Abandoned Sanctuary Trail In Bean's Purchase (Wild River Wilderness)

[Hillwalker]

This past Tuesday, 10/11, I Hiked with my dog from the Wild River Campground on a really nice familiar route. Familiar because I was the Adopter of the Black Angel trail in the very early 1980s and spent several summers in that area doing trail work. Tuesdays route was as follows: Wild River trail to the Eagle Link trail, then to Eagle Crag for lunch. From Eagle Crag over the Meader Ridge Trail to Meader and the Rim Junction intersection and the wonderful overlook of Basin Pond from the cliffs. From there down the Blue Brook trail back to the Wild River Campground. A really nice long day for this old man and his dog. Except for a backpacker exiting the trail at the campground, I saw no one all day.

As I'm sure we all do when solo hiking, my mind was on wings, flying from thought to thought as i walked. One of my musings turned to the old Sanctuary Trail which used to leave the Meader Ridge trail about a half mile after leaving Eagle Crag heading for Meader. The old trail descended slightly heading due west, then went through a quite flat area at about 2700 feet. It then circled a small 2850' summit after which it descended directly down a northwest facing gully/ravine and ended up at Spider Bridge. It looked to be only about two miles in length. But today probably at least four hours timewise. My 1942 USGS map shows the trail, as does the 1955 Gorham Quad reprint.

My question is this. Has anyone tried to find this old trail? And would anyone else like to try?

It is not listed on the NH Lost Trails Website. http://www.franklinsites.com/losthikingtrails/

 

[vegematic]

I never knew this old trail existed. I'd be interested in checking it out as I love that area.
-vegematic

 

[Hillwalker]

My thought is to again pick a fine Fall day and start at Wild River Campground. Walk into the old Spider Bridge crossing, locate the correct drainage and head up. This probably will be mostly a bushwhack with hopefully discernible traces of the old trail. If successful it would be an neat alternate way to get up to Eagle Crag. Once there the walk out via Mt Meader trail, Rim Junction and Blue Brook trails is one of my favorite ambles. Given time I want to check out the summit of Ragged Jacket which is only five minutes off the Rim trail on the way to Rim Junction. I have walked below Ragged Jacket numerous times and it looks pretty interesting and easy to get to. Since I am retired I am pretty much always available to get out on the trails. Especially during this, my favorite hiking season. I think that the name "Sanctuary Trail" resulted from the 1903 forest fire that decimated the Wild River woods including denuding the Baldfaces. I also think I know the origin of the naming of the "Black Angel Trail". Speaking of the Black Angel Trail, did you know that there are beautiful old enameled trail mileage markers high up in places along the trail. The first time I saw these was when I was brushing out parts of the trail around 1983 or 84. This area has an incredible amount of history for being in such of an out of the way location.