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The idea for this hike came from a post by TCD in a thread two years ago asking for advice for an epic hike. I needed Giant and Rocky for a list and didn’t think G/R were enough for a nice summer day. I began in New Russia and climbed Rocky Peak and Giant, descended the Ridge trail, walked Rt 73 to Round Pond trailhead, climbed the five peaks of the Dix Range, and descended the S Fork/N Fork herdpath to Rt 73. The distance was 28.2 miles and total ascent was 11,000 feet; time was 13h50min.
The latest news from Grace is that her unauthorized new sign/plaque has been removed. I thought she looked good au naturel. Maybe future climbers, if they are able to get there, will have no trouble finding the summit.
My wife kindly got up early and we spotted a car at the N Fork bridge and she dropped me off at the trailhead in New Russia, el. 600 ft. This is the lowest trailhead for an Adirondack high peak. I know, I could have saved 1000 ft starting at Chapel Pond. But with a day like this, what difference does 1000 feet really make? The humidity had not moved out as forecast, but temperature was in the 50s F. It is a nice trail except for the numerous unnecessary cairns—many of which are gone now. It’s funny how cairns tend to pop up where rocks are conveniently available. I guess nature is not good enough for some people.
Lake Mary Louise actually had some water in it and the trail was muddy at the outlet. With a long day ahead I kept going over Rocky Peak to Giant. On the summit, cold air was pushing through and the dark clouds were beginning to lift—a good sign for the rest of the day. The rocks were dry and only a few people were on the trail, making for a quick and easy descent. Hitting the road, I walked over to the Round Pond/Dix trailhead to start the second half of my hike.
The trail was in great shape—thanks, maintainers—and I began the long grind to Dix. I knew I was going slower than my regular pace and began to be concerned about finishing the hike later than expected. I guess happy hour would have to wait. Hough, South Dix, and Macomb (nice to not carry my pack) were a blur and I finally was on top of Grace with only the nice walk out the Boquet in front of me. My knees were telling me they didn’t want to do any more climbing, so I listened to my body and headed down. I made it to Rt 73 just before I would have had to put on my headlamp, finishing a hike with the most total ascent I have ever done in one day.
A few pics and the elevation-time profile:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?...E0&usp=sharing
The latest news from Grace is that her unauthorized new sign/plaque has been removed. I thought she looked good au naturel. Maybe future climbers, if they are able to get there, will have no trouble finding the summit.
My wife kindly got up early and we spotted a car at the N Fork bridge and she dropped me off at the trailhead in New Russia, el. 600 ft. This is the lowest trailhead for an Adirondack high peak. I know, I could have saved 1000 ft starting at Chapel Pond. But with a day like this, what difference does 1000 feet really make? The humidity had not moved out as forecast, but temperature was in the 50s F. It is a nice trail except for the numerous unnecessary cairns—many of which are gone now. It’s funny how cairns tend to pop up where rocks are conveniently available. I guess nature is not good enough for some people.
Lake Mary Louise actually had some water in it and the trail was muddy at the outlet. With a long day ahead I kept going over Rocky Peak to Giant. On the summit, cold air was pushing through and the dark clouds were beginning to lift—a good sign for the rest of the day. The rocks were dry and only a few people were on the trail, making for a quick and easy descent. Hitting the road, I walked over to the Round Pond/Dix trailhead to start the second half of my hike.
The trail was in great shape—thanks, maintainers—and I began the long grind to Dix. I knew I was going slower than my regular pace and began to be concerned about finishing the hike later than expected. I guess happy hour would have to wait. Hough, South Dix, and Macomb (nice to not carry my pack) were a blur and I finally was on top of Grace with only the nice walk out the Boquet in front of me. My knees were telling me they didn’t want to do any more climbing, so I listened to my body and headed down. I made it to Rt 73 just before I would have had to put on my headlamp, finishing a hike with the most total ascent I have ever done in one day.
A few pics and the elevation-time profile:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?...E0&usp=sharing
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