Avalon/ AZ Trails

[Happyfeet]

My son and I will be going to Zealand on Thanksgiving weekend. With the Zealand Road closure, I was thinking about going in/out via Avalon and AZ trails, bagging Tom and Field, one each direction. How well are the trails marked? I did this route 5 or 6 yrs ago in April and if I remember correctly, there was a section of the AZ trail with alot of white birches with peeling or missing blazes. With the shorter days and the hiking speed of a 7 year old, I don't want to lose the trail and day light at the same time.

 

[sapblatt]

I have only been as far as the Field/Tom col from Crawfored, but I did not have any troubels at all...and this was in May before any maintenance would have been done.

 

[Barbarossa]

I have only been as far as the Field/Tom col from Crawfored, but I did not have any troubels at all...and this was in May before any maintenance would have been done.

The trail from the col down to the Zealand area is well marked. There were a couple steep sections.

 

[nartreb]

Did this last winter (after dark westbound, during snow flurries eastbound) as part of a longer overnight hike. Blazes were almost nonexistent, but the trail was pretty obvious even by lamplight, with one exception: the crossing of Crawford Brook on the A-Z trail is at the bottom of a steep gully; as you cross the stream westbound the trail resumes a bit farther to your right than you might expect, rising diagonally through some trees. There's a blaze on a pine tree but it's a little ways back from the stream.
The Avalon trail was a bit more challenging (at least with heavy winter packs) than we expected, so allow yourself plenty of time. With various misadventures, it took us about seven hours in the dark. (I'm not sure how long the eastbound trip took, but it was less.) EDIT: I meant seven hours to the hut, not just for the avalon trail!

 

[shamples]

I did Avalon, Field and Tom last weekend and the trails were fine. Easy to follow to that point. So you should have no problems bagging Field and then back for Tom. As for the rest of the AZ to the hut, I'm not sure as we didn't do that. Nice views atop Tom. Make sure to take in both vantage points on that summit. There are 2 spur trails once up top to get to the edges where the views are. A few years ago, my dad-in-law had gone up Tom but only caught the one view to the northwest looking at the Twins and Hale and Zealand Hut. He totally missed the other side you can see East-South-West and get a great view of the Presidentials and down into the Pemi.

 

[Peaks]

As I recall, the A-Z trail gets somewhat confusing as you approach the Zealand trail. I think there may be some ski trails in the area.

I also think that AMC may be running a shuttle this fall along the closed portion of the Zealand road.

 

[HockeyPuck]

Happyfeet

I hiked the A-Z trail to Zealand earlier this summer and it was obvious where the trail was.

The trail down into Zealand is not as wide and much more overgrown than it's ascent due to less hikers on the trail, but you (or your son) should not have any problems along the way.

There were a couple clear cut paths that cross the trail at 90 degree angles (or so) during the lower, flatter sections that didn't appear to be trails..