bryan
New member
date: 11/19/13
trails: east branch road, snowmobile trail (corridor 5a), bushwhack
conditions: i parked off of nash stream road, about 7.2 miles from its start, at its junction with the gated east branch road. nash stream road was in great condition. no more than a dusting of snow in some areas. i walked east branch road, which had a light dusting of snow, until the snowmobile trail turned off to the right onto an older grassy road that almost immediately crosses over east branch brook. this was about 10-15 minutes from nash stream road and hard to miss. i continued on the snowmobile trail, which was in great conditions with generally smooth and solid footing, until it crossed back over east branch brook on a sparkling new snowmobile bridge. i walked a short distance beyond the bridge then started the bushwhack taking a line up the western spur ridge of middle whitcomb. woods were covered with a dusting of snow and very open through a previously logged area. eventually i hit the boundary of that logged area and entered more mixed woods with mature fir becoming dominant. other than one steep and scrappy pitch the going remained good up the ridgeline with numerous moose paths shortly before reaching the broad summit area and highpoint. from the summit i headed down the ridgeline towards south whitcomb dropping off the crest to the west to slab around a bump on the ridge before beginning the ascent of the peak. lots of open evergreen forest on the slab and continued good woods up to the summit of south whitcomb. a direct line back towards the snowmobile trail through the drainage of east branch brook made for a good descent with just a bit of scrappy woods up high before opening up the rest of the way. the major crossings of east branch brook on the snowmobile road are bridged and the other small drainages encountered over the course of the hike were a non issue today.
equipment: blaze orange highly recommended.
comments: a cold and windy day on the whitcombs. the wind in particular was very winter like as it roared above and quite cold even on these wooded summits. i believe the sun briefly poked through the clouds twice, but it was otherwise cloudy with snow showers the whole hike. a lot of moose sign on middle whitcomb, but only a couple fresh tracks that likely were from an animal that moved along as i came up through their web of paths below the summit. with all the undergrowth layed down or leaf free for the winter and many of the boggy areas at least partially frozen the walking up north is real nice right now. great to be out.
bryan
[email protected]
trails: east branch road, snowmobile trail (corridor 5a), bushwhack
conditions: i parked off of nash stream road, about 7.2 miles from its start, at its junction with the gated east branch road. nash stream road was in great condition. no more than a dusting of snow in some areas. i walked east branch road, which had a light dusting of snow, until the snowmobile trail turned off to the right onto an older grassy road that almost immediately crosses over east branch brook. this was about 10-15 minutes from nash stream road and hard to miss. i continued on the snowmobile trail, which was in great conditions with generally smooth and solid footing, until it crossed back over east branch brook on a sparkling new snowmobile bridge. i walked a short distance beyond the bridge then started the bushwhack taking a line up the western spur ridge of middle whitcomb. woods were covered with a dusting of snow and very open through a previously logged area. eventually i hit the boundary of that logged area and entered more mixed woods with mature fir becoming dominant. other than one steep and scrappy pitch the going remained good up the ridgeline with numerous moose paths shortly before reaching the broad summit area and highpoint. from the summit i headed down the ridgeline towards south whitcomb dropping off the crest to the west to slab around a bump on the ridge before beginning the ascent of the peak. lots of open evergreen forest on the slab and continued good woods up to the summit of south whitcomb. a direct line back towards the snowmobile trail through the drainage of east branch brook made for a good descent with just a bit of scrappy woods up high before opening up the rest of the way. the major crossings of east branch brook on the snowmobile road are bridged and the other small drainages encountered over the course of the hike were a non issue today.
equipment: blaze orange highly recommended.
comments: a cold and windy day on the whitcombs. the wind in particular was very winter like as it roared above and quite cold even on these wooded summits. i believe the sun briefly poked through the clouds twice, but it was otherwise cloudy with snow showers the whole hike. a lot of moose sign on middle whitcomb, but only a couple fresh tracks that likely were from an animal that moved along as i came up through their web of paths below the summit. with all the undergrowth layed down or leaf free for the winter and many of the boggy areas at least partially frozen the walking up north is real nice right now. great to be out.
bryan
[email protected]
