Boquet River/Grace-Carson Col 12-01

[Neil]

It was very quiet in the woods yesterday. Very, very quiet. The sky was leaden, the animals were all gone, there was no wind and I was the only living soul around.

Twice I’ve been up the Boquet to the Great Slide and on both occasions I wound up doing some unplanned bushwhacking. This time, I was going to figure it out once and for all and do a little recon for an upcoming winter hike. Nothing like mixing business with pleasure so I thought I’d traverse from Grace to Spotted Mtn. and Elizabethtown #4.

As I approached the little pullout on the 73 just north of where the 9 intersects I couldn’t help but notice that the water was deep and flowing swiftly in the rivers. The herd trail that leads to the Dix Cirque crosses the North Fork of the Boquet twice. The first crossing is situated within 10 minutes of walking from the highway. From the looks of things it would be difficult to ford it with dry feet and sure enough there was too much water. No problem, I would follow the other herd trail that remains on the south (left) bank until it petered out then bushwhack until the main herd path re-crosses the Boquet. This turned out to be a good thing because it was so darn pleasant in the open hardwood forest alongside the stream. However, I had a lot of ground to cover and when it became obvious that I had crossed over the herd path without seeing it I cut 90 deg. up the river bank keeping my eyes peeled. With all the leaves and the open forest it was easy to miss. Back on the trail I went into high gear making good time until the trail runs right down in the stream bed. This is one heck of a beautiful hike but the going is slow and I was constantly losing the trail due to fresh blowdown and leaf litter. I arrived at the slide’s base at 11:00, a little later than I would have liked but the bushwhacking and trail hunting (especially where the trail crosses over to the South Fork!) sucked up time.

The slide was amazing. The top of the mountain was covered in white and I couldn’t help wonder how much of it was ice and how much was snow. I’ve been up the slide twice and down it once on beautiful summer days when it was dry. Today it looked very intimidating. There was lots of water running down it and at the edge of the water flows there was a very thin layer of slick ice. Sometimes the water was flowing under the ice. There were fingers of dry rock intertwined with the water and ice. The ice was very thin and difficult to see. My glasses were fogged up. As I crossed the slide’s base I stepped on what I thought was dry rock and got a quick applied physics lesson. I was wondering what it would be like to ascend one of the dry rock fingers only to find myself trapped by ice on both sides and above me. I decided I didn’t need any more physics lessons and headed into the bush to the right. Anyway, I was supposed to be reconnoitring a potential snowshoe route up to the Grace-Carson col, not researching a book. Pete Hickey had told me, “go a tenth of a mile from the slide, it’s wide open”. I only went half that and it wasn’t bad so I climbed steadily, obeying the law of up.

Allthough I had feeling the effects of a lingering chest cold all morning long, now I really felt it. Burning in the chest, coughing, light headed etc. etc. I slowed to a crawl and started having second thoughts about the traverse. If all went smoothly I wouldn’t be on top of East Dix until about 12:30 at the rate I was going. I was not just a little worried about the too-thin-for-crampons ice followed by crossing the South Fork at the base of Etown # 4 where it was running swift and deep topped off with a headlamp bushwhack back to the car. There was a lot of spruce crowns and other assorted fresh blowdown and this got thicker as I went higher so I kept heading right. Finally I saw sky through the trees and the pitch eased off. I crossed the herd trail without seeing it even though my eyes were glued to the ground. Rather than turn around and go back I figured I better make sure and spent 30 energy sapping minutes thrashing through a very thick spruce salad bar. When I finally wised up and headed back I saw the trail (barely) and followed it just long enough to slip on some ice. Heading back down to the Boquet I stayed further from the slide and found bushwhacker’s Nirvana. Nothing but big birches well spaced and a mild downward slope. I was maybe 100 yards from my ascent route but it may as well have been a thousand miles. The route out was long and I was feeling pretty shot but it was so very special to be in the leafless, lifeless forest with the river nearby. You want to absorb the whole thing into the fabric of your being as you move through it. I had uninterrupted views of Spotted Mtn. and noticed lots of ice (funny how I hadn’t seen it earlier in the day) I took a good look at Lilypad pond and in order to avoid a big bend in the river climbed a 50 foot hill, turned around and got a long last look at beautiful Spotted and Etown mtns. I saw (and wayointed) where the herd path re-crosses the Boquet and the exact spot where I had crossed the trail unknowingly. It was hidden by blowdown and leaves.

At 3:15 the light was fading fast and I was glad to pick up the herd trail for the final 500 meters back to the car which was a welcome site.

So, now I have a bit of the Boquet figured out. Next non-winter trip will be up to Hough and around to Spotted.

 

[Neil]

Pictures are here.

 

[grasshopper]

bushpush paradice

neil sounds like great fun. give me a shout this winter if want to go back.I've been exploring this area for about ten years.etown to e.dix is best kept secret in daxs.a small version of long rout to rocky peak ridge.the whole valley up to wyman and the south cliffs all along to s.dix are amazing.all along n fork of bouquet there are water falls, cliffs with amazing ice (icicle ally),a small bare summit that has an increadible view of the dix range and is covered in reindeer moss hence my calling it reindeer moss mt.This is my home away from home.

 

[Neil]

Do you mean bushwhack up West Mill Brook to S. Dix? Or traverse from Wyman to S. Dix (that seems tough). Where do you mean on the N. Fork of the Boquet?

My next trip up the Boquet will be as an entry to a full traverse attempt this winter. (that was the point of this trip - to check it out). After that, hoping to do the Beckhorn slide and if not on that same trip do the East Dix-Spotted-Etown on another one.


Another cool little peak if you havn't done it is Ausable #4.

 

[grasshopper]

no not west mill brook.I'm talking about following south fork to a large grove of hemlocks where a trib of s.fork continues west. this is jump off point for bushwack up to first open rock of e.town.if you continue straight ahead on south side of trib you can eventully cross over to lindsey brook and then continue up the ridge to open rock on wyman or into the coll between E.dix and wyman.from this point you can drop into valley or traverse along cliffs on south side of E.dix and S. dix all is good open woods except for coll.

N. fork I'm talking about the section between second crossing (after traversing along huge old beaver pond)and the hight of land on trail to Dix from rt.73 and round pond.you stay on east side the whole way.you first come to very nice water fall with a camp high up on a small hill above the water fall.you then come to a flat water section where the river curves off to the west.you will see lots of open black rock on your right this is reindeer mt. I bushwack up always going to left of cliffs then at the top going rt. a short ways to open rock summit with amazing view of whole dix range.if you continue along river from this point you will come to an open area with extensive beaver ponds as the river closes in you come to a 1/2 mile section of over hanging cliffs covered in ice and a series of cascades,very beautifull.you can continue onto rt 73 trail or sramble up north end of cliffs and loop back to N.fork.great bushwacking in winter when all is frozen

beckhorn slide-- do E.town to spotted first and you will see very clearly your route.I know where to start for bushwack for slide from camp between two rivers on the way to E dix slides but too hard to explain you will have to go with me.

 

[grasshopper]

ermine brook slide

did you ever do Ermine brook slide to emmons? if not what about this winter much better in winter.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

exxxx to e.xxx is best kept secret in daxs

WAS the best kept secret.

Now Google knows about it.

 

[bigmoose]

Neil...
2 questions.

1) Does Sylvie read your trip reports??!!
2) Who is Tom Thompson...or should i know?

 

[Neil]

Neil...
2 questions.

1) Does Sylvie read your trip reports??!!

Not if I can help it.

2) Who is Tom Thompson...or should i know?

A famous Canadian landscape painter who inspired the Group Of Seven. Check him and them out.

WAS the best kept secret.

Now Google knows about it.

Except the McMartin Guidebook had it first.

 

[grasshopper]

best kept secret

yea I first read about this area in the mcmartin book published in 87.the faint path into E. dix slides has grown over the years but the faint trail along the south side of south fork is even more faint now and E. town and spotted remain the same and I suspect they will unless some unusual geologic event pushes them above 4,000 ft.I do my yearly run through the dix range every 4th of july and never in 6 years have seen a single person untill up on main herd path and usually not untill dix on north end of range.I'm not too worried about the secret getting out.Most don't want to go into this area.I've told a few good friends who are avid ice climbers about icicle alley and shown them increadible pics but they are too lazy to cary climbing gear that far from the road and would rather wait in line at chaple pond on the same old climbs.

 

[Neil]

did you ever do Ermine brook slide to emmons? if not what about this winter much better in winter.

I never did it. I came pretty close to going. The evening before leaving my partner called me up. He had just badly sprained his ankle. I scouted out the Erminebrook end about 6 weeks ago. I won't have time to do it this winter.