The southern half of the Great Range (Gothics on the right)



I left the summit of Nippletop and hiked northeast down the ridge past Dial Mountain (4020') and Bear Den Mountain (3399') as well as the shoulder of Noonmark Mountain before descending back to the Lake Road.

It was a great day, climbing 2 of the Adirondack 4000' peaks.  I was back at the car at 2:30.  Not bad for hiking 13 miles.  Tomorrow is supposed to be the same weather, so I'm planning on climbing Colvin and Blake (the same general area and 2 more of the 46 ADK 4000 footers).  They should take about the same time, or slightly less. I want to get back home in time to unpack so I can sit down and root for the Patriots in the Super Bowl! 

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  13 miles

Hike Time:  7.5 hours

Total Vertical Gain:  4510'

Elevation at Trailhead:  1250'

Dial Mountain Summit Elev.:  4020'

Nippletop Summit Elev."  4620'

My route shown in blue