peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
I took a group through Ice Gulch in Randolph on Sunday. Over the years I have always taken the Boothman Spring trail to the Cook Path then down through the gulch and then returning via the Ice Gulch trail to Randolph hill road. Dependent on my motivation, I usually walked up the road back to where I parked the car or occasionally spotted a car. This is probably the last time for this loop as RMC is planning to abandon a section of the Boothman Spring Trail and relocate the Cook Path trailhead and the Mt Crescent trailhead to a new parking area at the end of Randolph hill road. This is supposed to happen by this Fall so for those planning a trip up there, be aware that the trailhead may move around a bit. For redliners, be aware that if you want to hike the entire Boothman Spring Trail, your time is running short as it soon will be the Boothman Spring Spur. In the sort term the Cook path will still cross the randolph hill road but parking at this point is very limited so ultimately an ice gulch loop may involve a much longer road walk t the end of the road.
As for the hike, the Cook Path was well maintained and recently brushed. There are some mud pits at the height of land, but anyone hiking the gulch should probably expect to get dirty. The gulch was warmer than normal, it was dry out so the fog bank at the entrance wasnt present and most of the group hiked with short sleeves and shorts. As usual, rocks were slick in spots and there were a few challenging scrambles along the way. I kept an eye out for ice and was starting to get worried that I had misrepresented the hike, but I did spy one area of ice down in crevice and managed to extract a peice of it, so my reputation remained.
We elected to head down to the falls rather than taking"out direct" at Fairy Spring. The hike down to the falls has several stream crossings with no bridges. Rock hopping is a possibility at some points but the rocks are coated with moss. The areas of the falls is decidedly in transition. Several large softwoods have blown down with large root clumps. These trees obscure the base of the falls somewhat and there is a lot of deadwood in the stream channel immediately downstream of the falls. Its still a nice spot to visit but its definitely is a bit more "raw" than the average tourist may appreciate.
The hike out to Randolph Hill road was fast as the trail is in excellent condition. The parking lot in the field across the street from the trailhead is closed off but there is plenty of parking along the road. We took our time as we had a few folks new to boulder scrambles so we took 5 1/2 hours for the loop with plenty of breaks.
By the way, we hiked the loop clockwise. I take issue with the AMC WMG and have always preferred going down though the gulch, plus I would rather stop by the Fairy Spring and the falls at the end of the day.
As for the hike, the Cook Path was well maintained and recently brushed. There are some mud pits at the height of land, but anyone hiking the gulch should probably expect to get dirty. The gulch was warmer than normal, it was dry out so the fog bank at the entrance wasnt present and most of the group hiked with short sleeves and shorts. As usual, rocks were slick in spots and there were a few challenging scrambles along the way. I kept an eye out for ice and was starting to get worried that I had misrepresented the hike, but I did spy one area of ice down in crevice and managed to extract a peice of it, so my reputation remained.
We elected to head down to the falls rather than taking"out direct" at Fairy Spring. The hike down to the falls has several stream crossings with no bridges. Rock hopping is a possibility at some points but the rocks are coated with moss. The areas of the falls is decidedly in transition. Several large softwoods have blown down with large root clumps. These trees obscure the base of the falls somewhat and there is a lot of deadwood in the stream channel immediately downstream of the falls. Its still a nice spot to visit but its definitely is a bit more "raw" than the average tourist may appreciate.
The hike out to Randolph Hill road was fast as the trail is in excellent condition. The parking lot in the field across the street from the trailhead is closed off but there is plenty of parking along the road. We took our time as we had a few folks new to boulder scrambles so we took 5 1/2 hours for the loop with plenty of breaks.
By the way, we hiked the loop clockwise. I take issue with the AMC WMG and have always preferred going down though the gulch, plus I would rather stop by the Fairy Spring and the falls at the end of the day.
