Indian Falls two times

I went for a hike last Saturday from the Adirondack LOJ, usually not the greatest idea due to the crowds. I got an early start and opted to hike Tabletop, figuring it was the least popular destination along the Van Ho highway. The real views on this hike are from Indian Falls (just past the Tabletop herd path) so I headed there for a break before hiking up Tabletop. The herd path is pretty wet but it improves as you get higher up. The Tabletop summit view is definitely better in the winter when the snow-pack allows you to walk on top of the trees for a better angle of the Great range. Back down for a lunch stop at Indian Falls and a chat with some hikers who were filtering the water with a product that I will soon be adding to my pack. The view at Indian Falls is certainly worth a stop any time one is in the neighborhood! For some reason it always leaves me thinking I should hike to Algonquin again! I decided to return via the crossover trail to avoid the crowds. A good choice as I only encountered hikers at either end. The crowds were out in force near Avalanche camp ("Have you seen any available tent sites?"). A great weather day to be out and surprisingly quiet hike considering!

Dix loop from Elk Lake

Last Friday I did a loop hike over Dix mountain from Elk Lake. I went up via Hunter's Pass and descended the Beckhorn trail. I think I chose to do this hike in the correct direction (for me). The Hunter's Pass trail is plenty steep and scrambly before it joins the trail from route 73 but there were no show-stoppers. There were a few short sections at the top of the Beckhorn trail that I would have had trouble ascending without some help. Of course, with an assist from gravity there was no problem descending!!

The summit view is great although there were low clouds that filled inbuilding while I was stopped for lunch. There was also a cool effect of clouds (like fog) blowing up from the east side of the ridge. I had thought of adding Hough to the hike but made a wrong (right) turn on the Beckhorn. Oh well, I guess I will have to visit the rest of the range at a later date!