Having, at the moment of writing this, completed a majority of the 46 High Peaks, I say with some confidence that Dial and Nippletop are two I probably would never choose to do again unless it were to help so one else on their 46er Journey. There are so many great climbs out there and this one has little going for it compared to others.

These peaks are not necessarily “bad”, but Dial is very lackluster, Nippletop is very small, the trial is very muddy most of the time, and this is the single spot in the entire valley where I have experienced the worst concentration of Black Flies.

The trial is not incredibly difficult or anything just for awareness. In many ways it is distinctly average. It is fairly long, however, and many long stretches are through muddy creek beds that seem to be a haven for black flies. Not wet enough to be a stream, not dry enough to scare off the bugs.

There is a pretty cool lookout area near “Bear Den” that provides pretty great views, that and the actual Peak of Nippletop are by far the best parts. It is definitely worth doing at least once if you’ve never been before.

• Parking at the Ausable Club has become a subject of great contention and now (as of 2022) requires advanced parking reservations. Seek out information from the AMR below.
• No dogs are allowed on this trail or on the AMR, they have lots of rules.
• These two mountains can be done in junction with the rets of the ridge (Blake and Colvin) but that is a very long day.