peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
I did a hike up over Moosilaukee on Sunday, up Benton and down Asquam Ridge with a friend. I had not been on the Benton since Tunnel Brook Road washed out and had never done the entire length of Asquam Ridge Trail. The intent was to avoid the crowds with the exception of the run from the Summit to Beaver Brook Trail. After a very quiet hike up Benton (saw 2 people) we headed to the summit and after quick break headed north to Beaver Brook Trail junction with Asquam Ridge Trail.
We then headed east on Asquam Ridge Trail. We had our saws with us and there were a couple of blowdowns across the trail heading up Mt Jim so we stopped and cut them out of the way. A younger college age hiker caught up with us and asked us if this was the “Ridge Trail” and which way was the lodge. We said yes we were on the Asquam Ridge trail and were going to the Ravine lodge. I expect English was his second language as hew as bit confused but insisted he need to go down the Ridge Trail. He also commented he was having leg cramps. We convinced him that he needed electrolyte and I handed him a Nunn tablet to put in his water. He was going to skip adding it to his water and eat it directly but we told him that would be real bad idea. He went ahead when we stopped to cut another blowdown but eventually we caught up to him. He asked us again if we were going to the lodge and showed him a map. He admitted that he had been hiking with friends and they had the map and knew the route. He was not definite on what trail they hiked up but when we described Beaver Brook trail (steep and with lots of wooden steps) he thought that was the trail up. He was really not sure on the plans, we asked him if they had spotted a vehicle at the lodge and he said yes, but his friends had taken a shorter route down which he didn’t know the name of and they would be waiting for him. We kept going and came to the junction with the Al Merrill loop which has a sign with Lodge and arrow on it. The more we asked questions it was obvious he was confused. He was trying to call his partners on the cell phone but ATT had no signal. We made it to the lodge and no service. We had spotted a car that morning on the lodge road and would be riding back past Beaver Brook so we offered to give him a ride back to Beaver Brook as it was on the way to Benton. We took a short break and told him that once we drove back up 118 to the top of the shoulder he would have cell service. I pulled in at the scenic turn out that looks to the east and he got his buddies on the phone. We didn’t get the details but it sound like they were doing an out and back to the summit via Beaver Brook, the hiker we met apparently was having leg cramps and my guess is the other two hiked ahead and would wait for this hiker at Beaver Brook shelter. I don’t know where the Ridge Trail came up. Apparently they had waited for a while at the shelter and one of them eventually went back and started heading down the Asquam Ridge trail to catch up with this hiker.
We offered to drop him off at Beaver Brook and eventually the other party agreed. We did and it was obvious the guy we dropped him off with was not happy. We made sure he knew where the lodge was as that is where they would need to pick up the other hiker assuming he continued all the way down.
My guesses are the hiker’s english skills were not great and his standard response to not understanding something was to smile and nod his head. I expect he may have confused Beaver Brook Shelter verses the Ravine house Lodge?. I don’t think they had spotted a car, this hiker was obviously new to hiking and he probably didn’t understand the concept. He at one point admitted that maybe he should have taken a picture of the other guys map so he had it on the phone. He was depending on having a cell signal and ATT is not great in the whites. His hiking partners appears to have broken a cardinal rule which is not stopping at intersections and I also expect they may have been more experienced that the hiker we met.
No one got hurt that I know of and they probably just got home to Mass an hour or two late. The hiker we met did have a pack and in theory some gear in it but given his general confusion I expect he would have wandered around the woods for quite a while if he was solo before he made it out to the lodge.
We then headed east on Asquam Ridge Trail. We had our saws with us and there were a couple of blowdowns across the trail heading up Mt Jim so we stopped and cut them out of the way. A younger college age hiker caught up with us and asked us if this was the “Ridge Trail” and which way was the lodge. We said yes we were on the Asquam Ridge trail and were going to the Ravine lodge. I expect English was his second language as hew as bit confused but insisted he need to go down the Ridge Trail. He also commented he was having leg cramps. We convinced him that he needed electrolyte and I handed him a Nunn tablet to put in his water. He was going to skip adding it to his water and eat it directly but we told him that would be real bad idea. He went ahead when we stopped to cut another blowdown but eventually we caught up to him. He asked us again if we were going to the lodge and showed him a map. He admitted that he had been hiking with friends and they had the map and knew the route. He was not definite on what trail they hiked up but when we described Beaver Brook trail (steep and with lots of wooden steps) he thought that was the trail up. He was really not sure on the plans, we asked him if they had spotted a vehicle at the lodge and he said yes, but his friends had taken a shorter route down which he didn’t know the name of and they would be waiting for him. We kept going and came to the junction with the Al Merrill loop which has a sign with Lodge and arrow on it. The more we asked questions it was obvious he was confused. He was trying to call his partners on the cell phone but ATT had no signal. We made it to the lodge and no service. We had spotted a car that morning on the lodge road and would be riding back past Beaver Brook so we offered to give him a ride back to Beaver Brook as it was on the way to Benton. We took a short break and told him that once we drove back up 118 to the top of the shoulder he would have cell service. I pulled in at the scenic turn out that looks to the east and he got his buddies on the phone. We didn’t get the details but it sound like they were doing an out and back to the summit via Beaver Brook, the hiker we met apparently was having leg cramps and my guess is the other two hiked ahead and would wait for this hiker at Beaver Brook shelter. I don’t know where the Ridge Trail came up. Apparently they had waited for a while at the shelter and one of them eventually went back and started heading down the Asquam Ridge trail to catch up with this hiker.
We offered to drop him off at Beaver Brook and eventually the other party agreed. We did and it was obvious the guy we dropped him off with was not happy. We made sure he knew where the lodge was as that is where they would need to pick up the other hiker assuming he continued all the way down.
My guesses are the hiker’s english skills were not great and his standard response to not understanding something was to smile and nod his head. I expect he may have confused Beaver Brook Shelter verses the Ravine house Lodge?. I don’t think they had spotted a car, this hiker was obviously new to hiking and he probably didn’t understand the concept. He at one point admitted that maybe he should have taken a picture of the other guys map so he had it on the phone. He was depending on having a cell signal and ATT is not great in the whites. His hiking partners appears to have broken a cardinal rule which is not stopping at intersections and I also expect they may have been more experienced that the hiker we met.
No one got hurt that I know of and they probably just got home to Mass an hour or two late. The hiker we met did have a pack and in theory some gear in it but given his general confusion I expect he would have wandered around the woods for quite a while if he was solo before he made it out to the lodge.
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