Flat Mountain Pond Trail

[iagreewithjamie]

If you're coming from Sandwich Dome and going to Flat Mountain Pond, it looks to me that you hit the valley at Bennet Street, then proceed to follow pond brook to its source only to double back on the other side. To me, it seems that this leg around pond brook adds at least a mile or more, when the trails at times appear to be only 500ft apart. Why not do the obvious, and bushwhack over the brook and just short-cut it to Flat Mountain pond?

I know somewhere here has tried this. It's too obvious not to.

Thanks.

 

[JoshandBaron]

I usually cut off the hairpin. It's a little steep on the pond side but totally doable. Stream crossing has never given me trouble.

 

[Jazzbo]

Grades were designed for logging RR. Hairpin turn was to provide steady rail road grade to height of land at the pond. At major brook crossings there was log built trestles. If you look closely you will notice embedded log footings still in place preserved by being kept wet. You will encounter poorly drained sections trail with ties still well preserved.

 

[iagreewithjamie]

Thanks for the replies. One further question.
I was thinking about camping at Shehadi or Heermance on Whiteface. Following the trail from there to Flat Mountain Pond would require descending the McCrillis, which looks to be steep and actually goes in the wrong direction, only to backtrack up the FMP trail.
Old maps and some relatively current maps refer to the Woodbury trail, as well as the Old Pond Trail that allegedly goes to FMP.
Has anyone taken Sleeper Trail to Woodbury Trail down Old Pond Trail during the summer months? Also curious if it makes more sense to follow Woodbury to East Sleeper, then bushwhack down to FMP Trail. It's documented that the area was well logged, so I imagine those woods are fairly open and nicely graded.

If anyone has done this or has thoughts about it, I welcome your input. It looks much easier than McCrillis, especially with a 4-day pack.
Thanks

 

[jniehof]

Thanks for the replies. One further question.
I was thinking about camping at Shehadi or Heermance on Whiteface.

Those shelters have been gone for over a decade and camping at the former shelter sites isn't recommended.

 

[Tom_Murphy]

Has anyone taken Sleeper Trail to Woodbury Trail down Old Pond Trail during the summer months? Also curious if it makes more sense to follow Woodbury to East Sleeper, then bushwhack down to FMP Trail. It's documented that the area was well logged, so I imagine those woods are fairly open and nicely graded.
If anyone has done this or has thoughts about it, I welcome your input. It looks much easier than McCrillis, especially with a 4-day pack.
Thanks

Bring waders if you are going through Lost Pass in the Spring.

 

[TJsName]

If anyone has done this or has thoughts about it, I welcome your input. It looks much easier than McCrillis, especially with a 4-day pack.
Thanks

The McCrillis trail, while steep in parts, isn't very rough at all. I went up it last Summer and really enjoyed it. It does bring you pretty far down from Flat Mtn Pond though, so it's certainly a detour as you noted. Here is a good post about the drainage from the col between the Sleepers - looks fun!: http://mountainwandering.blogspot.com/2010/07/tripyramid-sleeper-ramble-72010-two.html

 

[iagreewithjamie]

Those shelters have been gone for over a decade and camping at the former shelter sites isn't recommended.

Noted. However, I'm out there for 4 days, so I definitely need a place to camp in the Whiteface area. That area happens to be next to some pristine forest (the bowl), so it makes way more sense to me to camp at an abandoned camp site than to find a place in a delicate area. LNT recommends reusing an existing camp instead of creating new ones. I believe these "aren't recommended" in order to discourage use

 

[TJsName]

Noted. However, I'm out there for 4 days, so I definitely need a place to camp in the Whiteface area. That area happens to be next to some pristine forest (the bowl), so it makes way more sense to me to camp at an abandoned camp site than to find a place in a delicate area. LNT recommends reusing an existing camp instead of creating new ones. I believe these "aren't recommended" in order to discourage use

Drop down to the Downs Brook Trail via Kate Sleeper. Just what if the junction there are a couple spots at the old camp.

 

[iagreewithjamie]

Drop down to the Downs Brook Trail via Kate Sleeper. Just what if the junction there are a couple spots at the old camp.

Great advice. Thank you.
This also puts me right where I want to be with regard to bushwhacking down East Sleeper.
I'm guessing Downs Brook source waters are nearby...

Thanks for the feedback, all.
I'm looking forward to spending 4 days in one of my favorite places

 

[peakbagger]

You will cross a very nice stream a few feet prior to the intersection with Downes Brook trail. The woods past this drainage towards Sleeper used to be beautiful in this area but is now a testament of what a high wind event will do.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Drop down to the Downs Brook Trail via Kate Sleeper. Just what if the junction there are a couple spots at the old camp.

We struggled to find a spot to put a couple hammocks up there and had to drop down farther but there is space for a tent right next to the trail just west of the jct. The woods up there are a mess.

 

[TJsName]

We struggled to find a spot to put a couple hammocks up there and had to drop down farther but there is space for a tent right next to the trail just west of the jct. The woods up there are a mess.

Hmm, we've camped there twice since the massive blowdown event. There is the main spot just north of the Kate Sleeper Trail (with a small spur to it) that has room for 3-4 tents. Slightly west of that on the south side of the trail is an open area that would probably be more conducive to hammocks. The blowdowns patch starts right after that and is really a neat place. You could probably camp around East Sleeper or in the col, but I'm not sure about a water source.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Hmm, we've camped there twice since the massive blowdown event. There is the main spot just north of the Kate Sleeper Trail (with a small spur to it) that has room for 3-4 tents. Slightly west of that on the south side of the trail is an open area that would probably be more conducive to hammocks. The blowdowns patch starts right after that and is really a neat place. You could probably camp around East Sleeper or in the col, but I'm not sure about a water source.

Finding spots for a Ridgerunner anywhere near a ridgeline in the whites can be a PITA. We did end up having a fisher cat come through camp in the morning, so that was cool.