daxs
Active member
It started out with 3 hikers needing the Dix range and turned into an all day hike. Nancy, Carol and Lyle all needed the parts or the entire Dix range for their 46. Ed, Arm and Donna decided to join in the hike. We all met at the Sharp Bridge campground Friday night 9/3. A fire, a few beers and plans were laid. We would get up at 5, leave by 5:30 and hopefull be on the trail by 6. Expectations were high at the Elk Lake trail head and we were on our way before 6:30. In no time at all, we were at the Slide Brook lean to. After a few wrong turns, we were on the herd path to Macomb. We broke out onto the base of the slide with good views of Elk Lake behind us and started climbing. Lyle commented that it was a slide where you didin't feel like you were going to fall to your death. After some steady climbing we were on the top. The views would be our last for some time. The herd path to S Dix was easy to follow. As we broke out of the trees onto the rock face, the fog and clouds moved in. In a few minutes we were on top. No views. Note that the open rock face is not the top. The marker is high up in a tree behind you. Onward we pressed to East Dix. The herd path is easy to follow. Nancy was leading the way. Once again, you break out of the trees onto a rock face and within moments you are on top. Nancy was the first to summit. Soon champagne, pictures and celebration as Nancy reaches not only her ADk 46 but her NE 115! We relax on the summit savoring accomplishments. We have Nancy name all 46 high peaks in honor of becoming a 46er. Once again, views elude us because of fog and clouds. We begin to hike back to S Dix. There is only one spot where we question the trail. Soon we are on South and after a quick check of a compass bearing we head out to Hough. We puff are way over Pough and soon we are at the bottom of the col and we start the huffing up Hough. The trail begins to feel steep as our legs tire. As we break out of the trees, the sun begins to burn thru and we get our first views since Macomb. I am leading the way and soon I am on the top of Hough. Hooray! After many years of hiking, I am finally a 46er. More champagne (and people ask we do you hike), more pictures and more celebrations. We have views of the Dix range and Elk Lake and the blow out rip in the back of Lyle's shorts. Only the summit of Dix remains in the clouds. We press onward. Lyle needs Dix for her 46 count. Arm is the last to go but not after napping in the sun on the summit. Maybe too much champagne? As we hike up the beckhorn, legs are getting tired. We reach the intersection of the yellow trail and there is Dix. Finally out of the clouds and soo close. As we summit we all give congrats to Mrs. Alpine Summit who we know has reached her 46 here earlier today. We enjoy the views. The range is peaking out of the clouds. We assess the day. Nancy a 46er and 115er, Carol a 46er, Lyle tantalyzing close at 44, Ed working on his third time around, Arm officially an aspiriing 46er and Donna, hopefully now hooked on the ADK's. We start down the yellow trail - there are rock scrambles, eroded muddy trail and slow going. The others stop to rest but I continue on as I am the "snail" in this group. I finally reach the end of the Yellow trail - only 3.8 miles to Elk Lake road. It was the longest 3.8 miles I have hiked. I get to Lillian brook and wait for the others. We are all tired, hungry and hear the trail head beckoning. We do not make it out in daylight. Soon dusk turns to night and we are hiking with our head lamps. We plough thru the mud and water not caring to find our way around. As long as the mud/water does not come over the top of our boots we're OK. Donna has a nasty spill but thankfully has no serious injury. Lyle is on the trail ahead of us dealing iwth her own demons - will I run into a bear on the trail? She also had her "man in the flannel shirt" on the trail which turns out to be the trees playing games with her. We catch up. Ed puts it into overdrive and soon we cannot see his light any more. Finally, my head lamp is reflecting off of something - cars in the lot. YES YES YES! After a long day of hiking we are done. A quick clean up and we are in the cars driving (very fast) to the Ausable Inn to celebrate. We arrive at 9:59. The cook is in the door to the kitchen, we look expectantly. He agrees to stay and cook for us. Cheers go up! Beers are drunk! Real food after a day of granola bars and Cliff shots! It was a long tiring day - over 14 hours on the trail, 5 peaks, 2 46ers. a NE 115er. We decide that we are compulsive masochists and there was no other way we would have liked to spend the day. Its after 11:30 by the time we get back to the campground and gratefully collapse in our sleeping bags.
Congrats in advance to Lyle for next weekend.
