9-17 Bushwack from Bridal falls to Kinsman ridge...woohoo

[dom15931]

9-17 Bushwack from Bridal Veil falls to Kinsman ridge

What an interesting day today. I was planning on heading to the Dacks, then the weather forcast got bad, then it improved...some...so I decided to instead hike Kinsman Ridge since I didnt have to invest much driving time with the potential for foul weather.

I was getting frustrated with the trailhead location off Rt116 (turns out its an old dirt road path) so I figured I would go up the coppermine trail which dead ends at Bridal Veil Falls. I have never done a bushwack and I figured this would be a decent one to try since there is a trail on top the ridge that you eventually would run into.

Upon reaching the falls I crossed the stream and then headed up the rim of the erosion channel, which was a bit steep. I used a few animal paths to navigate to a spot where I could begin to climb straight into the mountain. My goal was to keep my path relativily perpendicular to the ridgeline. Pretty much went straight up it with a few bends to dodge tough spots and thickets. Had to watch out for bad footing. It was about a mile of relatively steep terrain and in places the trees were very very thick. The soil was littered with rotton logs, moss, and hidden holes. Upon reaching the flatter areas near the crest of the ridgeline the trees became unimaginablly thick. Was about 15 minutes of pure hell, then it thinned out. This could probably be avoided by going around what appears to be a clearing but is accually thick low forest. I reached the trail where it is just under the ridgeline and it was a welcome sight. I was surprised to hit the trail close to where I wanted to with no GPS. I then continued on to South Kinsman and then backtracked a little bit and took the trail at the junction down to rt116. The trail eventually became a jeep trail and exited directly to the road. No wonder I couldn't find it earlier!

Below is a link to some pics and one is a topomap. The black line is trail and the redline is an ESTIMATE of my path. It is, however, a reasonablly accuarate account of where I went. the exit point onto the trail is correct because I met the ridge trail on a knob below the ridge crest at the top of the flat area I described, which I used as a control point for drawing the line from the falls. Approx 10 miles all together and about 6 hours.

http://community.webshots.com/album/453725389wCjlJI

 

[Barbarossa]

I'd never done a bushwack and I figured this would be a decent one to try since there is a trail on top the ridge that you eventually would run into.

Famous last words

Yet another trip to put on my 'to do' list.

 

[dom15931]

Famous last words

Yet another trip to put on my 'to do' list.

HAHA 'famous last works' I know, I thought of that when it got extremely thick in that flat area near the ridgecrest.

Would have been hell to go back down. Good thing it was like this near the end because I would of aborted if it would have been like this sooner. The conifers where as thick as a cornfield and several feet higher. Found myself walking on fallen trees about two feet off the ground to take the punch out of it. Other than this one area it was enjoyable though.

I'm thinking the large thicket could likely be avoided by going around the rim of the flat area, where the forest should be older and less thick. It almost appeared to be the top at first beause you could see a bright spot (overcast sky) though the trees at a low angle from a good ways back...then it turns out to be a blow down or old blighted area that is alive with younger trees. After a bit the trees thinned out, the moss got thick, it got a little steeper briefly and them bam, the trail.

 

[askus3]

I have an old White Mountain trail map from 1946 showing that there once was a trail that continued up to Kinsman Ridge from Bridalveil falls and it wasn't a dead end. It sounds like there was no sign of this old trail.

 

[dom15931]

I have an old White Mountain trail map from 1946 showing that there once was a trail that continued up to Kinsman Ridge from Bridalveil falls and it wasn't a dead end. It sounds like there was no sign of this old trail.

I checked up on this and yes and found some interesting info:

http://world.std.com/~Whites/Kinsman.html

Coppermine Trail
Locale: Kinsman
Condition: No Report, likely very obscure.
Rating: Unrated

The Coppermine Trail now climbs along Coppermine Brook to end at Bridal Veil Falls. What remains was once partof two trails. The First was the Coppermine Ski Trail, which merits it's own entry. The other diverged from the shelter and rose to the Kinsman Ridge Trail. Described in the 1936 WMG:

" The Kinsman Ridge Trail may be reached by a spotted line which leaves the Bridal Veil Falls Trail on the S bank of the brook at thefoot-bridge. It follows in part old logging-roads and, though not cleared and in places blocked by downed timber, it is profusely blazed. It meets the Kinsman Ridge Trail between the S and middle Cannon Balls about 200 yds. N of the water in the sag... 2 miles."

This trail is visibleon the Franconia Sheet bound into the'36 Guide.It's direction is almostdue S, and it rose about 1600'. The most profuse of blazes fade after 60 years.The route is no longer mentioned in the '60 Guide, but the abandoned trail is shown on theFranconia Map. I expect this one will be hard to find. If the route can be followed, it opens up some rough weekend loops in the Kinsman Region.



I can confirm the old logging trail, it was several hundred yards off the valley floor running beside the stream. Would be interesting to investigate the area more...