Rocky Peak Ridge and Macomb Loops

Rocky Peak Ridge & Giant Loop using a trailless crossover	Trailless climb of Macomb to Dix from Elk Lake
Thin club moss near camp	where I watch the moon set through the tent door	in the morning I set out from 9N toward Owlhead Lookout, finding a very smooth mushroom
Trillium fruit	white baneberry	and Indian Cumber-root fruit
I reach the wonderful view from Owlhead Lookout	and enjoy the visit of a black-capped chickadee	descending passed Common Juniper
I go trailless toward the Bald to Rocky Peak Ridge col	near the river, it seems there is an overgrown lofgging road to follow	I sit at the river split, a landmark on the crossover
Oyster mushrooms	animal trails	not a deer
I reach the trail in the col, and find a grasshopper, dead or alive	I reach the eastern end of Rocky Peak Ridge, a great lunch spot	outstanding views
the sun makes a rainbow halo through the haze	and I think some alpine goldenrod is hiding here	though broadleaf is in the next col
bee on an aster	Labrador tea too	cranberries by the lake
Indian pipes as I near treeline	where blueberries abound	I enjoy a rest, and see the first fellow hikers for the day
British solder lichen	a red squirrel	and a marvelous view back
I reach Giant	a Dark-eyed Junco visits the summit	red spruce/black spruce?
old man's beard lichen	a Tinder Polypore	huge paperbirch sheets on the descent
I pass the dramatic needle balls of a Red pine	as I near High Banks	more berries
and a lovely woodland walk	and a toadstool as I finish the day's hike.	Next day, I set off for Macomb from Elk lake, reaching the herd path at the end of this bridge
Artist's conk	the herd path through the Floyd blowdown is clear	but the new route brings you onot the slide above the stream, where there is a great view of Elk lake
but more climbing to do	a lovely breakfast spot	a sprout tries to take hold on the open till
and I reach the top of the open rock	after Macomb, I head to south Dix, reaching this open rock	great view from the rock
visited by a sparrow near where the register used to be	delightful rock on Hough	a great view
last scramble toward Dix	where there is a great view from the Beckhorn on Dix	I enjoy lunch
the summit marker from the Colvin survey	lichen and	a mushroom
and a red-belted polypore	close visit by a dragonfly	Dix pond
log island	pitcher plant	another plant
sundews	view 2	and a baby
a damselfly	rinsing the pond muck in Lillian Brook	Hobblebush berries
a shelf mushroom	a mineral spring	Canadian Mayflower berries

Panoramas created with Autostitch
Thanks to Larry Reiter and Louis Zulli for help with bird/fungi identification.