drweo
New member
Four of us got on the trail a few minutes after 7 am under overcast skies. Temps were pretty cool and one of us wore gloves and a hat. Temps varied during the day with elevation and wind but it was mostly cool ( 60 or less) all day. Happily, it didnt rain while we were hiking and the ceiling was high enough to get good views, though without the benefit of sunshine/shadows. The Leach trail is in good condition and still steep. It was interesting and heartening that there is so much dense growth of saplings in the formerly burned over area. The viewpoint from the "shoulder" of Noonmark is a good one. Bear Den ascent was also steeper than I remembered, but we made good time and continued over to Dial, where there was good viewing. All trails clear and the mud from last week was mostly gone. From the junction to the summit of Nippletop there were the usual mud patches but all were passsable. GOt to the summit by noon. It was windy and cold (sweat contributed to that!) on the outcropping. Needed wind breakers and maybe another layer. Great views of Colvin/Blake, the Range, Allen, Marcy and back over to WHiteface and south to Dix, Hough, Macomb, S DIx (I think E Dix is hidden by Hough?). Until then, we had seen three other hikers, but when we returned to the junction, an Adk group of 15 came up same route and a couple came up the trail from Elk Pass.On our way down via the pass, we saw several other small groups heading up. THere was one very recently downed tree nearly blocking the trail at one spot but it is passable. Trail back to the road is fine, and we took Gill Brook Trail all the way down for the magical falls flumes & chutes. And we generated a deep question: What's the difference between a flume and a chute?? Out to parking in 8:45.
