Jazzbo
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- Jan 1, 2005
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In preparation for upcoming Trail Work Weekend September 6, I decided to check some trail conditions and by hiking Firescrew via Back 80, Mowglis, Upper Manning Trails. I had a hard time last winter finding and staying on Mowglis Trail, but in late August Mowglis Trail is wide open and plain as the nose on your face. There were a few minor wet spots, but there wasn’t a single blowdown or area in need of brushing. Mowglis is a lovely trail and makes a very nice ridge walk approach to Firescrew on a sunny clear day with brisk winds.
The beavers are back in business at the Beaver Ponds and have restored a broken dam on the Back 80 Trail making the trail somewhat damp where it passes close by. There were 4 or 5 large diameter blowdowns across the trail before the beaver ponds, but all of them are low to the ground and easily stepped over. The stretch of trail I bushed last winter with Tim and Mary is now well defined and easily followed especially around the beaver ponds. There was a stretch of trail just below the steeps where there was strong evidence of heavy water flow from the upper trail. I observed one spot where it would be real easy to build a waterbar and solve much of the problem.
I opted to skip crowds on Cardigan Summit and descended via Upper Manning. The areas we cleared of blowdowns last spring just below the upper ledges is looking great. Augmented some of the cairns on the ledges. Rock blazes are in good condition. The junction with Dukes Ski Trail is not at all obvious. I went looking for it to see if maybe there were some blazes or tags in the trees that had gotten overgrown. You need to work north 0.2 mile along lower ledges and keep your eye peeled for a blue diamond. The first blue diamond is way down below and hidden by a spruce. You’d have to be a pretty smart route finder to locate the Dukes from up above.
Upper Manning below the ledges is in great shape and all waterbars are nice and clean. I kicked out the occasional cobbles that had collected in them. Upper Manning had 4-5 large diameter blowdowns located above Allie Way but below the ledges. These were quite low to ground and easily stepped over. Not sure it’s worth lugging a chainsaw up there to cut them.
The beavers are back in business at the Beaver Ponds and have restored a broken dam on the Back 80 Trail making the trail somewhat damp where it passes close by. There were 4 or 5 large diameter blowdowns across the trail before the beaver ponds, but all of them are low to the ground and easily stepped over. The stretch of trail I bushed last winter with Tim and Mary is now well defined and easily followed especially around the beaver ponds. There was a stretch of trail just below the steeps where there was strong evidence of heavy water flow from the upper trail. I observed one spot where it would be real easy to build a waterbar and solve much of the problem.
I opted to skip crowds on Cardigan Summit and descended via Upper Manning. The areas we cleared of blowdowns last spring just below the upper ledges is looking great. Augmented some of the cairns on the ledges. Rock blazes are in good condition. The junction with Dukes Ski Trail is not at all obvious. I went looking for it to see if maybe there were some blazes or tags in the trees that had gotten overgrown. You need to work north 0.2 mile along lower ledges and keep your eye peeled for a blue diamond. The first blue diamond is way down below and hidden by a spruce. You’d have to be a pretty smart route finder to locate the Dukes from up above.
Upper Manning below the ledges is in great shape and all waterbars are nice and clean. I kicked out the occasional cobbles that had collected in them. Upper Manning had 4-5 large diameter blowdowns located above Allie Way but below the ledges. These were quite low to ground and easily stepped over. Not sure it’s worth lugging a chainsaw up there to cut them.
