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Dominic and I were supposed to do (again!) Tabletop-Marcy-Gray but our plans got waylaid by unexpected exam results. So there I was Monday night all dressed up with nowhere to go all of a sudden when the idea of doing Dix crossed my mind.
I signed out at 7:20 Tuesday am. and was soon admiring the glass calm surface of Round Pond in the early morning sunlight. After circumventing the Pond the trail climbs moderately for about 600 feet before beginning a very pleasant 2 mile flat section. The Boquet, meandering its lazy way through the flats was on my left and at times the trail is close upon it. On this day the sunlight glinted off the ripples and at one of the bends you could stand and gaze clear up to the top of Dix. It seemed so far away!
As I cruised along the trail the sounds of my boots and my breathing were in the foreground on top of multitudes of songbirds, many gurgling rills feeding the Boquet and the wind.
I arrived at the Lean-to at 9:00 and woke up a gang of 6 young men who had spent 12 hours the day before hiking 4 of the Dixes. They somehow missed Grace and after traversing to Macomb they desended the slide to the Dix trail then hiked up to the Hunter's pass-Dix trail junction before descending to the LT.
After some bread and cheese I went on my merry way. Some moderately pitched 800 vertical feet later I paused at the slide on Dix. The water sparkled as it ran down the slide in broad, swiftly flowing sheets. I stopped and admired Noonmark, Giant and Rocky as I filtered 2 quarts of water. It was probably unnecessary to filter since there is surely no human and very little animal activity up in the steep cripplebush on Dix's upper reaches.
Just as you get used to climbing the slide the trail cuts off into the trees. For the next 1000 vertical feet the trail is insanely steep. Here you have no choice but to pace yourself and be amazed as you look back at what you have ascended. Once you hit the Hunter Pass junction the pitch slackens a bit but there is still 600 vertical feet of work to be done. At one point I turned around and what do you know? There was the Great Range and a whole lot more right behind me. This is climbing at its best. You scamper up maybe 50 vertical feet then turn around and marvel at the ever expanding vistas as you catch your breath. You get to do this numerous times on Dix.
The trail levelled out and soon I was sitting alone on the wind blown, bugless summit. I spent an hour gazing in all directions, snapping a few pictures and stuffing my face with Swiss cheese, crackers, olives and french bread before heading down.
I decided to boogie and was back at the car in 2 1/2 hours and en route enjoyed soaking my head in the Boquet beside the Lean-to.
All in all a very peaceful, contemplative day in the Dix Wilderness.
Click here for a few pictures.
I signed out at 7:20 Tuesday am. and was soon admiring the glass calm surface of Round Pond in the early morning sunlight. After circumventing the Pond the trail climbs moderately for about 600 feet before beginning a very pleasant 2 mile flat section. The Boquet, meandering its lazy way through the flats was on my left and at times the trail is close upon it. On this day the sunlight glinted off the ripples and at one of the bends you could stand and gaze clear up to the top of Dix. It seemed so far away!
As I cruised along the trail the sounds of my boots and my breathing were in the foreground on top of multitudes of songbirds, many gurgling rills feeding the Boquet and the wind.
I arrived at the Lean-to at 9:00 and woke up a gang of 6 young men who had spent 12 hours the day before hiking 4 of the Dixes. They somehow missed Grace and after traversing to Macomb they desended the slide to the Dix trail then hiked up to the Hunter's pass-Dix trail junction before descending to the LT.
After some bread and cheese I went on my merry way. Some moderately pitched 800 vertical feet later I paused at the slide on Dix. The water sparkled as it ran down the slide in broad, swiftly flowing sheets. I stopped and admired Noonmark, Giant and Rocky as I filtered 2 quarts of water. It was probably unnecessary to filter since there is surely no human and very little animal activity up in the steep cripplebush on Dix's upper reaches.
Just as you get used to climbing the slide the trail cuts off into the trees. For the next 1000 vertical feet the trail is insanely steep. Here you have no choice but to pace yourself and be amazed as you look back at what you have ascended. Once you hit the Hunter Pass junction the pitch slackens a bit but there is still 600 vertical feet of work to be done. At one point I turned around and what do you know? There was the Great Range and a whole lot more right behind me. This is climbing at its best. You scamper up maybe 50 vertical feet then turn around and marvel at the ever expanding vistas as you catch your breath. You get to do this numerous times on Dix.
The trail levelled out and soon I was sitting alone on the wind blown, bugless summit. I spent an hour gazing in all directions, snapping a few pictures and stuffing my face with Swiss cheese, crackers, olives and french bread before heading down.
I decided to boogie and was back at the car in 2 1/2 hours and en route enjoyed soaking my head in the Boquet beside the Lean-to.
All in all a very peaceful, contemplative day in the Dix Wilderness.
Click here for a few pictures.
.. but thank you anyway for confirming.
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