Dix Range

[mtnhiker]

I’m planning a hike to East Dix, South Dix, Macomb and Hough and have read trip reports starting from both Elk Lake and Rt 73. It looks like the route from Elk Lake is shorter, but I’m concerned about availability of parking on a summer weekend. So, I’m leaning toward the Rt 73 approach. It looks like it will be around 17-18 miles, does that sound about right?

Does this order make sense – East Dix – South Dix – Macomb – South Dix – Hough – and then do I have to go back to South Dix/East Dix to get out to Rt 73? I’ve been able to find several gps tracks/waypoints of various pieces of this hike from different sites. Will the herd paths be relatively easy to follow and find?

From what I’ve read there is no water to be found once I get up on these mountains. Is that right? The last water will be at the Bouquet River before the slide?

 

[1ADAM12]

Your right make sure you bring water with you. If you hike in from 73 there are streams you can fill up on before you start hiking up to the ridge. When did this hike we started at Elk Lake and arrived Late on a Friday and had no problem finding a spot. The herd paths are easy to follow except when we got to the campsite between Hough and Pough. There was a maze of paths and we actually had to get out the compass and get a bearing. Otherwise very easy to follow in my opinion. If you can find parking at Elk Lake I would hike in from there.

Good Luck!

Adam

 

[mtnhiker]

1ADAM12 - Thanks for the suggestion of going from Elk Lake, I had read in one of the posts that the route from Rt 73 was more scenic, and that plus the possibility of a parking problem at Elk Lake had me leaning towards Rt 73. I found a gps track with a route off of Hough back to the Bouquet, so I’d only have to do South Dix twice. Now I’m looking at the Elk Lake route too, thanks for the recommendation.

 

[mountainfrank]

How about...

from Elk Lake, Macomb slide to the top then South Dix- East Dix-South Dix- Hough and walk out via Lillian Brook?

Or keep going over to Dix for an all out day of fun in the Dixes? (did just that a few weeks ago)

F

 

[Raymond]

Six years ago, when I first climbed the trailless Dixes, I read here that the best way was to start at Elk Lake and climb Dix first, then drop off onto the herd path toward Hough, and it’s all downhill back to Elk Lake. It’s worked fine twice for me; a third attempt last year was short-circuited by the weather.

The Elk Lake parking lot isn’t particularly small:

And, when my son, Cam, and I were there last August, there were only two or three other vehicles there anyway, as I recall (it was a Monday, not the weekend). The hike will take close to 12 hours, so you won’t want to get there too late. Certainly no later than seven o’clock.

If you try it this way, you’ll be descending Macomb Slide in the late afternoon, with the sun beating down on you, so bring protection for that. A hat is handy for the herd paths, too, as there are some places where you have to put your head down and bull your way through.

The route to East Dix from Route 73 always sounds too confusing to me, although many have done it. I’ve never been able to figure out exactly where it begins, either. Is it at that big parking lot where the guy sometimes has a stand set up, selling flowers or rugs or something? Or where?

 

[Neil]

The route to East Dix from Route 73 always sounds too confusing to me, although many have done it. I’ve never been able to figure out exactly where it begins, either. Is it at that big parking lot where the guy sometimes has a stand set up, selling flowers or rugs or something? Or where?

From Adirondackjourney.com
The trailhead is on Rte 73, a distance of 4.7 miles north from Interstate 87, Exit 30. The trail is unmarked so there is no DEC parking lot nor sign of any kind to mark this trailhead. At the 4.7 mile point, Rt. 73 crosses the North Fork of the Bouquet River. In lieu of metal guard rails, this bridge has a nice looking, waist-high stone wall on both sides of the highway.


Roughly 100 yd. before you cross the bridge as you drive north on Rte 73, there is a very rough dirt turn-out on your left that parallels the highway and rises gradually up a low bank. That's it in the photo just above. It doesn't go far, maybe 150 ft or so, then it disappears into the trees where it immediately dead-ends. There is enough space to park 3-4 cars off the highway on the shoulder here. If the available space is occupied you can drive over the Rte 73 bridge (barely out of the photo) and find better parking just on the other side of the river.

 

[TCD]

Pick up the current ADK Guidebook, which details the path. The map included with the guidebook also shows this path, in the last few editions.

There are several detailed reports in VFTT which you can probably find through searching. You will want the info, because there are a couple river crossing points, a few faded older paths and "high water" paths, and at least a couple of side trails (one to Rhododendron Pond, and another to the Boquet Canyon).

The main path used to be quite lightly traveled and only went part way to East Dix (when I first used it in 1984). It's much more used now; in about 2000, I descended the East Dix slide, and was surprised to find the path solid and dark, right up to the base of the slide.

I've been all over the Dixes from every approach. Even though Elk Lake is simple and efficient, I've always thought the Boquet side was prettier. There are just gorgeous Birch forests, ponds, and little rocky bumps all over that drainage. Elk Lake trail always seemed like a basic trudge to me.

TCD

 

[Neil]

There are several detailed reports in VFTT which you can probably find through searching. You will want the info, because there are a couple river crossing points, a few faded older paths and "high water" paths, and at least a couple of side trails (one to Rhododendron Pond, and another to the Boquet Canyon).

On my first 2 trips to Grace via this route I went "wrong" within 10 minutes by missing the first crossing (very easy to miss) and ended up viewing some of those trees TCD talks about quite closely for some time before picking the herd path up again. I also got on the wrong slide the first time and got tangled up like nobody's business getting to the summit ridge. I've done it 4 or 5 more times, and have the main route and bushwhack variations gps'd. If you're interested PM me although having the gps logs might take away from all the fun.

 

[Raymond]

I don't have a GPS anyway, but thanks for the link to Adirondack Journeys. I appreciate seeing the route on his map. That's a good photo of the turn-out, too. I think I recognize it. I'd sometimes wondered if the path was down a different dirt road, perpendicular to Route 73, which is somewhere along there.

 

[mtnhiker]

TCD – Thanks for the advice, I’m going to try from the Rt 73 side, I’ve read several places that it is a nicer approach than Elk Lake. I’m not looking for the fastest or shortest route, so I’m going to give it a try. I am planning on East Dix – South Dix – Macomb – South Dix – Hough - and then I have seen a gps route off of Hough back to the Bouquet rather than going back to South Dix. Have you gone that way off of Hough? It looks to be around 18 miles, does that sound about right? And I'm assuming no water once I start up East Dix and until I come off of Hough.

 

[Peakbagr]

E. Dix and S. Dix vs Grace and Carson

Just a quick update on names. You're reading E.Dix and S. Dix and some replies are referring to Grace and Carson.

There is a committe who is petitioning the USGS Board of Geographic Names to have the names of the peaks changed to honor ADK giants, Grace Hudowalski and Russ Carson. The committe's work is well along. The chair, Doug Arnold has been tireless in travelling the state to meet with local politicians, civic leaders, journalists and presenting his PowerPoint to hiking chapters everywhere.
One of the reasons is because the USGS said that getting the public to accept the change is important over the 5 year waiting period.

So, for those who'd like to help or feel that those individuals deserve the honor, we try and encourage the name changes now. I wanted to explain and take the oppty for folks to remember.
Thanks, didn't mean to get up on the soap box.

Alan

 

[TCD]

mtnhiker,

You are correct, not much water once you're on the ridge. You have to go a few minutes down to get it, as BlackSpruce indicated.

On one trip, I dropped off the ridge between Dix and Hough and down to the Boquet valley herd path. To my knowledge, there is no path down from the ridge in that area; it was a bushwhack. I don't know if there might not be a path from the Hough Pough col, or somewhere like that; I've never seen one. (BlackSpruce or IceNsnow, chime in if you know; I don't know of any paths down from the Dixes, on the Boquet side, between the East Dix slide and the regular trail on Dix...). The quality of the woods for travel varied; there were some pretty easy areas, and then some areas of annoying blowdown. Of course everything is easier going downhill. It depends on what you want to do. If I were in a hurry, I think it might be just as fast to go over Dix, take the regular hiking trail out to Round Pond, and then walk the road to the car.

Have a good trip!

TCD

 

[TCD]

BlackSpruce, thanks for the great info! I'll have to try that path sometime.

 

[hikem'all]

I did those peaks on Sat. Elk lake parking had 3 cars at 6:00 am when I got there. Lots of room when we got out aswell at 3:00. We did Macomb, South Dix, East Dix back to South and over to Hough. We went back down Hough to the camp site in the Col. between Pough. and down the herd path to the red trail. Great weekend.

 

[mtnhiker]

I justed posted my trip report in the Trip Reports section, but I can't figure out the URL to cut and paste here (my browser is showing the generic http://www.vftt.org/index-vftt.html).

Anyway, it's in the Trip Reports section.

 

[TCD]

Nice report. Sounds like a fun trip! That's a nice area, with a lot of good bushwhacking. After the bushwhack down from the ridge, the Boquet herd path looks like a highway!

 

[werdigo49]

I justed posted my trip report in the Trip Reports section, but I can't figure out the URL to cut and paste here (my browser is showing the generic http://www.vftt.org/index-vftt.html).

Anyway, it's in the Trip Reports section.

What's the title of your trip report? I didn't see "mtnhiker" or anything about the Dix range...

 

[mtnhiker]

Werdigo49 - the title is "Dix Range - 7/14/07"

 

[werdigo49]

Werdigo49 - the title is "Dix Range - 7/14/07"

Thanks... not sure why I didn't find it yesterday. Maybe misinterpreting "last post" as the original date of posting...

 

[Techrock]

Dix range

Hikem'all -is the herd path you refer to the trail that goes down Lillian Brook? Advice a while ago was to avoid this route down unless it was an emergency due to Hurricane Floyd's blow down. Has the status of the trail changed? Does anyone know?
Anyone, what is the current wisdom regarding the direction to hike the trailess Dix Range--from Dix Beck Horn south and descend via Macomb slide, or up the Macomb slide north over Hough and down Lillian Bk or down from Dix. Thanks for any assistance.