Fisher Cat
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This section covers Mt Hancock, as well as the Willey-Rosebrook and Cherry-Dartmouth Ranges.
P 285 Mt Hancock (4430 ft.)-“This peak lies almost due W of Mt Carrigain to which it is connected by a ridge. The maps are unreliable in detail. Although the summit is wooded, nearly the whole mountain has been logged and several slides scar its sides. While there are no trails a n umber of logging roads may aid the tramper. At best, however, the ascent is a stunt to be undertaken only by strong climbers with knowledge of woodcraft who should be prepared to camp overnight. As conditions in such a lumbered region change rapidly no attempt has been made to describe the following routes in any detail.” After this waiver, the following 4 routes were outlined:
1. From Mt Carrigain-“In 1935 the Lincoln-Livermore line, now the WMNF boundary, has become too overgrown to follow, but if it is surveyed again it will be the easiest way…from Carrigain ridge is followed SW to Carrigain Pond, follow contour around the Nubble to the N to the col beyond. A logging road leads N from here…to Camp 20…climb through the cliffs to the W, then strike up ridge NW by N to the summit. 4 1/4m., 6 h.
2. From Waterville-“bed of the old logging RR should be followed NE under the shoulder of Mt Huntington…as all bridges and some long trestles are gone, the location is obscure in many places and no definite description can be given…at all brook junctions take the L fork…then the dry water course, debris from the slide, and the slide itself are climbed. Above the slide one must push through thick scrub to the summit. Greeley Pond to Summit, 7 1/2m., 6h.”
3. From North Fork Junction-“continue along the S bank of the East Branch to the first tributary. Keep on W bank…ascend the col between “3900” and the main summit…a large slide is visible, nearly S, ascend the slide and follow the highest logging road to the R to its end, but 75 yds. below the summit.”
4.From Camp 20-“follow up Carrigain Branch and its W fork…keeping W of a prominent hump seen to the S and into the valley between its ridge and the main N ridge of Hancock. The correct logging raod will be found to follow the R wall of this valley, well above its floor. Nearly at the end of the valley, on the W wall, is a slide which should be ascended. The main summit is straight up-hill at its head.”
P 287-Mounts Lowell, Anderson, Nancy, and Bemis-“Mts Lowell & Anderson can be ascended by leaving the Carrigain Notch Trail N of the Notch and follows old logging roads to their end…rock climbers may ascend the cliffs above Carrigain Notch by a broken ridge which projects out toward their N end. The rock is very insecure and the foot of the cliffs difficult of access owing to blow-downs.”
P 289-“ S of the Willey House Station above a small shelter for workmen and N of Frankenstein Trestle is a section of cliff possible for rock-climbers. The course rises diagonally to the L (s). Pitons are necessary and climbers should be careful of rotten rocks on exposed surfaces.”
WILLEY-ROSEBROOK RANGE
P 290-Mount Avalon-“path is a continuation of that to Beecher and Pearl Cascades, which start from the foot-bridge over the RR at the Crawford House. It is a wide cinder-path 1/4m. to Beecher Cascade…further up it passes Pearl Cascade and the Blue Bench.” OK, anyone know what a cinder-path would refer to, and/or what the Blue Bench was/is?
P 292 Kedron Flume Trail-“this trail, to be opened in 1936, starts in the rear of the Willey Cabins and climbs the slope of the M.C. RR in sight of the path of the old slide.” So apparently, in 1936, there were visible remnants of the Willey Slide. That would have been neat to see back then.
P 293 Willey Range Trail-“soon crosses the Brook Kedron (last sure water) then climbs one of the steepest trails in the mountaisn to the summit of Mt Willey.” I will certainly attest to that, it is a steep ascent.
THE ROSEBROOK RANGE-I was excited to read this part, as I assumed that the Hurricane of 1938 totally destroyed these trails. But, as the descriptions of the book showed, it is apparent that by 1936, these trails had begun to fall into disuse and disrepair. However, I had the opportunity to work at Bretton Woods in the 1980’s and this provided plenty of opportunities to explore and get familiar with the terrain before the expansion of the Ski Area, now known as the West Mountain. As many can attest, changes of season allows one to visualize trail corridors, though they be old, that would not have been visible before. Because of this, and studying the maps and topography of the route I am certain that the trail up Mt Oscar was still visible in the 1980’s.
Mt Echo-“path starts on the E side of the M.C. RR at the S end of the Mt Pleasant House. In 1/2m. at a spring, the old loop trail over Mt Stickney diverges L, and at 1 m., the upper end of this loop diverges L. This loop trail is so badly overgrown that it can be followed only with great difficulty and the summit is so much grown up that it is hardly worth the effort to visit it. At 1/4m. from the hotel the Mt Echo Trail turns L, the Mt Rosebrook trail continuing straight ahead. Beyond this point the Mt Echo Trail is quite overgrown and somewhat blind in places…trail continues S over san Juan Hill…crosses Hunter’s Hollow, where Coal-Kiln Trail diverges L…path rises on the side of Mt tom passing Stump Spring…reaches old blazed trail to Mt Tom…and in another ½ m., the Mt Avalon trail, above Pearl Cascade.”
Mt Rosebrook-“diverges L from Mt Echo Trail, keeps straight ahead following the old telephone wires. Descends somewhat to a col where the Zealand valley Trail enters from the L (W), and the direct NHFD Path from the Mt Pleasant House enters from the R (E). Unless repaired, the old wooded observation tower will soon be unsafe.”
P 295 Zealand Valley Trail- “leaves the Zealand Trail at the mouth of Mt tom Brool and climbs NE to the col SE of Mt Rosebrook where it meets the two trails described above.(Mt Echo & Rosebrook). Continue in the same direction for Mt Pleasant House. Zealand Trail to col, 1m., 40m., to Mt Pleasant House 2 3/4m.,2 h, 30m.” I think this would still be a fantastic trail today.
P 296 Mt Oscar-“it may be reached from the Mt Pleasant House by the NHFD Trail to a point 3m. above the dam, where an old trail (no sign) branches R and crosses the stream, following its N bank for about 15 min. At the top of the rise it passes Camp Whitmore, then slabs the E side of Mt Rosebrook to the col between the latter and Oscar. From the col it is only 12 min. to the top. Also may be reached from the top of Mt Rosebrook. Trail starts between two spruces NW of the cabin. It is not much used, and the blazes are old, but persons familiar with such work will be able to follow it. It strikes the path described in the previous paragraph in the col S of Oscar.”
CHERRY-DARTMOUTH RANGE
P 296 footnote-“ On April 28, 1936, the WMNF notified the Guide Book Committee that ‘On account of recent logging operations causing a dangerous forest fire hazard, the WMNF has closed to public entry the entire drainage of Whitehouse Brook (also known as ‘Cherry Mountain Brook’ and ‘Deception Brook’)in the town of Carroll. This temporary closure affects travel on four trails; namely, Little Deception Trail west from Little Deception Mountain, Deception Trail W of height-of-land of Dartmouth range, Dartmouth Trail from Cherry Mountain state road to height-of-land, Carroll Trail from cherry Mountain state road to junction with Applebee Brook Trail.”
P 297 Cherry Mountain-“highest summit, known locally as Mt Martha is wooded and seldom climbed.” I know that’s not the case today. I remember it fondly as a kid and how my brother and I scaled the girders of the old firetower that was still up, though not used. Our mom freaked. Inside were some chairs and a rostrum for either phone or radio, as well as a table bolted to the floor the perfect size for map plotting and direction finding. It was great, and the view spectacular. Has anyone ever followed the old Stanley Slide trail? It wasn’t official, but we did it in 1982. It was a bushwhack, but not too bad because you could still discern a “trough” form the debris. We found it quite curious that when following the trough there were 5, for lack of a better term, “bomb craters”, all pretty much uniform in depth, size, and placement. We wondered if it had anything to do with the slide. When you reached the top of the trough, then it was a true bushwhack in form, and quite steep, to the Owl’s Ear, as we locals called it. Let me know if you’ve done it in the past.
P 299- “ a direct graded path to Little Mount Deception leaves the rear of the Mount Washington Hotel and climbs by easy grades to the summit view-point, where it is joined by the side-path from the Deception Trail.” I believe that this former path has been, at least in part, absorbed by the Hotel’s Nordic Center.
As always, thanks for reading. I would have coupled this with yesterday’s posting but believe it or not, I ran over the alloted amount of words. Sorry Dave! I believe that the curiosity of getting an Old Guide Book has now become a rampant obsession with looking back at NH’s hiking past, while at the same time looking at today, and perhaps into the future as well, if, of course, that’s possible. Thanks again!
P 285 Mt Hancock (4430 ft.)-“This peak lies almost due W of Mt Carrigain to which it is connected by a ridge. The maps are unreliable in detail. Although the summit is wooded, nearly the whole mountain has been logged and several slides scar its sides. While there are no trails a n umber of logging roads may aid the tramper. At best, however, the ascent is a stunt to be undertaken only by strong climbers with knowledge of woodcraft who should be prepared to camp overnight. As conditions in such a lumbered region change rapidly no attempt has been made to describe the following routes in any detail.” After this waiver, the following 4 routes were outlined:
1. From Mt Carrigain-“In 1935 the Lincoln-Livermore line, now the WMNF boundary, has become too overgrown to follow, but if it is surveyed again it will be the easiest way…from Carrigain ridge is followed SW to Carrigain Pond, follow contour around the Nubble to the N to the col beyond. A logging road leads N from here…to Camp 20…climb through the cliffs to the W, then strike up ridge NW by N to the summit. 4 1/4m., 6 h.
2. From Waterville-“bed of the old logging RR should be followed NE under the shoulder of Mt Huntington…as all bridges and some long trestles are gone, the location is obscure in many places and no definite description can be given…at all brook junctions take the L fork…then the dry water course, debris from the slide, and the slide itself are climbed. Above the slide one must push through thick scrub to the summit. Greeley Pond to Summit, 7 1/2m., 6h.”
3. From North Fork Junction-“continue along the S bank of the East Branch to the first tributary. Keep on W bank…ascend the col between “3900” and the main summit…a large slide is visible, nearly S, ascend the slide and follow the highest logging road to the R to its end, but 75 yds. below the summit.”
4.From Camp 20-“follow up Carrigain Branch and its W fork…keeping W of a prominent hump seen to the S and into the valley between its ridge and the main N ridge of Hancock. The correct logging raod will be found to follow the R wall of this valley, well above its floor. Nearly at the end of the valley, on the W wall, is a slide which should be ascended. The main summit is straight up-hill at its head.”
P 287-Mounts Lowell, Anderson, Nancy, and Bemis-“Mts Lowell & Anderson can be ascended by leaving the Carrigain Notch Trail N of the Notch and follows old logging roads to their end…rock climbers may ascend the cliffs above Carrigain Notch by a broken ridge which projects out toward their N end. The rock is very insecure and the foot of the cliffs difficult of access owing to blow-downs.”
P 289-“ S of the Willey House Station above a small shelter for workmen and N of Frankenstein Trestle is a section of cliff possible for rock-climbers. The course rises diagonally to the L (s). Pitons are necessary and climbers should be careful of rotten rocks on exposed surfaces.”
WILLEY-ROSEBROOK RANGE
P 290-Mount Avalon-“path is a continuation of that to Beecher and Pearl Cascades, which start from the foot-bridge over the RR at the Crawford House. It is a wide cinder-path 1/4m. to Beecher Cascade…further up it passes Pearl Cascade and the Blue Bench.” OK, anyone know what a cinder-path would refer to, and/or what the Blue Bench was/is?
P 292 Kedron Flume Trail-“this trail, to be opened in 1936, starts in the rear of the Willey Cabins and climbs the slope of the M.C. RR in sight of the path of the old slide.” So apparently, in 1936, there were visible remnants of the Willey Slide. That would have been neat to see back then.
P 293 Willey Range Trail-“soon crosses the Brook Kedron (last sure water) then climbs one of the steepest trails in the mountaisn to the summit of Mt Willey.” I will certainly attest to that, it is a steep ascent.
THE ROSEBROOK RANGE-I was excited to read this part, as I assumed that the Hurricane of 1938 totally destroyed these trails. But, as the descriptions of the book showed, it is apparent that by 1936, these trails had begun to fall into disuse and disrepair. However, I had the opportunity to work at Bretton Woods in the 1980’s and this provided plenty of opportunities to explore and get familiar with the terrain before the expansion of the Ski Area, now known as the West Mountain. As many can attest, changes of season allows one to visualize trail corridors, though they be old, that would not have been visible before. Because of this, and studying the maps and topography of the route I am certain that the trail up Mt Oscar was still visible in the 1980’s.
Mt Echo-“path starts on the E side of the M.C. RR at the S end of the Mt Pleasant House. In 1/2m. at a spring, the old loop trail over Mt Stickney diverges L, and at 1 m., the upper end of this loop diverges L. This loop trail is so badly overgrown that it can be followed only with great difficulty and the summit is so much grown up that it is hardly worth the effort to visit it. At 1/4m. from the hotel the Mt Echo Trail turns L, the Mt Rosebrook trail continuing straight ahead. Beyond this point the Mt Echo Trail is quite overgrown and somewhat blind in places…trail continues S over san Juan Hill…crosses Hunter’s Hollow, where Coal-Kiln Trail diverges L…path rises on the side of Mt tom passing Stump Spring…reaches old blazed trail to Mt Tom…and in another ½ m., the Mt Avalon trail, above Pearl Cascade.”
Mt Rosebrook-“diverges L from Mt Echo Trail, keeps straight ahead following the old telephone wires. Descends somewhat to a col where the Zealand valley Trail enters from the L (W), and the direct NHFD Path from the Mt Pleasant House enters from the R (E). Unless repaired, the old wooded observation tower will soon be unsafe.”
P 295 Zealand Valley Trail- “leaves the Zealand Trail at the mouth of Mt tom Brool and climbs NE to the col SE of Mt Rosebrook where it meets the two trails described above.(Mt Echo & Rosebrook). Continue in the same direction for Mt Pleasant House. Zealand Trail to col, 1m., 40m., to Mt Pleasant House 2 3/4m.,2 h, 30m.” I think this would still be a fantastic trail today.
P 296 Mt Oscar-“it may be reached from the Mt Pleasant House by the NHFD Trail to a point 3m. above the dam, where an old trail (no sign) branches R and crosses the stream, following its N bank for about 15 min. At the top of the rise it passes Camp Whitmore, then slabs the E side of Mt Rosebrook to the col between the latter and Oscar. From the col it is only 12 min. to the top. Also may be reached from the top of Mt Rosebrook. Trail starts between two spruces NW of the cabin. It is not much used, and the blazes are old, but persons familiar with such work will be able to follow it. It strikes the path described in the previous paragraph in the col S of Oscar.”
CHERRY-DARTMOUTH RANGE
P 296 footnote-“ On April 28, 1936, the WMNF notified the Guide Book Committee that ‘On account of recent logging operations causing a dangerous forest fire hazard, the WMNF has closed to public entry the entire drainage of Whitehouse Brook (also known as ‘Cherry Mountain Brook’ and ‘Deception Brook’)in the town of Carroll. This temporary closure affects travel on four trails; namely, Little Deception Trail west from Little Deception Mountain, Deception Trail W of height-of-land of Dartmouth range, Dartmouth Trail from Cherry Mountain state road to height-of-land, Carroll Trail from cherry Mountain state road to junction with Applebee Brook Trail.”
P 297 Cherry Mountain-“highest summit, known locally as Mt Martha is wooded and seldom climbed.” I know that’s not the case today. I remember it fondly as a kid and how my brother and I scaled the girders of the old firetower that was still up, though not used. Our mom freaked. Inside were some chairs and a rostrum for either phone or radio, as well as a table bolted to the floor the perfect size for map plotting and direction finding. It was great, and the view spectacular. Has anyone ever followed the old Stanley Slide trail? It wasn’t official, but we did it in 1982. It was a bushwhack, but not too bad because you could still discern a “trough” form the debris. We found it quite curious that when following the trough there were 5, for lack of a better term, “bomb craters”, all pretty much uniform in depth, size, and placement. We wondered if it had anything to do with the slide. When you reached the top of the trough, then it was a true bushwhack in form, and quite steep, to the Owl’s Ear, as we locals called it. Let me know if you’ve done it in the past.
P 299- “ a direct graded path to Little Mount Deception leaves the rear of the Mount Washington Hotel and climbs by easy grades to the summit view-point, where it is joined by the side-path from the Deception Trail.” I believe that this former path has been, at least in part, absorbed by the Hotel’s Nordic Center.
As always, thanks for reading. I would have coupled this with yesterday’s posting but believe it or not, I ran over the alloted amount of words. Sorry Dave! I believe that the curiosity of getting an Old Guide Book has now become a rampant obsession with looking back at NH’s hiking past, while at the same time looking at today, and perhaps into the future as well, if, of course, that’s possible. Thanks again!
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