East Branch Gorge Trail - Siamese Ponds Wilderness - 7/14/13

This was one of those little hikes that was really a pleasant surprise.  It was a hot Sunday.  All the prime trailheads were going to be packed with cars.  We wanted to just find a nice little trail with a good swimming hole and find a way to stay cool while exploring a little new territory.

 

The East Branch Gorge Trail is located on Route 8 between Wells and Bakers Mill.  It is just south of the trailhead at Eleventh Mountain that leads to Siamese Ponds.  We had never been on this trail before.  It is shown as a herd path on the National Geographic map.  

 

The topo map labeled a "Cableway" and "Falls".  The cableway especially piqued my curiosity.  I wanted to see what that was.  We thought we would walk to the falls and also look for a place to swim.

 

There is a huge pulloff on the north side of Route 8.  Nothing is labeled.  A jeep road heads into the woods a few yards east of the large pulloff.  It looks like people have driven in the first short distance to a clearing where there is an illegal firering.  After that, large rocks block the way and the herd path starts.  It is not marked with discs, but it is obvious.  Almost immediately you have to rock hop a small tributary.

 

 

Sign at the first water crossing

After you cross, you go a couple hundred yards to a cairn on the right, marking a turn in the trail.   If you miss it (like we did) you will end up at the waters edge and will see a long single cable crossing slightly downstream.  We backtracked and found the herd path.

 

Single cable a little ways downstream from the herd path

 

Lots of water plumes like this

 

The herd path follows the south side of the East Branch.  We followed the path a ways to where the topo map had labeled "cableway".  There we found evidence of former cable marks on a tree.  We kept going so we could see the falls.  

 

Looks like this was a former cable location

 

 

firering at former cable location

After a few minutes we came to a new cable location.  The cables look fairly new.  They are close together, making it feel uneasy to walk on.  If I had some nice gloves with me, I might have tried crossing all the way.

 

Does anybody know the history of these different cable crossings in this area?  I'd be curious to know more about them.

 



 

New cable location a little ways upstream

 

Another angle

 

It seems like it would be easier if the upper cable was higher.

 

More rapids

 

Plenty of nice rocks at the waters edge to sit on

 



Just downstream from the falls we found our nice swimming hole and stopped to swim and have lunch.  Great spot.  Refreshed, we looked at the falls before going back. 

 

Our swimming hole



The entire trip was only 3.2 miles and took us 2.5 hours including our lunch and swim stop.  I'd say check it out if you are passing through, especially on a hot day.  The herd path was nice to walk on, unlike many of the overused marked trails.

 

Leesa enjoying the soft herd path and mossy rock

 

 

Our route.  Note the cable locations.

 

National Geographic map of the trail.

 

Hike Stats:

Hike Distance:  3.2 miles

Hike Time:  2.5 hours, including stops

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 500' 

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'