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After an 18 mile, peak bagging slog in the Seward Range, I realized that snow did exist in the higher elevations of the Adirondack Park. The next weekend Andrew and I were back to explore whatever slides we could find on either Beckhorn or Dix. Here's how the trip went:

After my shift ended at the local gear store, I gathered my crap and my wits and loaded up into Andrew's new used Subaru. I'm happy to say only one lonesome glove was lost in the process. No matter. A two hour drive left us gearing up in the Elk's Lake parking lot in preparation for our 6 mile skin towards our chosen lean to. It was cold, clear, and spirits were quite high indeed. A classic night-time approach with head lamps, multiple endeavors in layer-swapping, and trying to break into an aerobic rhythm commenced.

At the lean-to, we ate rice and bean burritos, habenaro cheese, drank Rock Art and Sierra Nevada beers, and philosophized prior to huddling into our sleeping bags and bivy sacks to brave the -15 degree evening. Water bottles filled with boiling water hunkered down closely to our crotches. The moon was bright and I only woke up a dozen times. Somebody had carved into a tree stump a memorial for a dog named Johnny who had passed away sometime in 2011.


DSCN1252 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr

With brisk temperatures a divine presence combined with the relative warmth of our plastic caskets, we did not get an alpine start. Coffee, tea, and shitty oatmeal proceeded a two mile skin to the base of the Hunter's Pass slides on Dix. The climbing conditions were superb. Hard pack, purchasable crust aided us on our various ascents. The sunlit slide felt springlike.


DSCN1256 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1260 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1264 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1265 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1274 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1277 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr

The snowboard conditions were quite good for this year. Hey, at least we were snowboarding. Up high it was stereotypical Euro-survival boarding. With ice tools in hand, we negotiated our way between ice-strewn death traps and a collection of no-fall zones. Andrew was left a little blustered. Once we reached the bottom of our descent, we ate lunch in the sun and decided to stick to the slide's lower gullies where wind blasted powder and jibbing opportunities prevailed.


DSCN1312 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1336 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1382 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1397 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1446 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1478 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr


DSCN1488 by dmitchvtadk, on Flickr

Good stuff. I think a trip over that way is in the near future for me.

sweet way to get out and after it. been a long time since i've been home.

Looks like some entertaining conditions!

nice write up homie.

Two other noteworthy additions:

-we didn't see a soul all day!

-after feeding our heads at the lean-to we watched a brown trout swim around in very frigid water for 10 minutes saturday evening. Good times!!

I can't believe I forgot to put that trout sighting into the mix! It was extremely surreal and invigorating. I connect so little with people these days that seeing nobody rarely surprises me; I feel more normal. Gil Scott-Heron says hi.

camping out in subzero temps to ride some water ice, then writing an awesome TR about it.... i can't say i miss vermont winters, but i sure do miss the cool northeastern folks who made them so much fun!

ive never been riding on the east coast, but this pic screams east coast to me.

right on dude!