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  • #16
    The sites on the way to Grace are very nice and open. I recall the furthest one in as right on the trail and near a pretty waterfall and pool that is likely open water for pumping. I'd say that route with Grace and option for Carson/S Dix would fit the bill and not be as remote as Santas
    I was thinking of taking that way in as well, but figured there was no chance it'd be broken or that I'd run into anyone else, except on the summits. I hadn't read any trip reports of people going this way - everyone seemed to be coming from Elk Lake or Ausable, with a few more from Round Pond. Seemed a bit too remote for my first solo winter trip in the Dacks.

    I bushwhacked from the end of the South Boquet Fork Trail to Grace and the rest of the Dix peaks years ago, and loved how remote it felt. But maybe was more based on how rough the bushwhack was more than anything else, lol.

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    • #17
      In general terms: The northern approaches to the Dix Range are a bit less popular than the southern approach, as the northern approaches don't as readily facilitate a traverse of the full range- so you might consider instead going from the Elk Lake side as your chances of having to break trail are less. Dix is popular enough in its own right (as a hike without any combination of the rest of the range) that the trail via Round Pond does get broken out somewhat regularly- but this approach may also go a weekend or two after a big dump without seeing the level of use necessary to break it out (but if this is the case, then you have Noonmark or Round as alternatives, as you note). In particular, it's worth noting how small the Round Pond parking area is in comparison to some of the other High Peaks trailheads along Route 73- yet this is not an area that sees the same level of parking overflow as some of those other trailheads with larger parking lots.

      Levels of use are probably even more so a consideration for the herd path up first the North and then the South Fork of the Boquet (as you note this is by far the least used approach into the Dix Range), but I'll elaborate more on this below.

      Round Pond has three designated tent sites- and they aren't all particularly easy to locate (although with some new signage in the past year it's gotten a bit easier).

      The first site is before you get to Round Pond, not far beyond the crest of the ridge that you climb up and over from Route 73, and just before you begin the short but steep descent down to the pond itself. The trail to the site is to the right (if you are traveling SOBO in from the trailhead). It's a pretty small site but otherwise not horrendous. For years it was real easy to miss this site as there were no markers for it on the main trail (in fact I had no idea it existed myself until recently, despite a number of visits into the area), but during my most recent visit there (this past summer) I saw that someone from the DEC had put up arrow markers for it where the side trail to the tent site departs the main hiking trail.

      The other two sites are on opposite sides from each other on the outlet of Round Pond, around on the south end of the pond. When you first arrive at the pond (traveling SOBO and in from the trailhead), the main trail makes a sharp turn to the right- but the side trail to the tent sites departs to the left (there was an arrow here as of this past summer). Follow this side trail around the pond, passing through several closed campsites as you go. You'll reach the second site just before crossing the outlet- this is a decently large, flat, and well-used site.

      The third site is across the outlet from the second site. This is also an easy one to miss- for years it too was missing any sort of signage but during my most recent visit I saw that again, someone from the DEC had put up an arrow for it in the second site on the east side of the outlet (the third site is unfortunately one of those pesky sites that the only easy way to access it is by walking straight through another designated tent site). The outlet is often dry and easily crossed (I think most of the water from the pond drains underground) but it clearly can be running (perhaps even dangerously so) at times. This third site is also large and quite nice- I'd say the nicest site at Round Pond out of the three- but it is also clearly popular and somewhat decently well used.

      During a summer 2015 overnight trip that included a stay at the Boquet River, I counted three designated tent sites up the hill behind the lean-to. More recently, the lean-to was relocated as part of the ongoing process of moving all lean-tos in the ADKs away from water sources- and naturally the site selected for it was right smack in the middle of one of those designated tent sites. During my most recent visit to the lean-to in the summer of 2018, I could only find a single "camp here" disc near the lean-to- I think the one of the 2 sites that wasn't obliterated in the lean-to relocation was simply missing it's "camp here" disc but I'm not 100% sure on this.

      Regarding the herd path up the North and then South Forks of the Boquet: Of the three main approaches into the Dix Range, this one is by far the least popular. That's not to say that it doesn't get some moderate use- but the use levels are low enough that I would question how often it gets broken out in winter. The lower portions of this herd path are also pretty braided and "choose your own adventure-y," with multiple different paths to follow and a number of unmarked junctions that can have you running around in circles if you're not already familiar with the area (this happened to my group during our first visit to the area, on our way out in the dark at the conclusion of our hike).

      The bridge on Route 73 over the North Fork of the Boquet seems to get enough parked cars in the summer that there is an appearance that this is a popular route into the Dixes- but the reality is that the majority of these cars are day users swimming in the Boquet, with some folks also camped close to the road (there's 2 or 3 designated tent sites that are a short enough walk in that they are readily usable by the car camping crowd, with or without any interest in climbing peaks). So again, I would question just how likely it is that this herd path will be broken out in it's entirety, even if it has been several weeks since the last major accumulation of fresh snow. The herd path also gets a bit less obvious beyond the final designated tent site- and the closer you get to the Grace/South Dix col the more and more obscure the herd path becomes (in fact, there's been no shortage of well-intentioned yet clueless hikers who've spent no small amount of time brushing in the upper reaches of this herd path because they view it as a false trail after they unintentionally got sucked down into it while trying to traverse between South Dix and Grace).

      One of the biggest advantages of this route, of course, is that there's a decent selection of tent sites at varying distances from the trailhead- so you could hike as far or as short as you wanted with your overnight gear before setting up. The more recent versions of the ADK High Peaks Map do accurately show the locations of these tent sites (and all sites had arrow markers during my most recent visit, or were at least perfectly obvious from the main herd path).

      I'm fairly certain that this herd path- and the one further downstream on the Boquet that sticks entirely to the South Fork- weren't constructed for hiking originally but were rather built by the DEC to facilitate fish stocking in the upper reaches of both forks of the Boquet. This would explain the South Fork herd path- a well established and seemingly even somewhat officially maintained trail that ends abruptly in the middle of nowhere (at a shockingly-large and well-used designated tent site, no less, given the remoteness of the terminus of this path). Similarly, the combined North-South Fork Herd Path is also somewhat well maintained, up until the final designated tent site, when it very suddenly and very abruptly shifts into a much fainter and less obvious path for the remainder of the ascent.

      I would suggest you at least consider the southern approach to the Dixes, via Elk Lake. You do have the extra two miles due to the closure of the road, but honestly if you have even a little bit of experience and a good base of snow, you could probably ski all the way into the Slide Brook Lean-to with little difficulty- it's 2 miles on the main Elk Lake Road at first, and just over 2 miles mostly on an old logging road all the way to Slide Brook (Cadillac Drive). The Slide Brook Lean-to has 5 designated tent sites in the vicinity (3 before you pass the lean-to, 2 beyond it). The Lillian Brook Lean-to has 3 designated tent sites in the vicinity (all 3 are a little bit beyond the turn off trail to the lean-to), although to ski as far as Lillian Brook would demand more experience.

      The Beckhorn Trail gets broken out pretty regularly by winter hikers doing the full Dix Range, so you'd more or less have a guaranteed broken route (or worst case scenario, on a Saturday you'd most likely have the company of other hikers to help break trail). The Beckhorn itself can be slightly technical in winter but usually isn't too bad if you go slowly and carefully.

      With regards to doing other peaks in the range... doing even one single additional peak apart from Dix may commit you to doing the full main range (Dix, Hough, South Dix, Macomb, minus Grace) depending on the status of the Lillian Brook Herd Path. The Macomb Slide will almost certainly be broken out (or again, worst case scenario, you wouldn't be the only one going up or down it on a Saturday) but Lilian Brook is more variable. Most consider it to be a bail-out option only, and it gets less use accordingly. It may or may not be broken out (and even if it is broken out, only one leg of it may be broken out since it splits partway up- and you may not have any means of knowing in advance which leg is broken out).

      ------------------------------------------

      With all of that being said... I still think that overall there is reason to at least consider one of the more classical High Peaks hikes for a first-time winter ascent, with a campsite at Marcy Dam, Lake Colden, or Johns Brook being the three main overnight possibilities. You'd have no shortage of companions (even with a Friday entry into the backcountry) to help ensure a broken out trail to both camp and to just about any summit, plenty of campsites to choose from, and yet use levels would be unlikely to be so high that everything would be filled to the brim with overnight users (unless you're going on a holiday weekend).

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      • #18
        Thanks again for all the beta, that's enough to base a few trips off of!

        Dix is definitely in the mix. Coming in from Elk Lake is feasible, but if the weather turns or it turns or the trail is too hard and I don't hit the summit it'd be a bit of a bust. The reason I was looking at Round Pond is that it looks like a gorgeous place to camp, and Noonmark or Round are easy targets if the going is tough or the weather hit or miss. With Dix I have to summit on Saturday. With the lesser peaks I can hit them Fri, Sat, or Sun.

        One of the reasons I love winter camping is the lack of people. As much as I get why people are pushing the more popular High Peaks, I'd be bummed to be in a crowd.

        I get the impression that a lot of people here are on summit missions - getting their winter 46 or what have you. I'm really just trying to spend some time in gorgeous frozen solitude and catch some nice views if possible.

        Originally posted by DSettahr View Post
        I'm fairly certain that this herd path- and the one further downstream on the Boquet that sticks entirely to the South Fork- weren't constructed for hiking originally but were rather built by the DEC to facilitate fish stocking in the upper reaches of both forks of the Boquet. This would explain the South Fork herd path- a well established and seemingly even somewhat officially maintained trail that ends abruptly in the middle of nowhere (at a shockingly-large and well-used designated tent site, no less, given the remoteness of the terminus of this path).
        I had the same thought! I hiked in and camped at that spot about 6 or 7 years ago. Then bushwhacked up to Elizabethtown, Spotted, and on to Grace. It was a nice trail but the terminus was sort of confusing. I didn't realize it was for stocking, but thought there had to be some sort of logistical purpose. We had just come from 5 days on Lows Lake and we picked up a pizza in Saranac Lake. It was cold by the time we got to camp but we stuck the slices on sticks and heated them up marshmallow style. Since we'd been eating camp food for 5 days, it was of course delicious. But definitely one of the weirder meals I've eaten at a campsite.

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        • #19
          A strong hiker turned back on the Santa Express today due to thigh-deep snow. It had been broken out last weekend. That trail gets pounded by the east-moving snow from across that ridge much more than does the Panther Brook Trail. Panther up and Santa Direct down might be a better option.
          The best, the most successful adventurer, is the one having the most fun.

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          • #20
            Originally posted by arvinsmee View Post
            I get the impression that a lot of people here are on summit missions - getting their winter 46 or what have you. I'm really just trying to spend some time in gorgeous frozen solitude and catch some nice views if possible.
            Yeah, I think if you're out primarily for the experience- and less for a definitive High Peak summit- then the exact destination of choice (and how likely the trails are to be broken out) is perhaps less of a consideration. If you were forced to bail on Dix, with an early start and even when solo I would think that a decently strong hiker ought to be able to summit a peak like Noonmark from Round Pond (even if it takes all day) in all but the deepest possible snowpacks.

            (And FWIW if the Dix trail from the north isn't otherwise broken out and you get an early start up Noonmark instead... you might be able to trick a few other hikers who also had their sights set on Dix to follow you up Noonmark instead once they hit the junction and find snowshoe tracks only headed towards Noonmark. This happened to a friend and I- completely unintentionally- when we snowshoed up Noonmark from Round Pond one winter. We never intended to climb Dix- Noonmark was always our peak of choice- but a few other hikers who started behind us had themselves originally intended to climb Dix. Once they got to the junction and found an unbroken trail towards Dix and a broken trail towards Noonmark instead, they changed their minds for the day and decided to climb Noonmark. The joke was on them, though- as they caught up to us perhaps a mere quarter of a mile above the junction, laboring away in the deep snow, and were forced to take their turns in trailbreaking nonetheless. )

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            • #21
              The pleasure of being out in the woods, far from the madding crowd, can be tempered by hours of frustratingly difficult and exhausting uphill swimming in deep and structureless powder snow. Without having any interest in notching up another 4k peak you might find, as you are bent over for the nth time, elbows on knees and chest heaving, that your will to continue is quickly eroding and you may begin to wonder what the point is.
              Something completely different, remote and challenging, and probably right up your alley, would be to put together a loop that goes over a couple of passes.
              Examples:

              1-Loj-Indian Pass-Henderson Lake-Calamity Brook Trail-Lake Colden-Avalanche Pass.

              2-Averyville Parking Area-Northville Placid Trail-Preston Ponds-Indian Pass-Loj. (there are probably shuttle options for getting between start and end points).

              I've done several such loops in single 12-hour, non-winter day hikes so I would think with 1-2 nights you can do it. There are plenty of Lean-to's along the way. Aside from Loj-Indian Pass I doubt the trails will have seen any use at all this winter. The trails all have color-coded reflective plastic markers but they can be covered by snow. I would consider carrying a reliable device with the trails, from a reliable source, loaded into it. Just in case.

              Another loop that will put hair on your chin is a circumnavigation of the Seward Range. I did it in spring in one and a half days, including a stretch of crotch-deep post-holing that lasted for about 2 hours. Once again, plenty of Lean-to's along the way. Some very remote feeling country.
              The best, the most successful adventurer, is the one having the most fun.

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              • #22
                you are bent over for the nth time, elbows on knees and chest heaving
                My hiking companion says this is the reason I did not fully appreciate the view from Panther. :<) Summer day, 85F, third peak, sun two fingers above the horizon. THAT explains it...

                arvinsmee - I was meeting a group to hike a smaller peak two winters ago. The plan was to meet at 9am. I live a bit away, so I went out the night before and hiked a few hours in under the stars, pitched the hammock, and hung out. Beautiful (I did file a hike plan so people knew what trail I was off of). I like your idea of a bit of skiing, a bit of snowshoeing, a bit of climbing...
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                Eyes on the Forest, not on the Trees

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                • #23
                  I second camping at Round Pond. The site near the Pond's outlet now has a full outhouse (since 2017) compliments of my son's Keene High School Senior Project! A short bushwack from the middle/end of Twin Pond (up to the left) reaches a nice open bump with views and passes through an area containing the most 1903 burnt relic stumps I've ever seen in one area...Other nice, short bushwacks from that site...

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by Festus View Post
                    I second camping at Round Pond. The site near the Pond's outlet now has a full outhouse (since 2017) compliments of my son's Keene High School Senior Project! A short bushwack from the middle/end of Twin Pond (up to the left) reaches a nice open bump with views and passes through an area containing the most 1903 burnt relic stumps I've ever seen in one area...Other nice, short bushwacks from that site...
                    Are you referring to the exposed rise to the east of Twin Pond, at (44.1210, -73.7285)? I added a gps tag for that, as well as the rise north of Round Pond at (44.1271, -73.7336). Both look like they'd be fun little jaunts and afford a nice view. There's also a higher slab at (44.1281, -73.7375) but it looks a little steep.

                    As the years accumulate, I've started to value flexibility in trip planning more and more. I used to mostly plan trips around a single main goal, now I often try to include as many highlights and variations as possible. This goes double for situations where conditions and weather can change radically, or I'm unfamiliar with the area and my abilities. It helps guard against the possibility of the trip being a bust, or the risk of being so laser focused on a single goal that safety and reason fall to the wayside.

                    For example, if I decided to do Dix from Elk Lake, I'd have a nice hike in, and probably a decent campsite, but if I failed to summit - or if the summit was obscured on the day I climbed, the trip would be sort of a bust. It's all or nothing. If I do Round Pond and Noonmark, I get to camp on a gorgeous pond, do some short bushwhacks to vistas, and hike a mountain with a great view. The best case scenario isn't as awesome as it is on Dix, but it's still a great trip even if I need to deviate from Plan A, or if the weather isn't cooperating on Saturday. It's the "diversify your bonds" approach to trip planning.

                    Neil - those pass loops are a great idea. I (like many others probably) tend to focus on the summits. I know there are tons of great views from Colden and Avalanche though, and I imagine Henderson as well as other spots along that loop.

                    tenderfoot - I do that all the time! I call myself "the advance party". It's also nice to get a little solo time before socializing. Helps you appreciate the both the quiet and the company

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                    • #25
                      I did the Indian Pass-Avalanche Pass loop with 2 friends over 5 days/4 nights in winter back in 2013. We started and ended at Upper Works, and spent one night each at the Wallface Lean-to, the Scott Clearing Lean-to, the Hudowalski Lean-to at Marcy Dam, and the Livingston Point Lean-to at Flowed Lands. We could've done this trip faster but we were also focusing on enjoying ourselves (and the views).

                      I will say though, that while most of this loop was broken out the Indian Pass section itself was not- and holy good god was it absolutely brutal in the winter with full overnight packs. The Wallface cliffs do get some traffic even in winter from climbers, but I think most them veer off the trail before the main climb into Indian Pass begins so there's never any real guarantee of a broken out trail through the pass itself. Not only did we have the normal steep ascent of the climb into the pass to deal with, but also incredibly deep snow- it was clear that no one had been through in days if not weeks. Also, some of the ladders were completely encased in flow ice, and we were forced to carefully scramble up on the ice/snow using the cleats from our snowshoes.

                      That was a short day distance wise- from the Wallface Lean-to to the Scott Clearing Lean-to- but it really did take us the full day to travel those few miles, we weren't just taking it easy that day like we were the rest of the trip. Every other stretch of the loop was a cakewalk in comparison.















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                      • #26
                        Great post. I, ahem, may have failed to mention that the final creek bed section ascending to IP from the Loj side is a bit (cough, cough) rough. The good news though is that it only entails about four hundred feet of elly gain.
                        The best, the most successful adventurer, is the one having the most fun.

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                        • #27
                          Follow up:

                          After seeing the weather report showing sustained winds of 10-20, gusts up to 30, and lows around zero, I decided to bail on the Noonmark plan. Considering that it was my first winter solo, I wanted to bivy, snow was 2-3’, and trails likely unbroken, it seemed like it would be difficult at best, and I’d probably have to limit my activities to stay safe. Instead I went to the Catskills.

                          I hiked up the Wittenberg trail from Woodland Campground, which was nice and broken, then took the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail, which was unbroken. That bit was pretty tough (I am definitely out of shape). I camped a bit off trail on a ridge about a mile from the junction. The snow was 3.5’ deep and I had to dig a giant hole to set up my bivy, which I was then stuck in because I didn’t want to put my snowshoes back on. But it was nice enough. Slept cozy in my zero degree bag and saw a low of 18 with light winds.

                          The next day I hiked back out the way I came, then down to the Terrace Mountain shelter, I had to break trail again most of the way. But the shelter was a nice change (don’t have to live in a snow hole!) and I was able to build a decent fire. It was windy that night, 10-20 mph, with lows around 5, but I was decently sheltered from the prevailing winds. I got a little chilly but was ok.

                          Hike out the next day the hike out was a breeze and super nice. Kinda bummed I didn’t hit any summits (it was snowing and totally cloudy the only full day I was out there) but oh well. I learned a lot:

                          - 5 degrees is probably my limit for enjoying bivy camping
                          - Bivy camping in deep snow sucks
                          - Shelters are nice in the winter!

                          I’m still really into this Noonmark plan, I might try next year with a buddy and a tent. Thanks again to everyone in the thread for all the helpful info!

                          Edit: I just checked the weather history for Keene, looks like Saturday saw a low of 16 and winds 5-15. Sunday's low was 5 with winds 5-15. Probably could have stuck with the plan, even though Sunday night would have been rough! Oh well, I know I made the right call based on the info I had at the time.

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                          • #28
                            How was the bivy with condensation? I've noticed that can be an issue- not too bad on shorter trips but for longer trips moisture buildup can be a real issue. When using a bivy I will often also use a vapor barrier liner inside the bag to prevent this.

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                            • #29
                              A little delayed on the reply, but better late than never, right?

                              I had no problems with the bivy, but the material is very thin and breathes well (it's a Borah, if you've seen them before). I have to assume that without a VBL I would have run into trouble if I had had spent a few more nights out there.

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