with Noonmark Fire Field & Bear Den, September 2003
Nippletop: 4,620', 13th Highest Elevation in the Adirondacks; Dial: 4,020', 41st
On Nippletop, Looking South towards Elk Lake
| The H.G. Leach trail leaves
the Lake Road at the Ausable Club in St. Huberts, and leads to Dial and
Nipple Top, by way of the '99 fire scar on Noonmark's western shoulder
and Bear Den Mountain. This is a hike that features great views of Dix
to the East, and Upper and Lower Wolfjaws, Armstrong, Gothic and
Sawteeth to the West. To complete the Loop, I returned down the Elk
Pass Trail, which descends steeply from the Dial-Nipple Top junction
trail, just north of Nipple Top, spilling out into beautiful Elk Pass,
which winds it's way back to the Lake Road, for a total hike of about
15 miles. This is overall a fairly non-strenuous hike, except that I
found myself slipping into fatigue-carelessness on the way down the
steep stretch of the Elk Pass trail. On the other hand, I should think
that starting the loop from Elk Pass would leave you huffing and
puffing, with the longer part of the hike still to come, before you
reached either peak. From Otter Chalet and Deep Woods Cabin, take
Springfield Rd. south to Jay, 9N south into Keene, and 73 southeast
through Keene Valley and St. Huberts. Hiker parking is off the second
intersection marked "Ausable Club" as you're driving south on 73
towards the Northway. You have to walk about 1/2 mile from your car to
the Lake Road sign-in point. |
Click on Photos to Enlarge
Dix, Dial and Bear Den from Noonmark shoulder. Red Eft high on the trail up Bear Den.
Views on the Leach Trail from Noonmark forest fire area: left, Wolfjaws, etc.; right, view west through Noonmark/ Bear Den
Yours Truly on Dial Summit, flanked by huge erratics from Noonmark (left) and Bear Den trails.
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