Cabot/Bulge/Horn... 8/15/2005

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TroutBumNH

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Messages
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Location
Seacoast, NH
I got out of Portsmouth at 5:30am to get up to Mount Cabot.. #45 for me. It was quite foggy getting up to Berlin from the seacoast, and relatively slow going. I made the hatchery gate and beyond, and parked at the little lot for the Unknown Pond Trail. I crossed the road and walked the .2 miles up the York Pond Trail to the Bunnell Notch Trail. I left the car at 8:45.

My route was to be Bunnell Notch to Kilkenny Ridge to Unknown Pond. Bunnell Notch was easy to follow and not particularly muddy... probably due to increasing use. It was an easy walk along a brook up to the col, and before I knew it, I found myself at the intersection with the Kilkenny Ridge Trail. It's an easy sidehill traverse to 90-degree right at signed-yet-closed Cabot Trail, and from there it's a set of long, gradual-but-steady switchbacks up the side of Cabot. The boy scout cabin appears quite suddenly. It's small and simple, and must be quite a refuge on a rainy night! The views were very nice from the cabin, but I wanted to keep my pace going, so I pushed on.

As often reported, the peak of Cabot itself is nothing too special... except that it's a 4000-footer, and for me, number 45 towards a long term goal. I tagged the sign, and after a brief chat with two very pleasant women who had poached the Cabot Trail, chose to keep moving before a true break.

I rolled over the Bulge, and found the side path to the Horn. I scrambled to the top of the Horn, to be treated to unbelievable views. So thank you to the regulars for convincing me to make a .6 mile side trip! (Like Tom & Atticus, I read these forums all the time, yet don't contribute very frequently. Well, Tom, I've decided to participate more and not lurk so much based upon your post. So thanks for that!) I enjoyed a snack and some water and enjoyed the sun and the views for a while before moving on.

The trip out was uneventful. There's a lot of rocky sidehill on Kilkenny on the way down to Unknown Pond from the Horn side trail. Also, there's some mud on the flats and ups and downs before the pond, but not much. The Unknown Pond trail veers off the Kilkenny Ridge trail (seems like it would've been easy to pass)after following the pond's shore for a bit. After hiking up and walking on rocks/roots for a good chunk of the day, the Unknown Pond trail made for *great* footing for the trek out. I got into a great zone and walked out in good time. There were long stretches of just sand/soil and not as many rocks/roots. Not too far below the pond you walk on slopes that are open and fern filled with birches. Just a little bit different, and very cool to descend through. Otherwise, it was a very gentle walk back to the Subaru.

Adding book distances, I walked 11.7 miles in 5 hours. Not too bad considering a long lunch on the Horn. I checked the back of my WMG and saw that I started putting in dates '97, then started actually trying to hit the list in 1999. Well, it's down to Zealand, West Bond, and Isolation. I did a Bond Traverse in 1999, but was with a friend who got to feeling sick, so we went to Guyot, then bailed the next day. I figured I'd come back the next week, and now here I am (!!).

I might shoot up there tomorrow to do a Lincoln Woods to Zealand traverse, and bag West Bond and Zealand in the process. Then it will be Isolation when the weather looks right, and a cold bottle of some Dogfish Head product to celebrate #48! Afterwards, I look forward to not using a list for a while except for the one in my head of 'my favorites' that deserve another visit... and soon, i'm sure i'll start contemplating things like the numer 67 and these same 48 between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.... good stuff!

Again, echoing Tom & Atticus, thank you to the whole VFTT community for the wealth of information these forums provide! Sometimes when I feel I'm obsessed, I come to the forums and feel right at home! ;-)

Mike
 
Nice trip report, Mike! I was thinking of doing that hike soon, and you've confirmed for me that the Horn is worth the extra effort.

Also, kudos on your "product" placement. That's long been a favorite of mine. Looking forward to your Isolation trip report!
 
Dogfish Head certainly does make a great brew!

I'm partial to the 60 minute IPA (and will be bringing some when I do #'s 2,3,4,and 5 of my 48 quest next month).

Good report. I too find this site really great. I just discovered it a few weeks ago, and have visited almost everyday. Thanks again for the trip report and enjoy that beer on #48!
 
I have a soft spot in my heart for The Horn . When I finally got around to finishing my 48 the first time a few years ago, last was Cabot.
It snowed and it was windy and I had no views at all. I got over The Bulge in the ice and stopped in the forest at the side trail to The Horn......I debated with and convinced my partners to make the extra effort. "It IS a 100 highest y'know blah blah"

It stopped snowing long enough to let the sun out and we were amazed at the lucky little pocket of views we got. Fantastic little summit area too. One of those times I will never forget.

Nice report. Keep posting as you finish your list!
 
TroutBumNH, thanks for the great report! If all goes to plan I'll be following your route on Sunday. Judging from your account, the bridge is still in? Hopefully it will still be there this weekend.
 
Hmm... I can't say as I know for sure... I didn't notice any signage at all near the bridge...

Here's the latest from Outdoors.org... it should help!

Mike

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/huts/zealand-road-closure.cfm

During the last century the Zealand Valley has been a quiet place in the fall. At the edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, the deep valley between Whitewall, Hale, Tom and Zeacliff feels remote. This fall it will be a little bit more so when the Forest Service closes the Zealand Road. The USFS is rebuilding the bridge over the Ammonoosuc River just off Route 302. From September 6th until mid-December the bridge will be closed to all foot and vehicle traffic.

The Zealand Falls Hut will remain open, and the AMC will be offering free van rides up and down the 3.5-mile Zealand Road to overnight guests. Dayhikers and backpackers will be accommodated on a space-available basis. The Zealand Rd. Shuttle schedule overlaps with the AMC Hiker Shuttle schedule to offer transportation to the Zealand Trail parking lot. However, hikers riding the Zealand Rd. Shuttle will need to ford the Ammonoosuc River upstream of the bridge. In normal flow conditions the river is about 25 feet wide and 10 inches deep. Other options for accessing Zealand include hiking the A-Z Trail from Crawford Notch (5.5 miles, 2000ft), the Ethan Pond Trail (7.4 miles, 1700ft) or walking the road (3.5 miles) and the Zealand Trail (2.8 miles, combined with road 6.3 miles, 650 ft.). For those hut guests wishing to hike in without a van ride, the combination of the Zealand Road and Trail provides the easiest hike. The AZ Trail is the most strenuous, with its ascent to the col between Mts. Field and Tom. All three routes should offer quiet hikes through the bright fall forest.
 
As of Sunday the bridge was still in place and you could drive up to the trailhead. Brooks were very high after the rain Saturday night but should be back in shape according to the USGS. If you can take 2 rides and go up Starr King and follow the ridge. You can get 2 4K's and the Weeks and Horn in one weekend. Good luck
 
Bridge is OUT!

:( Damn! I'm hiking Cabot this Sunday if all goes to plan and I've been hoping the bridge would still be there. No such luck, I just saw this posted yesterday in "trail conditions":
Berlin Fish Hatchery Bridge Out, 8/25/05, docross - "Special Required Equipment: A bicycle would have been very useful"

along with Docross's accompanying trip report.

I wonder what the 4,000 footer committee's opinion will be regarding using a bike during this temporary bridge outage? :rolleyes:
 
Mark_Goodearl said:
:( Damn! I'm hiking Cabot this Sunday if all goes to plan and I've been hoping the bridge would still be there. No such luck, I just saw this posted yesterday in "trail conditions":
Berlin Fish Hatchery Bridge Out, 8/25/05, docross - "Special Required Equipment: A bicycle would have been very useful"

along with Docross's accompanying trip report.

I wonder what the 4,000 footer committee's opinion will be regarding using a bike during this temporary bridge outage? :rolleyes:

Mark I agree with Kevin that the 4K committee would have no problem; after all, under normal circumstances you can drive to the TH, so why not bike?
 
Did anyone lose a Digital Camera on Cabot? See alpinzone.com hiking forum for details.
 
Doh! Almost tagged another 4K!

Here's a photo of the bridge that is out and here is a photo of the foot bridge upstream.

Three of us went yesterday. We drove 100+ miles to get there, biked 4 miles RT to / from the trailhead, hiked for hours in the pouring rain and succeeded in standing where the firetower was thinking we were at the top when, if we'd taken the time to read the trail guide more carefully, we'd have known the true summit was a short distance further on. Damn!!! We didn't realize this until on the drive home. Oh well, it was good exercise, a lesson learned, a chance to eat sweet wild blackberries, and better than sitting at the computer! :rolleyes:
 
Kevin Rooney said:
Hey Mark -
I saw Dave's post as well about the bridge being out. I don't think you'll run afoul of the 4K Committee's intent by taking your bike and riding it from the bridge location to the trailhead. Doing so would be consistent with other temporary outages, such as the one currently at Zealand.
Actually, my first thought (which I posted in response to docross's comment on the Terrace trip report) was that a bike would not be allowable in this situation, based on the time when Sawyer River road was washed out and necessitated extra road walking to get to Carrigain.
The Zealand access may be different if there is a shuttle running to the trailhead (did I understand that correctly?) but if you have to pay for it...
On the other hand, this rule was developed with trailless peaks in mind.
Let me consult with other members of the Committee before this gets into an ugly discussion. Unfortunately that may not help those headed out this weekend :(
Ultimately this may be one of those matters of personal conscience.
 
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