Dix and Macomb 6&7 January

[Jacko]

Saturday - The alarm goes off at 4.15 am and its on the road to the Daks. Its raining its pouring and I’m snoring. We get to Elk Lake at 9.00 am (well 2 miles from it anyway) and we check our equipment and realize we forgot the Arc. The rain is torrential. The trail to Slide Brook Lean to is a river – literally. There was a cute notice from Mr. Warden warning us that fallen trees ‘may impede progress’ – fallen trees who cares! what about 2 feet of water everywhere. We arrive at Slide Brook glad to dump gear and get to higher, dryer ground – WRONG. On the way to Dix the trail actually got worse. We waded up to our knees and ascending to the Beckhorn was an ascent up a 2,000 ft waterfall. Now being 3 Brits we felt quite at home till we got to the summit and the gale force winds blew down a couple of trees in front of us. So soaked to the skin, we turned back before the summit even though it was only 200 yds away. We swam / floated back down stream to the hut looking forward to light a drying fire. Ed and Frank our newly arrived room mates decided we needed help so spent 2hrs trying to light a fire before giving up. Meanwhile the remaining 5 members of the Hudson (QC) team arrived dry and chirpy wanting to know why the fire wasn’t lit and the food wasn’t ready! We apologized profusely and promptly made them supper while they read us a bedtime story.
Sunday and glorious sunshine. We beat the ice solid boots out and ascended Macomb slide in the most glorious of conditions. We even got a technical ice pitch in at the top. Magnificent as this day was the day to remember and go into personal folklore will be Saturday. Know what! I think I’m enjoying it now!

 

[bubba]

You're abolutely right - the wind picked up later in the afternoon. Over on Whiteface, the rain died out after a morning deluge. If you haven't been there before - go back to Dix, though. The views are the best!! Macomb is one of my favorites. What kind of footing on the slide??

 

[una_dogger]

Saturday - We waded up to our knees and ascending to the Beckhorn was an ascent up a 2,000 ft waterfall.

Nice...!

I found the Beckhorn to be a big personal challenge---without the water!!

Sounds like you Brits had a rowsing good time!

 

[markandkelly]

How icy was the Macomb slide? We're thinking of heading up at some point in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[prino]

No use of the word bloody ?? That's certainly a report that would have called for it.

How icy was the Macomb slide? We're thinking of heading up at some point in the next couple of weeks.

It was "Bloody" icy near the top! Actually eight of us made it 3/4 of the way up the slide before the Crampons came out. Also one of our crew made it all the way up without the spikes, so it wasn't that bad.

Awesome hike, my first for many months. Three of us also made it over Carson and Hough and back down the Lillian Brook trail which is now devoid of blowdown.

we spent 2hrs trying to light a fire before giving up. Meanwhile the remaining 5 members of the Hudson (QC) team arrived dry and chirpy wanting to know why the fire wasn’t lit and the food wasn’t ready! We apologized profusely and promptly made them supper while they read us a bedtime story.

Now that's bending the truth a little bit mate! I think at least one of that group spent more than a "little" time working on that bloody fire!!!

Thanks Dave for organising this trip.

 

[yvon]

Three of us also made it over Carson and Hough and back down the Lillian Brook trail which is now devoid of blowdown.
Thanks Dave for organising this trip.

Prino, the Macomb slide was already Icy in october when we did it. I have to go back there, i dont know when, to do Hough, Carson and Grace and i am thinking to take Lilian Brook to go up.

 

[prino]

Prino, the Macomb slide was already Icy in october when we did it. I have to go back there, i dont know when, to do Hough, Carson and Grace and i am thinking to take Lilian Brook to go up.

Yvon,

There is also the option of going up the Lilian brook trail to the col between Carson and Macomb. We saw the flagging to the left as we passed thru the col from Macomb to Carson and also where it meets up with the trail down from the Huff/Puff col at the bottom. That way you wouldn't have to do the slide.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[bubba]

Prino - something told me that you were part of this gang!!!

Three of us also made it over Carson and Hough and back down the Lillian Brook trail which is now devoid of blowdown.

Really!! Cleared out or just rerouted around stuff?? IIRC, this isn't a maintained trail, is it?? Good news though.

 

[yvon]

Yvon,

There is also the option of going up the Lilian brook trail to the col between Carson and Macomb. We saw the flagging to the left as we passed thru the col from Macomb to Carson and also where it meets up with the trail down from the Huff/Puff col at the bottom. That way you wouldn't have to do the slide.

Hope that makes sense.

Yes but, I think that the Lilian Brook herd path follow the brook and arrive between Hough and Carson not Macomb and Carson.

 

[cbcbd]

Awesome trip. I was on the other side at Giant for those same days... Sunday was a perfect day!
How technical was the ice going up Macomb slide?

 

[1ADAM12]

Nice report! I feel your pain though with all hte rain. WE did this hike the beginning of June 06 and there was so much water we were just above our knees. What a swampy mess but definately fun. We even had freezing rain on top of all the peaks with a little bit of snow

 

[prino]

Prino - something told me that you were part of this gang!!!


Really!! Cleared out or just rerouted around stuff?? IIRC, this isn't a maintained trail, is it?? Good news though.

Bubba,
Yes, totally cleaned out... somebody has been thru with a chainsaw by the looks of it. It's not supposed to be a maintained trail but it is now well flagged with red tape. Still quite narrow but better than a regular herd path.

Yes but, I think that the Lilian Brook herd path follow the brook and arrive between Hough and Carson not Macomb and Carson.

Yvon,
About halfway up Lillian brook the path splits in two.... one going left and coming out at the mini "Times Square" in the col between Hough and Pough.
The other goes to the right and hits the col between Carson and Macomb.
I think these trails have been cleared very recently (last 2 months?)

 

[yvon]

Yvon,
About halfway up Lillian brook the path splits in two.... one going left and coming out at the mini "Times Square" in the col between Hough and Pough.
The other goes to the right and hits the col between Carson and Macomb.
I think these trails have been cleared very recently (last 2 months?)

Thank you Phil, happy to know this. Because the informations that I had was the only a jonction was between Hough and Carson. And it was near the top.