Oncoman
Active member
The plan was to drive up Madison Brook rd to this fork , do a quick up & down trip of East Mtn and then do 2, possibly 3, Seneca pks. Well things really didn’t go as planned.
First off the road section turning north from Granby Rd shortly after Granby is very rocky making for slow travel. BTW the sign says « TREAM rd », the « S » was gone, while Delorme calls this rd « Dead Mans Rest », a very fitting name for a Halloween stroll in the woods! This was to be the only road sign I would see in that remote area. The road layout of Delorme is initially accurate bringing you to junction with Paul Stream Rd, unidentified but there is a camp there labelled Paul Granby. Thereafter the road section up to the South America Pond Rd is in much better condition with 4 or 5 cottages along the way. Turned right onto S. America Pond Rd, noticed road on left immediately after intersection going uphill, not shown on Topozone nor on Delorme, likely heading towards Senecas but with the icy rain & snow knew my car would never make it up this steep muddy rd. Then crossed bridge & drove about 1 mile along this excellent gravel rd just enough to realize that this was the better way in to the Senecas.
Turned around & drove to this rd intersection . From here on the road network doesn’t at all fit with the roads mapped out in Delorme or Topozone. According to local hunters I met there, the southern branch loops back to main gravel rd following power line. The rd continuing straight on and corresponding to rd shown on Topozone & Delorme dips down 20’ or so and is gated & locked. Another rd initially paralling this rd is encountered shortly after taking south bound branch but after driving up that rd for 2 m. or so you come to dead end with brook with no bridge to cross. Due to rain & clouds was unable to get visual of nearby pks but suspect that I was about here .
Decided to go back to locked gate & walk up road to fork & finally start my bwk. It was now 08h15, very late for my ambitious hiking plans. Saw camp on my right after ½ m. and a 4W drive vehicle a little farther on just before flooded rd section by beaver dam, with fresh moose & hunter boot tracks thereafter in fresh snow along rd. Hope they had key to open gate on their way out. But more rd surprises awaited me. The famous road fork (3 way fork by coupling Delorme & Topozone info.) I was seeking is simply no longer there. After 35 min. of walking I did encounter a rd branch on my right but heading to south west?
Another 20 min. of walking brought me to a dead end. I thus concluded that rd probably does circle to south east as shown on Delorme, but with no visibility and thus no way of locating myself on map with certainty I had no other choice but to call it quits & keep the Senecas for another time. Upon recrossing the S. America Pond Rd intersection I momentarily entertained the idea of exploring the rd going uphill towards Senecas but it was now almost 10h30. Too late and besides I absolutely wanted to do East Mtn, a pk on my NEFF list.
Thus drove around to Radar rd just beyond Gallup Mills, went up Gallup Mills Rd to locked gate at intersection with Radar Rd and left car there. Then walked up road under heavy icy rain. Took me 75 min. to reach summit. 3-4’’ of snow on ground on top. Searched 15 min. or so for canister around high point, identified by moss-covered rock on left about 30’ from rd just before sign saying « DANGER – authorized personnel only beyond this point », but like Nate 2 or 3 weeks ago I never found one. The spruce branches were heavily covered by wet snow making for miserably poor bushwhacking conditions not to mention the strong winds. Suspect that I would have been forced to turn back had I attempted to do the Senecas. After just over an hour of rd walk my socks & gloves were already completely soaked through. Was back to my car by 13h15 very wet with hands & feet quite cold. Decided to call it a day and drove off to Montréal.
If one wants to do Senecas, do not take southern approach. Personally if I decide to return there I would attempt going up via South America Pond Rd or North Branch Rd.
Pierre
First off the road section turning north from Granby Rd shortly after Granby is very rocky making for slow travel. BTW the sign says « TREAM rd », the « S » was gone, while Delorme calls this rd « Dead Mans Rest », a very fitting name for a Halloween stroll in the woods! This was to be the only road sign I would see in that remote area. The road layout of Delorme is initially accurate bringing you to junction with Paul Stream Rd, unidentified but there is a camp there labelled Paul Granby. Thereafter the road section up to the South America Pond Rd is in much better condition with 4 or 5 cottages along the way. Turned right onto S. America Pond Rd, noticed road on left immediately after intersection going uphill, not shown on Topozone nor on Delorme, likely heading towards Senecas but with the icy rain & snow knew my car would never make it up this steep muddy rd. Then crossed bridge & drove about 1 mile along this excellent gravel rd just enough to realize that this was the better way in to the Senecas.
Turned around & drove to this rd intersection . From here on the road network doesn’t at all fit with the roads mapped out in Delorme or Topozone. According to local hunters I met there, the southern branch loops back to main gravel rd following power line. The rd continuing straight on and corresponding to rd shown on Topozone & Delorme dips down 20’ or so and is gated & locked. Another rd initially paralling this rd is encountered shortly after taking south bound branch but after driving up that rd for 2 m. or so you come to dead end with brook with no bridge to cross. Due to rain & clouds was unable to get visual of nearby pks but suspect that I was about here .
Decided to go back to locked gate & walk up road to fork & finally start my bwk. It was now 08h15, very late for my ambitious hiking plans. Saw camp on my right after ½ m. and a 4W drive vehicle a little farther on just before flooded rd section by beaver dam, with fresh moose & hunter boot tracks thereafter in fresh snow along rd. Hope they had key to open gate on their way out. But more rd surprises awaited me. The famous road fork (3 way fork by coupling Delorme & Topozone info.) I was seeking is simply no longer there. After 35 min. of walking I did encounter a rd branch on my right but heading to south west?
Another 20 min. of walking brought me to a dead end. I thus concluded that rd probably does circle to south east as shown on Delorme, but with no visibility and thus no way of locating myself on map with certainty I had no other choice but to call it quits & keep the Senecas for another time. Upon recrossing the S. America Pond Rd intersection I momentarily entertained the idea of exploring the rd going uphill towards Senecas but it was now almost 10h30. Too late and besides I absolutely wanted to do East Mtn, a pk on my NEFF list.
Thus drove around to Radar rd just beyond Gallup Mills, went up Gallup Mills Rd to locked gate at intersection with Radar Rd and left car there. Then walked up road under heavy icy rain. Took me 75 min. to reach summit. 3-4’’ of snow on ground on top. Searched 15 min. or so for canister around high point, identified by moss-covered rock on left about 30’ from rd just before sign saying « DANGER – authorized personnel only beyond this point », but like Nate 2 or 3 weeks ago I never found one. The spruce branches were heavily covered by wet snow making for miserably poor bushwhacking conditions not to mention the strong winds. Suspect that I would have been forced to turn back had I attempted to do the Senecas. After just over an hour of rd walk my socks & gloves were already completely soaked through. Was back to my car by 13h15 very wet with hands & feet quite cold. Decided to call it a day and drove off to Montréal.
If one wants to do Senecas, do not take southern approach. Personally if I decide to return there I would attempt going up via South America Pond Rd or North Branch Rd.
Pierre
