Dix via new east-face slide â€” 10/8/11

Gregory Karl · 10-09-2011, 04:53 PM

The moon had set hours earlier, so at 6am, Mastergrasshopper and I met by the light of our headlamps at the intersection of the Boquet North Fork and Route 73. Since the Dix Range seems to be Glen's second home, it was natural that he should lead the way on the herd path. A few short minutes later we were rock-leaping across the swollen river in the dark, the first of several crossings. If I hadn't been fully awake before, I was now.

Not long after reaching the South Fork, we turned off the herd path and ascended north up an outlying mountain (3,460 elev.) that forms an eastern ridge of Dix. The going was easy, if occasionally steep, and there was a lot of open rock on the south side of the ridge. From there we got our first good look at the new slide, a tributary to the old Beckhorn Slide, with which it shares a broad lower wall. Glen had a plan for the whack over to the slide: Descend among the patches of open rock to the north, cross a drainage, contour around an intervening ridge, sort out the tangled maze of drainages in Dix's east basin, and then ascend the correct one to the bottom of the slide. Those long views are deceptive, however—it always looks farther than it really is—so we ended up crossing the main drainage in the basin without realizing its significance. It just seemed too soon, so we twisted reality to reflect where we thought we should be on the map. From the furrow of a further brook we spotted the new slide through the thinning foliage, but it was clear we were too far to the left and that the brook was running on the wrong heading. So we did an ascending traverse to the right, crossing the correct drainage but unaware we were doing so. The next drainage over, like the first one, was on the wrong heading, but now we were aimed too far to the right. So we zagged back left on another ascending traverse, convinced that the one in the middle was correct and wondering how we had failed to recognize this the last time we crossed it. In short, we futzed away an hour finding the route to the slide but at last were convinced we had it right. At about 3,700 feet this was confirmed when we spotted the slide debris above us. We climbed over stacked trunks and mud to the base of the lower wall, and while I changed into my approach shoes, Glen started to climb.

The lower pitch was pretty steep and streaked with mud, but it was comfortable to climb on all fours. At its top was a little wall that had captured a couple of trees and large quantities of mud. I could have gotten around it to the right but didn't want to leave the slide if I didn't have to. So I cut back left and followed Glen's route up a muddy step. Above this, we were on the new slide proper, ascending a muddy section with a gentler slope. It was 1:00, we had been out for seven hours, and I hadn't eaten anything since my breakfast pizza at 4:30 in the morning. So, from a comfortable rock below the intimidating upper pitch of the slide, we lunched and studied the climb ahead.

When we were ready, Glen, in his climbing shoes, seemed to zip ahead up the steep face, whose white slabs were scarred by muddy narrow seams that slanted a bit right as they climbed. The best indicator of how challenging I found this climb is the fact that I only managed to get one pic from the upper pitch. My hands were in constant use and I was simply too busy with staying safely glued to the wall to even think about photography. For about fifteen minutes the adrenaline was pumping pretty good. I thought it should be possible to use friction to climb on all fours up the slabs but I couldn't command my body to do it. Instead I followed a narrow muddy seam up the wall, hooking my fingers underneath the edges of the slabs and flakes to either side and jamming my toes into whatever cracks I could find. If it wasn't for those underhanded holds, I would not have made it. Several times my eyes sought in vain for a safe way off the face and into the cripplebrush but there was no good way to do this. So I committed to the climb. Several moves had me worried but nevertheless went smoothly. The last obstacle was a point toward the top of the seam where the underhanded holds gave out about a foot too soon. I plotted how to get up this last bit, spotting a little depression up on the slab to the right where my right foot could get purchase. But it was covered with dried mud. With my left hand hooked in the seam I meticulously cleaned the rock with my right hand, wishing I had brought a whisk-broom for this purpose. (To my surprise, Glen later told me that rock climbers sometimes carry one for just such situations.) When all was ready I found myself watching with a strange, calm detachment as my body, almost of its own accord, executed the move my mind had been rehearsing. There was never a point where I said go—I just felt myself moving and before I had time to be scared I was up and the hard part was over.

Meanwhile, Glen had been trying to work his way up the last steep bit of the headwall, in a V between a slanting slab and a nearly vertical wall to his right. Due to deep, gloppy mud he was forced to back down. (Hey Glen, please fill in the details here if you want—I wasn't really able to witness this because I was rather busy below.) We both headed for the same exit into the cripplebrush, and I have never found a steep wall of skin-flaying pygmy spruce so inviting. Fifteen minutes of hard work with two feet of forward visibility later, I heard Glen announce that he was on the trail. A moment later I was up as well.

A relaxing snack near the summit followed as the weekend traffic crossed in both directions. It was sunny and warm and the views were spectacular. We met Jay H from the forum (and friend), had a nice chat, and then started down the trail to 73. We had discussed bushwhacking down the Round Pond-Bullet Pond corridor near the end to reach the cars parked by the North Fork, but by the time we reached Round Pond it was nearly dark. Not wishing to navigate unfamiliar swamps and thickets by headlamp, we opted for the 1.8 mile slog down the road under a nearly full moon. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Thanks Glen! That was great fun.

pics here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/curugroth/NewDixSlide

Alpine1 · 10-09-2011, 08:14 PM

Nice report Gregoey, Isn't that the new lamb slide

We had great views of the slide many times sat climbing RPR via Rt9 TH. I bet the traffic was bit less on that side of the valley

Dunbar · 10-09-2011, 08:28 PM

Looks like that slide is pretty messy. I'm feeling less sad that I missed out on it two weeks ago.

You know you're in an unpleasant spot when cripplebush looks inviting...

Cory D · 10-09-2011, 09:40 PM

Yeah, darn messy. It most of come down towards the end of the storm by the looks of it and didn't have as much time to rinse free. I'm happier I missed out too, but it sure looks cool from the ridge; great approach shot!

Gregory Karl · 10-09-2011, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunbar

Looks like that slide is pretty messy. I'm feeling less sad that I missed out on it two weeks ago.

You know you're in an unpleasant spot when cripplebush looks inviting...

Well Steve, you know how memory works: In retrospect it all seems rosy and wonderful. And it wasn't that the spot was unpleasant. Minus the fear it would have been idyllic. For me, though, the trip wasn't just or even mostly about the slide quest. The climb was a good climax to the hike, of course, but getting to explore so much territory I hadn't yet visited was reason enough to do it.

Alpine: Yes, the Lamb Slide. For the record, though, this naming-rights thing seems silly. Had I been the first one to climb this I wouldn't bother trying to name it. It will choose its own name.

mastergrasshopper · 10-09-2011, 10:22 PM

very nice pics of slide.
really cool to look at my old pics from before, I'll see if we can post some.
When I got my first sight of this slide I was excited, a wide brush stroke of white on the green canvass.
the BW untill the drainages was very straight forward but once again the drainages at 3200 -3600 were very confusing, I may have to go back agian

The slide base is about 200 ft higher than expected or I remembered.
The slide climb:
very steep base, shared wall with beckhorn slide. I found a clean line along the rt hand wet stain.
from the first ledge to the 2nd was the most moderate slab but more mud and trees.
from the 2nd ledge up was cleaner but very steep, this was where I changed into my climbing shoes ( I'd looked at the contour lines before trip )
I climbed to the end of the slab with underhand holds and then was able to ascend to a much smaller seam that gave me toe holds only.
I climbed to the last slab and stoped to rest at a spot where I had a 2-3 inch ledge to rest on. The slab moderated from chest high on but there was a layer of 6 inches of mud. I plunged my hands in looking for a hold and found none. I decided to exit slide ( 15 ft from top ) but needed to down climb about 30 ft to where Greg was making two very tough moves to traverse off the slide. I had to wait for one life time ( about 5 min. ) as I didn't want to dislodge any loose rocks onto him. I down climbed to the same 2 moves as Greg's and cast myself into cripple bush nirvana, ( see picture )

Over all trip

great time with Greg wundering and wondering in drainages at foot of slide.
Dunbar; Yep I was happy to be in cripple bush
Mudrat: being a mud rat would have slithered through the last mud wallow to the top.
intense trip
MG

mastergrasshopper · 10-09-2011, 10:31 PM

name = right branch / fork of existing beckhorn slide
As it is part of an existing slide I don't think it will end up with a new name.
After it cleans up a bit a few of the diehards will climb it, then it will see very little traffic / interest as it's harder to get to, a tough climb, and has a hard exit.
MG

mastergrasshopper · 10-09-2011, 10:38 PM

Looked for and didn't see any signs of new? slide on west face of Dix.
any one have a photo ?
MG

Jay H · 10-10-2011, 09:47 AM

Hey Greg, nice to meet you and MG on the top of Dix on saturday, sure was a pretty hot and nice day to be out in the woods.

Jay

mudrat · 10-10-2011, 10:27 AM

darn, darn, darn, darn, darn...Wish i could have been there! I was waiting to hear about the day and see the pics on what i missed. Karl, great report and details. You guys had such a beautiful day for it (i enjoyed it from a lower elevation). I like the approach and the pics of the various drainages. It definitely needs a bit of cleaning....next storm!

Yes, Glen, being a mudrat maybe I would have wallowed upward. Being a grasshopper, you should have just jumped off

nangaparbat · 10-12-2011, 08:47 PM

Well Congrat, you have experienced what the ADKs has the best to offer : WILDERNESS, whicked bushwack, with a not so clean slide.

Great adventure, I am happy that you have enjoyed it.

Good TR.

10-09-2011, 04:53 PM	#1
Gregory Karl * — * — * — * — * Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Jay Posts: 1,985	Dix via new east-face slide — 10/8/11 The moon had set hours earlier, so at 6am, Mastergrasshopper and I met by the light of our headlamps at the intersection of the Boquet North Fork and Route 73. Since the Dix Range seems to be Glen's second home, it was natural that he should lead the way on the herd path. A few short minutes later we were rock-leaping across the swollen river in the dark, the first of several crossings. If I hadn't been fully awake before, I was now. Not long after reaching the South Fork, we turned off the herd path and ascended north up an outlying mountain (3,460 elev.) that forms an eastern ridge of Dix. The going was easy, if occasionally steep, and there was a lot of open rock on the south side of the ridge. From there we got our first good look at the new slide, a tributary to the old Beckhorn Slide, with which it shares a broad lower wall. Glen had a plan for the whack over to the slide: Descend among the patches of open rock to the north, cross a drainage, contour around an intervening ridge, sort out the tangled maze of drainages in Dix's east basin, and then ascend the correct one to the bottom of the slide. Those long views are deceptive, however—it always looks farther than it really is—so we ended up crossing the main drainage in the basin without realizing its significance. It just seemed too soon, so we twisted reality to reflect where we thought we should be on the map. From the furrow of a further brook we spotted the new slide through the thinning foliage, but it was clear we were too far to the left and that the brook was running on the wrong heading. So we did an ascending traverse to the right, crossing the correct drainage but unaware we were doing so. The next drainage over, like the first one, was on the wrong heading, but now we were aimed too far to the right. So we zagged back left on another ascending traverse, convinced that the one in the middle was correct and wondering how we had failed to recognize this the last time we crossed it. In short, we futzed away an hour finding the route to the slide but at last were convinced we had it right. At about 3,700 feet this was confirmed when we spotted the slide debris above us. We climbed over stacked trunks and mud to the base of the lower wall, and while I changed into my approach shoes, Glen started to climb. The lower pitch was pretty steep and streaked with mud, but it was comfortable to climb on all fours. At its top was a little wall that had captured a couple of trees and large quantities of mud. I could have gotten around it to the right but didn't want to leave the slide if I didn't have to. So I cut back left and followed Glen's route up a muddy step. Above this, we were on the new slide proper, ascending a muddy section with a gentler slope. It was 1:00, we had been out for seven hours, and I hadn't eaten anything since my breakfast pizza at 4:30 in the morning. So, from a comfortable rock below the intimidating upper pitch of the slide, we lunched and studied the climb ahead. When we were ready, Glen, in his climbing shoes, seemed to zip ahead up the steep face, whose white slabs were scarred by muddy narrow seams that slanted a bit right as they climbed. The best indicator of how challenging I found this climb is the fact that I only managed to get one pic from the upper pitch. My hands were in constant use and I was simply too busy with staying safely glued to the wall to even think about photography. For about fifteen minutes the adrenaline was pumping pretty good. I thought it should be possible to use friction to climb on all fours up the slabs but I couldn't command my body to do it. Instead I followed a narrow muddy seam up the wall, hooking my fingers underneath the edges of the slabs and flakes to either side and jamming my toes into whatever cracks I could find. If it wasn't for those underhanded holds, I would not have made it. Several times my eyes sought in vain for a safe way off the face and into the cripplebrush but there was no good way to do this. So I committed to the climb. Several moves had me worried but nevertheless went smoothly. The last obstacle was a point toward the top of the seam where the underhanded holds gave out about a foot too soon. I plotted how to get up this last bit, spotting a little depression up on the slab to the right where my right foot could get purchase. But it was covered with dried mud. With my left hand hooked in the seam I meticulously cleaned the rock with my right hand, wishing I had brought a whisk-broom for this purpose. (To my surprise, Glen later told me that rock climbers sometimes carry one for just such situations.) When all was ready I found myself watching with a strange, calm detachment as my body, almost of its own accord, executed the move my mind had been rehearsing. There was never a point where I said go—I just felt myself moving and before I had time to be scared I was up and the hard part was over. Meanwhile, Glen had been trying to work his way up the last steep bit of the headwall, in a V between a slanting slab and a nearly vertical wall to his right. Due to deep, gloppy mud he was forced to back down. (Hey Glen, please fill in the details here if you want—I wasn't really able to witness this because I was rather busy below.) We both headed for the same exit into the cripplebrush, and I have never found a steep wall of skin-flaying pygmy spruce so inviting. Fifteen minutes of hard work with two feet of forward visibility later, I heard Glen announce that he was on the trail. A moment later I was up as well. A relaxing snack near the summit followed as the weekend traffic crossed in both directions. It was sunny and warm and the views were spectacular. We met Jay H from the forum (and friend), had a nice chat, and then started down the trail to 73. We had discussed bushwhacking down the Round Pond-Bullet Pond corridor near the end to reach the cars parked by the North Fork, but by the time we reached Round Pond it was nearly dark. Not wishing to navigate unfamiliar swamps and thickets by headlamp, we opted for the 1.8 mile slog down the road under a nearly full moon. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Thanks Glen! That was great fun. pics here: https://picasaweb.google.com/curugroth/NewDixSlide __________________ "Hold that candle steady while I shave the chicken's lip." Last edited by Gregory Karl; 10-09-2011 at 09:56 PM.

10-09-2011, 08:14 PM	#2
Alpine1 Head of Household Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Old Forge, NY Posts: 748	Nice report Gregoey, Isn't that the new lamb slide We had great views of the slide many times sat climbing RPR via Rt9 TH. I bet the traffic was bit less on that side of the valley Last edited by Alpine1; 10-09-2011 at 08:22 PM.

10-09-2011, 08:28 PM	#3
Dunbar Always Serious. Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lebanon, NH Posts: 929	Looks like that slide is pretty messy. I'm feeling less sad that I missed out on it two weeks ago. You know you're in an unpleasant spot when cripplebush looks inviting... __________________ Hike Always. http://dunbarsm.wordpress.com

10-09-2011, 09:40 PM	#4
Cory D Enjoys walks in the park Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Guilderland Posts: 1,999	Yeah, darn messy. It most of come down towards the end of the storm by the looks of it and didn't have as much time to rinse free. I'm happier I missed out too, but it sure looks cool from the ridge; great approach shot! __________________ Be quick - but don't hurry. -John Wooden Middle age is having a choice between two temptations and choosing the one that'll get you home earlier. ~Dan Bennett

10-09-2011, 10:22 PM	#6
mastergrasshopper Commander Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: syracuse ny. Posts: 1,620	steep but not cheap very nice pics of slide. really cool to look at my old pics from before, I'll see if we can post some. When I got my first sight of this slide I was excited, a wide brush stroke of white on the green canvass. the BW untill the drainages was very straight forward but once again the drainages at 3200 -3600 were very confusing, I may have to go back agian The slide base is about 200 ft higher than expected or I remembered. The slide climb: very steep base, shared wall with beckhorn slide. I found a clean line along the rt hand wet stain. from the first ledge to the 2nd was the most moderate slab but more mud and trees. from the 2nd ledge up was cleaner but very steep, this was where I changed into my climbing shoes ( I'd looked at the contour lines before trip ) I climbed to the end of the slab with underhand holds and then was able to ascend to a much smaller seam that gave me toe holds only. I climbed to the last slab and stoped to rest at a spot where I had a 2-3 inch ledge to rest on. The slab moderated from chest high on but there was a layer of 6 inches of mud. I plunged my hands in looking for a hold and found none. I decided to exit slide ( 15 ft from top ) but needed to down climb about 30 ft to where Greg was making two very tough moves to traverse off the slide. I had to wait for one life time ( about 5 min. ) as I didn't want to dislodge any loose rocks onto him. I down climbed to the same 2 moves as Greg's and cast myself into cripple bush nirvana, ( see picture ) Over all trip great time with Greg wundering and wondering in drainages at foot of slide. Dunbar; Yep I was happy to be in cripple bush Mudrat: being a mud rat would have slithered through the last mud wallow to the top. intense trip MG

10-09-2011, 10:31 PM	#7
mastergrasshopper Commander Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: syracuse ny. Posts: 1,620	name name = right branch / fork of existing beckhorn slide As it is part of an existing slide I don't think it will end up with a new name. After it cleans up a bit a few of the diehards will climb it, then it will see very little traffic / interest as it's harder to get to, a tough climb, and has a hard exit. MG

10-09-2011, 10:38 PM	#8
mastergrasshopper Commander Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: syracuse ny. Posts: 1,620	Btw Looked for and didn't see any signs of new? slide on west face of Dix. any one have a photo ? MG

10-10-2011, 09:47 AM	#9
Jay H Ice Cream Time Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Pittsfield, MA Posts: 6,825	Hey Greg, nice to meet you and MG on the top of Dix on saturday, sure was a pretty hot and nice day to be out in the woods. Jay __________________ Life is a short, warm moment And death is a long cold rest. You get your chance to try in the twinkling of an eye: Eighty years, with luck, or even less. -Pink Floyd

10-10-2011, 10:27 AM	#10
mudrat Slide Junkie, 46R 5430W Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: ADK Mountains Posts: 893	darn, darn, darn, darn, darn...Wish i could have been there! I was waiting to hear about the day and see the pics on what i missed. Karl, great report and details. You guys had such a beautiful day for it (i enjoyed it from a lower elevation). I like the approach and the pics of the various drainages. It definitely needs a bit of cleaning....next storm! Yes, Glen, being a mudrat maybe I would have wallowed upward. Being a grasshopper, you should have just jumped off __________________ May your ambition for the goal allow you to be a student of the journey. http://www.mackenziefamily.com/46/46r.html

10-12-2011, 08:47 PM	#11
nangaparbat Consultant Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: On a mountain Posts: 350	Well Congrat, you have experienced what the ADKs has the best to offer : WILDERNESS, whicked bushwack, with a not so clean slide. Great adventure, I am happy that you have enjoyed it. Good TR.

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