Macomb, South Dix & East Dix - 3/3/13

This was the last day of my vacation week.  I was hoping to finish my ADK Winter 46 on this day.  I needed the 4 lower mountains in the Dix Range, namely Macomb, South Dix (Carson), East Dix (Grace) and Hough.  The weather was pretty much the same as it had been all week (with the exception of the snowy Wednesday), cloudy and mild with light winds.

I was going solo on this trip, but I quite ofter go solo, and I'm used to it.  The easiest wasy to access these 4 is from the Elk Lake Road in North Hudson.  In winter, the gate is closed at Clear Pond, adding an additional 2 miles of road walking, each way to the total hike distance.

I went down the road at a brisk pace and reached the trailhead in 30 minutes.  I signed in at the summer trailhead register, and I was on my way.  It is roughly 2.3 miles to the Slide Brook Leanto and it is quite flat.  A slight uphill grade followed my a gentle downhill grade (great for skiing).

Just prior to the leanto, and just after a small footbridge, the Slide Brook herd path goes to the right, passing a designated camp site as it starts out.



Elk Lake from the Macomb Slide

Once on the herd path, it took 30 minutes to reach the base of the Macomb slide.  The trail had been broken out the day before by others, so I had no difficulties making good time on the trail.  The hike up the slide is steep, but easier under these snow conditions than in the summer.  I hiked up the butt slide track where I was able to get some traction with my snowshoes.

Looking up the Macomb Slide

It took 20 minutes to climb the slide.  As I was climbing, I was able to get a nice view of Elk Lake, but the clouds were rolling in.  At the top of the slide I re-entered the woods on the herd path.  I forgot how much steep climbing there remained after the top of the slide.  There is still another 600' or so that took me about 20 minutes.

Looking down from the top of the Macomb Slide

The summit of Macomb

I reached the Macomb summit at 9:20, only to find the clouds had totally taken over and there was no visibility.  I the pattern of this week there was no wind and it was mild, but there wasn't much to see.

I started towards South Dix (Carson) and found the existing track began to wander in search of the herd path.  It wasn't too confusing and I was able to continue on.  Occasionally I would get glimpses of the rock face on the western flank of South Dix.

The view I had from the slide is now gone at the summit

The Macomb summit disc

The western flank of South Dix

Within minutes I was on the rock and climbing to the top of South Dix.  I reached the summit at 10 AM, however I had just passed the herd path on the left heading towards Hough and it hadn't been broken out.  I decided to continue on to East Dix (Carson).  Once again the tracks wandered a little bit, but within an hour I was on East Dix.

The South Dix summit disc

...and the East Dix (Grace) summit disc

Still not much in the way of views, but otherwise a nice day to be out.  I backtracked to the herd path to Hough and decided to give it a chance.  I dropped down into the col between South Dix and Pough trying to follow the herd path.  In the col it vanished and I was in snow drifts to my thighs and spruce traps to my waist.

A designated camp spot in the South Dix/Pough col

As I turned around, I was quite surprised to see a designated camp site disc on a tree.  I didn't know any existed in this area.  I checked my elevation and I was at 3960'.  I saved a GPS waypoint at the location.

A closer look

I couldn't find any way to continue on up Pough without great difficulty, so I turned around.  My last winter 46er peak would have to wait.  I climbed back up to South Dix and back to Macomb.  When I reached the Macomb slide for the descent, I did my own butt slide.  It took exactly 2 minutes to drop 500' down the slide.  Awesome!

Once back to the Dix trail I went over to see if the Lillian Brook herd path had been broken out, and it had.  That would be good news for the next trip.  I followed it halfway up to make sure it was tracked.

After that, it was back to the Dix trail and summer trailhead, then the 2 mile walk on the road back to Clear Pond.  I signed out at 5 PM after 20 miles of walking and 3 more winter peaks bringing my W46er total to 45.

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance: ~ 20 miles

Hike Time: 10 hrs, 10 minutes

Total Vertical Gain: ~ 4000'

My route for the day (click to enlarge)

Macomb, South Dix, East Dix and Hough Mountains - 5/19/12

What a stretch of nice weather in the Northeastern US.  It was a perfect opportunity to do a long hike.  Last weekend was Dix Mountain, this Saturday was the lower Dix range, including 4 peaks:  Macomb, South Dix, East Dix and Hough mountains.  All 4 are Adirondack High Peaks and they could be done in a 12.5 mile trek which is what we chose to do.

Rev on the Macomb Slide

We started at the Elk Lake trailhead, same as last weekend. I knew we would have to be early to get a parking spot, due to the Victoria Day holiday weekend in Canada, and I was right. We arrived at the trailhead at about 7:15 AM and we grabbed the next to last parking spot. Hikers arriving later had to park 2 miles to the South at Clear Pond and walk the road (or catch a ride) to the trailhead. The car next to us had a nice NY license plate "50 PEAKS". I did see a lot of car with Canadian plates.

After crossing this footbridge, the rock cairn denotes the herd path beginning on the right

We followed the Dix path for an hour until just before the Slide Brook Leanto where there is a foot bridge with a handrail. Just after crossing that footbridge, there is a rock cairn ahead denoting where the Slide Brook herd path branches off to the right. We took that herd path which follows Slide Brook up to the Macomb Slide. We then climbed the slide which brought us up to 4000' and just 400 feet shy of the summit. At the top of the slide, the herd path resumed and we followed it to the top of Macomb Mountain. It took us about 2.5 hours to get to the top of Macomb from the car.

Painted Trillium

Elk Lake from Macomb Slide

Near the top of the slide looking back down

The top of Macomb Mountain

We left Macomb, following the herd path to South Dix.  In the col between Macomb and South Dix there is a fork with a rock cairn.  The left branches to the Lillian Brook Herd Path, the right branches to South Dix.  We turned right here and began the rocky ascent up South Dix, which I thought was the best part of the hike (along with Macomb Slide). 

Climbing South Dix

 

At the top of the rock you re-enter the trees.  The summit is in the trees.

A tree at the summit of South Dix with an X and the initials S.D.

We continued on to East Dix.  As we did so, we began to run into many groups of hikers.  We probably saw 10 different groups.  One group had 9 people.  Some of the groups we saw multiple times.  All of them were very nice.  We chatted with a nice man from Burlington, VT and a nice man named Jared from Syracuse. 

The summit of East Dix

 The summit of East Dix is an exposed rock ledge with great views in 3 directions.  From there we retraced our steps back to South Dix.  A couple of steps from the summit was a rock cairn marking the herd path to Hough.  We took it and went over a false summit before coming down to a col between the false summit and Hough.  Here was a camping spot with a fire ring.  Immediately behind it was a small rock cairn and the Lillian Brook herd path.  That would be a descent route, but first we had to go up Hough.

A ledge just before the summit of Hough

We reached the summit of Hough at 2:30 and had the top to ourselves for 10 minutes before one of the groups caught back up to us.  Hough and Macomb both have small rock openings on the summit which afford views.  We then retraced our steps back down Hough to the col and camp site and began our descent down the Lillian Brook herd path.  We were a little worried about it because 2 different groups told us troubling things about it.  One group said it was hard to distinguish and follow, the other group said it was a really treacherous route.  Neither turned out to be the case.  It was a pleasant route.  The herd path was easy to follow and after a little while it came to Lillian Brook, which it then followed down.  A little ways down we came to a rock cairn marking a fork that goes to the col between Macomb and South Dix.

Macomb and Elk Lake from Hough.  Clear Pond also visible in the center.

Leesa on the ledge just before the summit of Hough

 

Lillian Brook from the herd path

Once down the Lillian Brook herd path, we re-entered the Dix Trail and had about a 3.5 mile hike back to the car.  All-in-all a great day with great weather.

Edit:  9/10/12 - The brand new National Geographic High Peaks map shows the herd paths on the map.  This is new.  The previous version did not.

Hike Stats

Hike Distance:  12.5 miles

Hike Time:  10 hours

Total Vertical Gain:  4400'

Our route shown in blue