Summiting the Adirondacks: Conquering the 46 High Peaks

Dix Range

Taking advantage of another beautiful fall weekend in the Adirondacks, we drove up late after school on Friday night, ready to crush a 2-mile hike and set up camp. But, as always in the mountains, plans change. The parking lot had other ideas. A sign told us the Dix lot was full, redirecting us to the overflow area 2.3 miles from the trailhead. We saw a few cars pulling out late in the evening and decided to take a chance. Luck was on our side—two spots were left, and we grabbed one. After chatting with a few fellow hikers, who said a group had just gone ahead to the campground, we chose to stay put and set up our tent in the back of the pickup. It turned out to be the best decision because not long after, the rain started. We stayed warm, dry, and cozy in our tent, while the storm passed over us.

Morning came, and we woke up to a sky bursting with stars. It was one of those perfect moments that make you feel alive. We hit the trail at 5:45 AM, feeling strong, energized, and ready to tackle the Dix Range. We'd heard all kinds of stories about the McComb Slide, but when we reached it, we both thought, "This is it?" We breezed right up it, no problem, and summited our first peak of the day, Macomb Mountain (4,405 feet). Peak number 35—check! I felt a rush of pride standing on that summit, knowing all the hard work and training I'd put in was paying off.

From there, we kept the momentum going. It was just 0.8 miles to South Dix (4,060 feet), and the rock scrambles along the way were fun—no sweat. At the top, we ran into a group of hikers we'd heard in the parking lot earlier that morning. The sun was out now, lighting up the surrounding peaks, and the views were nothing short of stunning.

We didn't hang around long before heading to our next summit, Grace Peak (formerly East Dix, 4,012 feet), which was just 0.5 miles away. The trek over was quick, and we were greeted with more jaw-dropping views. A short break, a deep breath, and off we went toward Hough Peak (4,400 feet), about 1.5 miles away. This section was steeper, and I won't lie, I was "huffing and puffin' on Hough"—pun definitely intended. But reaching that summit felt like a victory. I could see the next two peaks on the horizon, and I knew we were going to crush the rest of the day.

Now, the fun part: to reach Dix Mountain (4,857 feet), we had to first tag the Beckhorn. Though not officially a high peak, Beckhorn plays an essential role on the trail. It's not considered a high peak because it falls just short of the necessary 1-mile distance from the summit of Dix, a requirement set by the Adirondack Survey to define "high peaks." That didn't stop us from enjoying the amazing views it offered as we made our way through. From Beckhorn, it was just a short jaunt over to Dix Mountain itself. With Dix being our sixth peak of the day, we had now officially bagged five of the 46ers—leaving us with just seven more to go. The feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming.

The descent down the Beckhorn was actually a lot of fun, despite its reputation. The trail had its challenges, but we navigated it with ease, laughing about how much we were enjoying what others had dreaded. The entire day had been perfect—the fall colors, the warm breeze, and the way the sun lit up the landscape. It felt like we could see for miles. As we reached the end of our hike, we both agreed this was our favorite range so far.

By the time we finished, we had covered 15.5 miles and gained over 5,000 feet in elevation. The peaks were close enough together that it felt like we were flying from one to the next. I couldn't help but feel proud—this wasn't just another hike, this was a testament to hard work, training, and the love of the mountains. It was one of those days that reminded me why I do this—why I push myself, why I train, and why, at the end of it all, every step is worth it. This was, without a doubt, our favorite range in the Adirondacks to date.