MattC
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- Sep 2, 2004
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Another long day in the Dacks yesterday w/ still more great weather. I repeated my routine from July 4th weekend by playing in Clifton Park until about midnight Saturday, driving north a bit and sleeping in the car for a few hours at a rest area. Sunday AM I changed in a bathroom and drove the rest of the way to St. Huberts. I was walking the road through the Ausable Club grounds by 7:15 or so. There was a fawn just standing by the ranger station as I signed in and talked to the ranger, completely unfazed by the two humans 10 feet away from her.
Despite the lack of a solid night's sleep I was feeling pretty good. My plan was to hit Dial and Nippletop, then down to Elk Pass where I would decide whether to go on or back. I found the H.G. Leach Trail pretty easy going, with just a few small eroded areas. It was uneventful until the point where the trail turns sharp left and views of the Great Range open up. A doe was standing on the trail here and took off as I approached. The next great views came up on the open shoulder of Noonmark. I could see just making this spot a destination for a short hike!
No bears on Bear Den and not much else to speak of. More nice views from the big boulder on Dial. Some nice peeks at the slides on Dix on the way to Nippletop. As I was in final approach, I heard gleeful shouts from the summit and figured someone just finished their 46 or something. It was two 20ish guys and it turned out they had just had their first pine marten sighting. They had started at 3:00 AM and were headed back the way I had come after doing Colvin, Blake and also Sawteeth! After lunch on Nippletop I headed down the trail to Elk Pass. It was the first rough stuff after being lulled by the Leach Trail all morning. More nice views of the Range while descending added to the fun.
The walk around the Elk Pass ponds was pleasant, if a little sun-baked. Nice designated campsite here. On the McMartin map it looks as if the headwaters of Gill Brook cross the trail near the Colvin junction, but I saw no water anywhere, although I could hear some nearby. At the Colvin junction I decided to push on. This climb was a steep little sucker w/ a good deal of scrambly stuff. Up I top I decided that it was perhaps my favorite ADK view of the ones I've so far visited, but I didn't stay long since I'd be back again after Blake. And so, Blake. More steep down and up, with an encounter w/ about a dozen kids and a couple young adults. Scouts or some such I assume. I ran into them at a large slab on Colvin that has a crack up it that is just barely walkable.
I was baby-steeping by the time I was climbing Blake, and I rested and had an apple at the summit. The only thing there was a hand-made sign and a little bird that hung out with me awhile. A few through-the-trees views from the trail close to the summit, and a nice open vista of Colvin, although the summit itself is wooded. I headed back, now nursing my last liter of water. Upon returning to Colvin, I took off my boots, snacked, and wallowed in the view, if only for 20 minutes or so. I stopped at the lower lookout first for a few minutes and then spent more time at the summit. Between the two, I think it's one of the best ADK views I've yet seen. Both Ausable Lakes, an intimate view of the Range, Fish Hawk Cliffs, the lower slopes of Sawteeth, the slide on Nippletop (I still can't believe people climb that thing!), even Giant. I can see why a guy would want to survey from here.
I tore myself away from that magnificent spot and tumbled on down. After hitting the junction, I still had about 5 miles to go and my water was running really low. I soon could hear Gill Brook, but it seemed to take forever before it seemed close enough to 'whack on down to it. Finally I passed a campsite and across from this was a little path down. I headed down, hopped over the brook, went upstream a little further and filtered a couple liters. I also had a quick "dinner" before getting back on the trail. Mmm, vegetarian jerky...
Refreshed, the going was a bit easier and soon I could see as well as hear the brook. I used my last couple pictures on some nice little cascades, which of course meant I had none left for the "real" waterfall.
Somewhere along in there I saw a critter coming up from the brook. I'm abour 95% sure it was a fischer-it was about 3', and was real dark grey or brown, almost black. Maybe it was black. Anyway...
Not far from the junction w/ the road, I was passed by a jogging mom and daughters who were returning from Indian Head. They seemed so energized next to worn-out me. The slog the rest of the way back was uneventful. Weird walking through the AC grounds after a long day and seeing people in golf carts. Reminded me off the Mohonk Mountain House lands in the Shawangunks. I was at the car around 8:15 for almost exactly 13 hours.
For anyone else thinking of doing all four of these in a day, I'd recommend hitting Colvin/Blake first, the reverse of what I did. Although Colvin and Blake are shorter, the trails are rougher as is the trail between Nippletop and Elk Pass. The reverse loop would have you on these trails earlier in the day, plus you could water up at Gill Brook. Anyway, live and learn, I had a great day regardless.
Matt
Despite the lack of a solid night's sleep I was feeling pretty good. My plan was to hit Dial and Nippletop, then down to Elk Pass where I would decide whether to go on or back. I found the H.G. Leach Trail pretty easy going, with just a few small eroded areas. It was uneventful until the point where the trail turns sharp left and views of the Great Range open up. A doe was standing on the trail here and took off as I approached. The next great views came up on the open shoulder of Noonmark. I could see just making this spot a destination for a short hike!
No bears on Bear Den and not much else to speak of. More nice views from the big boulder on Dial. Some nice peeks at the slides on Dix on the way to Nippletop. As I was in final approach, I heard gleeful shouts from the summit and figured someone just finished their 46 or something. It was two 20ish guys and it turned out they had just had their first pine marten sighting. They had started at 3:00 AM and were headed back the way I had come after doing Colvin, Blake and also Sawteeth! After lunch on Nippletop I headed down the trail to Elk Pass. It was the first rough stuff after being lulled by the Leach Trail all morning. More nice views of the Range while descending added to the fun.
The walk around the Elk Pass ponds was pleasant, if a little sun-baked. Nice designated campsite here. On the McMartin map it looks as if the headwaters of Gill Brook cross the trail near the Colvin junction, but I saw no water anywhere, although I could hear some nearby. At the Colvin junction I decided to push on. This climb was a steep little sucker w/ a good deal of scrambly stuff. Up I top I decided that it was perhaps my favorite ADK view of the ones I've so far visited, but I didn't stay long since I'd be back again after Blake. And so, Blake. More steep down and up, with an encounter w/ about a dozen kids and a couple young adults. Scouts or some such I assume. I ran into them at a large slab on Colvin that has a crack up it that is just barely walkable.
I was baby-steeping by the time I was climbing Blake, and I rested and had an apple at the summit. The only thing there was a hand-made sign and a little bird that hung out with me awhile. A few through-the-trees views from the trail close to the summit, and a nice open vista of Colvin, although the summit itself is wooded. I headed back, now nursing my last liter of water. Upon returning to Colvin, I took off my boots, snacked, and wallowed in the view, if only for 20 minutes or so. I stopped at the lower lookout first for a few minutes and then spent more time at the summit. Between the two, I think it's one of the best ADK views I've yet seen. Both Ausable Lakes, an intimate view of the Range, Fish Hawk Cliffs, the lower slopes of Sawteeth, the slide on Nippletop (I still can't believe people climb that thing!), even Giant. I can see why a guy would want to survey from here.
I tore myself away from that magnificent spot and tumbled on down. After hitting the junction, I still had about 5 miles to go and my water was running really low. I soon could hear Gill Brook, but it seemed to take forever before it seemed close enough to 'whack on down to it. Finally I passed a campsite and across from this was a little path down. I headed down, hopped over the brook, went upstream a little further and filtered a couple liters. I also had a quick "dinner" before getting back on the trail. Mmm, vegetarian jerky...
Refreshed, the going was a bit easier and soon I could see as well as hear the brook. I used my last couple pictures on some nice little cascades, which of course meant I had none left for the "real" waterfall.
Somewhere along in there I saw a critter coming up from the brook. I'm abour 95% sure it was a fischer-it was about 3', and was real dark grey or brown, almost black. Maybe it was black. Anyway...
Not far from the junction w/ the road, I was passed by a jogging mom and daughters who were returning from Indian Head. They seemed so energized next to worn-out me. The slog the rest of the way back was uneventful. Weird walking through the AC grounds after a long day and seeing people in golf carts. Reminded me off the Mohonk Mountain House lands in the Shawangunks. I was at the car around 8:15 for almost exactly 13 hours.
For anyone else thinking of doing all four of these in a day, I'd recommend hitting Colvin/Blake first, the reverse of what I did. Although Colvin and Blake are shorter, the trails are rougher as is the trail between Nippletop and Elk Pass. The reverse loop would have you on these trails earlier in the day, plus you could water up at Gill Brook. Anyway, live and learn, I had a great day regardless.
Matt
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