macomb trail

Will be doing macomb, grace and carson soon. Where does the trail for the north slide start, before or after the lean to. I don't want to waste to much time going up the wrong herd path. Also, is the slide a problem coming down, or should I try the escape route over pough and lilian brook?

From memory back in 1997 - Slide not to bad to descend, wife & I descended it after finding it from top & she is not that thriled with steep loose descents


Less clear on this but trail follows the brook for most of it's distance so if in doubt stay along brook. I'm sure you will get more info though on the trail.

adk dib'

The "best" route to the slide follows Slide brook proper. If you reach Slide Brook leanto, go back to the wooden bridge that crosses slide brook. As of two years ago, a large tree had fallen onto it, and damaged part of it. That is the start of the best route. There are many false paths that will peter out, especially infront of the leanto. If you get into one of those, head due south and you will pick the 'best' rout up in a couple hundred yards.
If given the choice of returning via the slide, or by Lillian Brook, opt for the slide! Mega blowdown along Lillian Brook. The slide isn't real steep, and it's loose gravel, not hard slab.

The Slide Brook herd path starts at the first log bridge with a handrail that you encounter as you head north from Elk Lake. If you miss it, there are also paths that start at the lean to and meet up with the main path along the brook.

KZ

I have descended the slide a couple times now. Once in summer and once in winter. Both very doable. Even more fun glissading on your butt in winter. The trail is just to the left of Slide Brook. Once your on it, it's easy to follow.

Dix Range

There is also a herd path that begins at the back of the big campsite located just before the first footbridge (the campsite is off the trail on your right, beyond a big log that parallels the main trail). I descended that way in April. Any way you go, you'll be following the brook.

I recommend that you return via the Macomb slide (not much fun to descend in the dark - don't ask how I know). The Lillian Brook "escape route" seems OK as you start down from Hough, but the lower part of the brook is filled with blowdown. Instead, you could continue over Hough and follow the ridge to the Beckhorn, spitting distance from Dix. There is a steep, but marked trail down from there.

Going up that brook slide is a buttkicker (but that's a good thing). Fun trail, it was my first ADK peak summit.

adk_dib
When are you planning your climb? I am planning a full traverse of all the 5 dix peaks sometime in the next 3-4 weeks. If you intersted let me know.
I will be climbing this slide, ( maybe camping out in one of the cols) and descending by Hunter Pass.

Re: 2 Things

mavs00 said:

2) I always am puzzled by the fact that I saw 3 distinct paths that led out of the 3 cols (Macomb/Carson, Carson/Hough & Hough/Dix). They all seem to be collectivly referred to as the "Lillian Brook Bailout". I thought the first 2 led down the Lillian brook bailout and that the last was a seperate bailout altogether.

Is this correct? Just what is the skinny with the West side bailouts of the Dix Range??

Click to expand...

They all lead to Lillian Brook, so they could be called A,B, and C I guess... or were called that. When I dropped down from the M/C col the month before Floyd there were at least four cairned herd paths hitting the parallel path (there was a north and south bailout on LB) coming in from the northside.

Nowadays, the paths are pretty good for the upper half, and very doable. From the M/C col the average time now is about 2 hours back to the highway below. I guess the 46ers will clean up the path to the slide this fall. Maybe the bottom of LB will be next. I believe doing the bottom would free up all the uppers, since the lower section is where the problem lies. But first things first...