Neil
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A hike in 4 parts.
Introduction – The Crossing
At 5:45 Grasshopper, AdkJack and I were striding confidently down the excellent jeep road that starts on Rte. 9 a couple of miles south of the Sharp Bridge Campground. The sky was full of stars, it was about zero degrees and we were on our way to Macomb via West Mill Brook. After 10 minutes of easy walking we came to a screeching halt where the fresh tire tracks went through a river. We were confronted with about 18’’ of flowing water and no apparent way of getting across. We walked up and down along the bank and found a spot that was iced over. Peering through the ice with our headlamps we could see bubbles flowing just below the shiny layer of ice. Standing crouched and sideways to the channel it was all too easy to chop a little hole with Glen’s axe through which water spread out over the surface. Nevertheless, the ice was about 1½’’ thick near the edge so I removed my boots and donned a pair of down booty overboots that went up to my knees, put on my snowshoes and gave it a try. Wide-stanced and with lots of pressure on my poles I made it to the other side where a 2 foot wide channel of very thin ice needed to be straddled and voila! I was across and dry. Jack skidded my pack and boots across and followed suit. Then came Glen’s turn but by now there were fresh cracks with water seeping through. It looked very, very iffy and if the whole thing collapsed we would have had to wade back across and get back to Jack’s truck. Very gingerly and after much discussion as to where he should cross Glen shuffled over and we continued on our way.
Part 1_- Into the Dixes through the Backdoor.
The jeep road is very quick and after crossing under the Interstate it continues to a locked gate. The recently made tire tracks continued beyond the gate for another 50 yards but then the road became narrow and rough and the tracks stopped. There was lots of water in the brook and lots of ice too which made for a beautiful scene as we marched alongside it through the hardwood forest. Fairly soon we left the old road when it turned to the south and after a couple of quick and easy crossings of two of the West Mill tributaries we were bushwhacking uphill through open hardwoods in the sunshine. With a couple of minor course adjustments you can pretty well use one single compass bearing from the Interstate to the final push to the summit. What I liked about this approach were the amazing views of Wyman, Grace and Carson. These are big rugged, cliffy mountains! There were plenty of clearings and we kept stopping for the views and to evaluate our course of travel. Viewed from below the last 1000 vertical feet of Macomb was all white – snow covered conifers – and I was sure it would be very tight and difficult bushwhacking. I was wrong. It was relatively open. It seemed to take forever to get to the summit but finally we came out directly behind the open viewpoint and had stupendous views (I can’t remember from where to where but I think we could see from Hoffman –Blue ridge all the way over to the Beckhorn). The skys were blue and the wind was a chilly blast. This was my 36th W. and another off-trail 46er peak.
Part 2 - Macomb to Grace.
I had hiked the herd trail beyond Macomb only once and that was in a whiteout during my first round of the 46. It was fairly easy to follow although we did lose it briefly 2 or 3 times. There were fresh rabbit tracks and it was clear the rabbit was using the trail. We wondered if maybe that was how Pin-Pin hikes so far and fast. Ie. By changing into a real rabbit.
The hike up Carson was a special treat. The wind was picking up and the skies became overcast and that changed the day’s mood considerably. From Carson it was long to get to the col and then after a short climb we getting shoved around by the ripping winds on Grace’s summit. We turned towards Wyman, several hundred feet below and began part 3 of our day. .
Part 3 - Grace to Wyman
Glen had whacked from grace over to Wyman 2 months previously and had found a route through trees between 2 cliffy sections that would be all ice today. He quickly found the key spot and lined us up towards Wyman’s summit and we crab-walked down over a steep, hard crust fighting against the keening wind. We smacked the MSR’s down hard to ensure stickage and got to a line of trees. The descent was quite steep and we alternated between thick forest and open slabs depending on the pitch. Gradually we moved to the right aiming for the west end of the long exposed ridge of Wyman. The idea was to increase our distance in order to avoid thick balsams. It was a long 1000’descent and tiring for the quads. Once at the low point it was a relief to begin the climb up to Wyman’s west ridge especially knowing that it would be all downhill from the 3300’ summit to the cars at the South Fork. Compared to on Wyman the winds of Grace were gentle summer breezes. The combination of the panoramic view from our morning’s route up Macomb, the Macomb-Carson col, the cliffs of Carson and Grace plus the reddening sky over Hoffman-Blue Ridge all coupled with the ferocious winds and the rugged ice covered rocks of Wyman reminded me over and over again why I do this. At one point I got knocked down! Glen too was reminding us, at every vista he would repeat, “this is why we’re here!” It was a quick 300’ climb to the top and the lee of the trees. We looked around for the true summit but daylight was fading fast so we gave up and adjusted our course for the long walk out. We had no sooner got underway when we came upon the summit clearing and cairn.
Part 4 - Wyman to Route 73
On his way out from Wyman last November Glen had hugged the Grace-Spotted side of the ridge and had found it very thick so he suggested we try sticking more to our right and we were relieved to find easy bushwhacking. Giant and Rocky came into view and we used them to maintain our heading. We stopped at an open section to get the headlamps out and Giant was all lit up red and maroon in the dying sunset. This is a good reason for night hiking, you get to see these types of unforgettable sights. From our angle to could see the slides but their shapes appeared completely different. The views of the rugged Grace-Spotted ridgeline and massif accompanied us all the way down the east ridge and well beyond. It got darker and darker but the snow on the open forest floor was very easy to hike through. Gradually it became really dark and we switched the lights on. After we crossed Lindsay brook we worked our way down the valley trying not to get too close to the South Fork’s tributary which, although we couldn’t see or hear it, its presence we could sense. This and the slope of the land were our handrails for the next hour as we plodded along slowly but surely. The day’s accumulated exertion was making itself felt in my energy level. We could just make out the end of the Elizabethtown 4 ridge and that was a help too. Now, we wanted to avoid getting to close to the drainage and there seemed to be less cross slope hiking higher up so I kept us away from it. Looking back I realize now that we were not losing any elevation but of course the creek was and as a result we got pretty far and high above it. We angled back down and as it turned out we were quite high and we ended up whacking down a long steep embankment through dense hemlocks. We took a breather and I sat down on a handy log. The flood of relief made me aware that we had been on our feet for nearly 12 hours! Glen, who knows his way around the Dix Wilderness as if he made it, said we were almost at the confluence of the trib and the South Fork and he started recognizing the trees. No, not individual ones - he only does that with rocks- but the big hemlocks that mark the South Fork. Sure enough we were at the hemlock grove and to our delight there were the fresh tracks of 2 or 3 hikers who we figured had done Etown or Spotted. This trail was a godsend. Even though there is a hunter’s path that leads to the highway we would probably have spent as much time looking for it as hiking on it. We reached the highway at 7, 13 hours after heading out. Jack discovered new reserves of strength on the hike and found out just how deep he could dig. Hats off to him for his dogged determination!. And hats off to Mastergrasshopper who suggested the loop and made it possible.
Introduction – The Crossing
At 5:45 Grasshopper, AdkJack and I were striding confidently down the excellent jeep road that starts on Rte. 9 a couple of miles south of the Sharp Bridge Campground. The sky was full of stars, it was about zero degrees and we were on our way to Macomb via West Mill Brook. After 10 minutes of easy walking we came to a screeching halt where the fresh tire tracks went through a river. We were confronted with about 18’’ of flowing water and no apparent way of getting across. We walked up and down along the bank and found a spot that was iced over. Peering through the ice with our headlamps we could see bubbles flowing just below the shiny layer of ice. Standing crouched and sideways to the channel it was all too easy to chop a little hole with Glen’s axe through which water spread out over the surface. Nevertheless, the ice was about 1½’’ thick near the edge so I removed my boots and donned a pair of down booty overboots that went up to my knees, put on my snowshoes and gave it a try. Wide-stanced and with lots of pressure on my poles I made it to the other side where a 2 foot wide channel of very thin ice needed to be straddled and voila! I was across and dry. Jack skidded my pack and boots across and followed suit. Then came Glen’s turn but by now there were fresh cracks with water seeping through. It looked very, very iffy and if the whole thing collapsed we would have had to wade back across and get back to Jack’s truck. Very gingerly and after much discussion as to where he should cross Glen shuffled over and we continued on our way.
Part 1_- Into the Dixes through the Backdoor.
The jeep road is very quick and after crossing under the Interstate it continues to a locked gate. The recently made tire tracks continued beyond the gate for another 50 yards but then the road became narrow and rough and the tracks stopped. There was lots of water in the brook and lots of ice too which made for a beautiful scene as we marched alongside it through the hardwood forest. Fairly soon we left the old road when it turned to the south and after a couple of quick and easy crossings of two of the West Mill tributaries we were bushwhacking uphill through open hardwoods in the sunshine. With a couple of minor course adjustments you can pretty well use one single compass bearing from the Interstate to the final push to the summit. What I liked about this approach were the amazing views of Wyman, Grace and Carson. These are big rugged, cliffy mountains! There were plenty of clearings and we kept stopping for the views and to evaluate our course of travel. Viewed from below the last 1000 vertical feet of Macomb was all white – snow covered conifers – and I was sure it would be very tight and difficult bushwhacking. I was wrong. It was relatively open. It seemed to take forever to get to the summit but finally we came out directly behind the open viewpoint and had stupendous views (I can’t remember from where to where but I think we could see from Hoffman –Blue ridge all the way over to the Beckhorn). The skys were blue and the wind was a chilly blast. This was my 36th W. and another off-trail 46er peak.
Part 2 - Macomb to Grace.
I had hiked the herd trail beyond Macomb only once and that was in a whiteout during my first round of the 46. It was fairly easy to follow although we did lose it briefly 2 or 3 times. There were fresh rabbit tracks and it was clear the rabbit was using the trail. We wondered if maybe that was how Pin-Pin hikes so far and fast. Ie. By changing into a real rabbit.
The hike up Carson was a special treat. The wind was picking up and the skies became overcast and that changed the day’s mood considerably. From Carson it was long to get to the col and then after a short climb we getting shoved around by the ripping winds on Grace’s summit. We turned towards Wyman, several hundred feet below and began part 3 of our day. .
Part 3 - Grace to Wyman
Glen had whacked from grace over to Wyman 2 months previously and had found a route through trees between 2 cliffy sections that would be all ice today. He quickly found the key spot and lined us up towards Wyman’s summit and we crab-walked down over a steep, hard crust fighting against the keening wind. We smacked the MSR’s down hard to ensure stickage and got to a line of trees. The descent was quite steep and we alternated between thick forest and open slabs depending on the pitch. Gradually we moved to the right aiming for the west end of the long exposed ridge of Wyman. The idea was to increase our distance in order to avoid thick balsams. It was a long 1000’descent and tiring for the quads. Once at the low point it was a relief to begin the climb up to Wyman’s west ridge especially knowing that it would be all downhill from the 3300’ summit to the cars at the South Fork. Compared to on Wyman the winds of Grace were gentle summer breezes. The combination of the panoramic view from our morning’s route up Macomb, the Macomb-Carson col, the cliffs of Carson and Grace plus the reddening sky over Hoffman-Blue Ridge all coupled with the ferocious winds and the rugged ice covered rocks of Wyman reminded me over and over again why I do this. At one point I got knocked down! Glen too was reminding us, at every vista he would repeat, “this is why we’re here!” It was a quick 300’ climb to the top and the lee of the trees. We looked around for the true summit but daylight was fading fast so we gave up and adjusted our course for the long walk out. We had no sooner got underway when we came upon the summit clearing and cairn.
Part 4 - Wyman to Route 73
On his way out from Wyman last November Glen had hugged the Grace-Spotted side of the ridge and had found it very thick so he suggested we try sticking more to our right and we were relieved to find easy bushwhacking. Giant and Rocky came into view and we used them to maintain our heading. We stopped at an open section to get the headlamps out and Giant was all lit up red and maroon in the dying sunset. This is a good reason for night hiking, you get to see these types of unforgettable sights. From our angle to could see the slides but their shapes appeared completely different. The views of the rugged Grace-Spotted ridgeline and massif accompanied us all the way down the east ridge and well beyond. It got darker and darker but the snow on the open forest floor was very easy to hike through. Gradually it became really dark and we switched the lights on. After we crossed Lindsay brook we worked our way down the valley trying not to get too close to the South Fork’s tributary which, although we couldn’t see or hear it, its presence we could sense. This and the slope of the land were our handrails for the next hour as we plodded along slowly but surely. The day’s accumulated exertion was making itself felt in my energy level. We could just make out the end of the Elizabethtown 4 ridge and that was a help too. Now, we wanted to avoid getting to close to the drainage and there seemed to be less cross slope hiking higher up so I kept us away from it. Looking back I realize now that we were not losing any elevation but of course the creek was and as a result we got pretty far and high above it. We angled back down and as it turned out we were quite high and we ended up whacking down a long steep embankment through dense hemlocks. We took a breather and I sat down on a handy log. The flood of relief made me aware that we had been on our feet for nearly 12 hours! Glen, who knows his way around the Dix Wilderness as if he made it, said we were almost at the confluence of the trib and the South Fork and he started recognizing the trees. No, not individual ones - he only does that with rocks- but the big hemlocks that mark the South Fork. Sure enough we were at the hemlock grove and to our delight there were the fresh tracks of 2 or 3 hikers who we figured had done Etown or Spotted. This trail was a godsend. Even though there is a hunter’s path that leads to the highway we would probably have spent as much time looking for it as hiking on it. We reached the highway at 7, 13 hours after heading out. Jack discovered new reserves of strength on the hike and found out just how deep he could dig. Hats off to him for his dogged determination!. And hats off to Mastergrasshopper who suggested the loop and made it possible.
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