Greenleaf trail and shortcut from Old Man Viewing

[Mohamed Ellozy]

For some reason I seem always to go down the lower part of the Greenleaf Trail; today I decided to go up it for a change. Since it has few views I planned to go down the Old Bridle Path, and since I am out of shape I was just going to the hut and back.

Drove through Lincoln on my way, and stopped at The Mountain Wanderer to say "Hi" to Steve. At that time my plan was to leave my car at Lafayette Place and to walk to the Greenleaf trailhead. Steve suggested that I do the "bushwhack" from the Old Man Viewing parking lot, and I am a sucker for such suggestions

Approaching Lafyette Place I saw cars parked on the road, so I drove on. I stopped at the Old Man Viewing site to get a waypoint, and to see what things looked like. Well, right opposite where I parked my car there was a very clear herd path.

Part of my plan today was to record a track of the lower Greenleaf Trail, so I decided to follow the herd path to the trail, go back down the way I had gone up, then park at the tramway site and do the whole trail. I left my pack and poles in the car, as I expected a short trip.

It was very steep, and I wished I had my poles with me. There were multiple branches of the herd path; I followed what seemed like the main one. It kept going up, and no trail! Well, I kept going up, hoping to find the trail soon. Eventually I decided that I had gone up too far, so I returned to my car.

The bushwhack should aim for the southern end of the lowest switchback. I assumed (correctly, it turned out) that the herd path I was following had missed it, going too far south. That being the case it would have to climb an extra 200 (vertical) feet to meet the trail.

I had recorded my track, and hoped to see where it was relative to the trail.

When I reached the switchback I saw:

1. A herd path leaving the trail
2. That I was very close to my original ascent path

The herd path leaving the trail joined the path I had gone up in about twenty feet. It had been a near miss, but a miss is as good as a mile

Nothing much too write about the rest of the trip.

I believe that the herd path is close to useless practically. I enjoyed it, as I like going off the beaten path, but if your objective is to get to the hut via the Greenleaf Trail then use the trail the whole way.

Note also that there are still signs in the parking lot saying "10 minute parking only". Not sure whether it is enforced.

Note also that if you are walking from Lafayette Place and want to use the shortcut you will have to use the bicycle path, the Pemi Trail is on the other side of the highway.

 

[Waumbek]

By "bushwhack herdpath" from the OM viewing lot, are you referring to what formerly was the beginning of the Greenleaf Trail before the latest relocation? You can see an even earlier version of this trailhead in the 1932 topo map. When the freeway went in slightly to the east of the old Rt. 3, the former Greenleaf trailhead moved slightly east as well. I never use any other approach than the one you describe. Force of habit. Where is the "new" trailhead anyway?

 

[Zimmer]

Waumbek, the trailhead was moved to the Tram parking lot back when the Parkway was constructed, if memory serves. It passes under the Parkway, then climbs a bit as it traverses the hillside until it meets up with the old trail from the Old Man viewing area.

 

[sapblatt]

Waumbek, the trailhead was moved to the Tram parking lot back when the Parkway was constructed, if memory serves. It passes under the Parkway, then climbs a bit as it traverses the hillside until it meets up with the old trail from the Old Man viewing area.

Yeah - and when you are coming down, and you are tired it seems like the section along the highway in the woods goes on forever and ever...

 

[NewHampshire]

Yeah - and when you are coming down, and you are tired it seems like the section along the highway in the woods goes on forever and ever...

You mean it doesn't go on forever!?

Brian

 

[Zimmer]

Shhh. Don't tell Mohamed. He thinks he hiked the whole thing.

 

[bigmoose]

I'd never been up the Greenleaf trail, but found myself with a few spare hours late Saturday and thought I'd hike it up to the col to check out Eagle Cliff. I did, and began descending a little after six. Then I spied a herd path heading northeast back up toward the cliffs. Did it lead to the top? I followed it up. Nearly to the cliffs, I encountered two guys just starting to descend. They said the path stopped at the cliffs. I continued anyway, went back and forth beneath the cliffs, but could find no continuation of the path.
Then I realized I had a problem. I totally couldn't find the herd path! Across the way, the sun was dipping to the right of Cannon. I had no herd path, no trail, and little remaining sunlight. I did, however, have a pair of LED headlamps in my pack. So I began a steep bushwhack, wearing only short sleeve shirt and shorts, expecting to hit the herd path or trail in short order. Wrong! I ended up crashing, tumbling and diving through horrendous woods, jagged boulders & 10-15' cliffs nearly all the way down. I left a trail of blood. I finally hit the Greenleaf Trail about 200' vertical above the parkway. With only the dim 8pm light and the weak glow from the headlamps, I somehow noticed the old trail branching off, making a quick descent to the Old Man Viewing parking lot. I happily took it, saving the excruciating rock-hopping of the long lateral section of the Greenleaf. The paved paths back to the Tram parking lot felt like a magic carpet.

So now the question. Just how does one reach the top of Eagle Cliff? Not that I'm in a hurry to go back up there. Maybe after my legs heal....

 

[NewHampshire]

So now the question. Just how does one reach the top of Eagle Cliff? Not that I'm in a hurry to go back up there. Maybe after my legs heal....

I too have wondered this. Afer seeing the cliffs up close and in person I assumed it was a techical climb or such.

Brian

 

[Waumbek]

Just how does one reach the top of Eagle Cliff?

Secrets of the Notch, a climber's guide to routes in Franconia Notch, has a section on Eagle Cliff with, as I recall, trail directions to reach the cliff.

 

[bigmoose]

Just did an "advance search" for "Eagle Cliff herd path" and came up with Albee's report from November '06. He found a herd path marked with two cairns just .3 miles from the Greenleaf trailhead. The herd path may be a route used by technical climbers, but it continues beyond the cliffs, finally reaching the top. Then it's a bushwhack south to Eagle Cliff's summit high point.

 

[DougPaul]

I too have wondered this. Afer seeing the cliffs up close and in person I assumed it was a techical climb or such.

IIRC, there are technical routes on the front and a non-technical route around the back. (I've never done either.)

Doug

 

[audrey]

The easiest way to the summit of Eagle Cliff (a New England 3K with a canister, at least at my last visit about 7 years ago), is to drop off the Greenleaf trail into the col and hunt around for a herd path that heads up to the right of the cliffy rocky spots (that are closer to the Greenleaf trail and Eagle Pass). The path was rather damaged by one or another of the ice storms we've had but I'd have expected it would get cleared out by whackers pretty quickly.

The more adventurous ascent is from a climbers path which leaves the Greenleaf trail low down and aims at a very obvious V in the notch between two of the summits. The start of the path was marked with a bit of ribbon and a cairn when I last passed by there. You can see it from I-93 very easily, just under the spire called the Eaglet. The V is formed by two scree paths, the right hand one being much easier than the left, which Pat once chose just to be ornery and nearly met his maker while trying to scrabble up the last 10 feet. From there, go left for an easy climb to an open area with great views. Or go right for a nasty whack with intermittent paths to the true summit. It's easier on the left side of the ridge in the woods than in the scrub near the cliffs. We once descended via Lafayette Brook, and that was mostly pleasant except for the incredibly dense hobblebush that kept tripping us up. The brook has some very pretty pools.

 

[RoySwkr]

In years past there was a pretty good herd path (once listed in AMC WMG?) along the top of the cliffs which I've followed in both summer & winter, and the path from Greenleaf Trail was once so obvious that a group of college kids went that way instead of to the hut.

I've also climbed Eagle Cliff from Lafayette Brook although the more adventurous should do like Guy Waterman and climb Lafayette up the slide instead.