Ed'n Lauky
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- Joined
- Feb 15, 2007
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The weather often determines the hike. That certainly was the case today. My first choice was the Great Gulf trail up Washington, but Accuweather’s promise of thunderstorms ruled that one out.
My second choice was the Carters loop. It would be doable in the rain, but the last time I did the Carters it rained all day and I was hoping for some views this time.
My third choice was Mt. Cabot via the Bunnell trail. I was curious to see what that trial was like. Also, for a variety of reasons I was feeling the need for some solitude and reflection. Putting it all together, it seemed like Cabot was the ideal choice so off we went, heading to the Berlin fish hatchery.
Our route took us over Pinkham notch where we made a quick stop at the visitor center. I learned there that the bicycle race scheduled for Saturday had to be postponed because of high winds. Apparently the winds Friday night reached 100 mph and were at that time blowing at 60 mph. That info confirmed my decision not to do Washington.
We reached the Bunnell trailhead at the far end of the hatchery about 8:00 AM, pulled into an empty parking lot, put on the backpack and headed out.
For any who like biking and hiking this trail has possibilities. The initial section on the logging roads could easily be done on a bike, or in the winter on skis. Even at the point where the trail leaves the logging road and heads up a flight of stone steps you could after negotiating the stairs continue with the bike for a ways.
The trail follows stream beds for a considerable distance. It is a very pretty hike, peaceful is the word. The solitude was complete. I saw no one all the way to the summit. In fact because of the solitude and the tree covered summit I had the feeling I should be looking for a canister.
I noticed as I was going up, that at the point where the Bunnell trail leaves the Kilkenny trail to go down to meet the Cabot trail, the trail was blocked and a sign said that the Cabot trail was closed. However, at the point where the Kilkenny trail meets the Cabot trail, the trail was not blocked and there was no sign.
On the way back I started running into people, first twelve in one group then a couple of other people. They had come up the Cabot trail. Coming up the shortest trail has a certain logic, especially if you simply want to add another peak to your list. Also, I was assured by one person that while the dispute between the landowner and the Forest Service has never been resolved, the tensions have cooled off and there is very little likelihood of a confrontation.
I would also admit that in the winter, if it is a choice between taking a shorter trail that is broken in and a longer trail that is not broken in I would be greatly tempted to take the trail that had been broken in. But summer is another story.
The Bunnell trail has been well maintained. It is smoother under foot than the Cabot trail and much more attractive. It is also much less used, which in itself is an attraction to many. The trail is, I believe, about 1.3 miles longer each way, but with the easy grade and relatively smooth footing I don’t think that it takes that much longer to do.
One of the nagging problems with the Bunnell trail is the gate which reportedly is locked every day at 4:00 PM. I talked with the game warden about that gate after my hike. He said that for the moment the gate is not locked because it had been improperly reinstalled after the paving. It will eventually be repaired and then locked every evening. The gate is generally locked when it gets dark which is earlier in the winter than in the summer. I was told, though, that if one arrived back a little late, it is permissible to ask at the houses by the gate. I f someone is there they will open the gate for you. If by bad luck, no one is around, you might have to wait for an hour or so but normally no longer.
My final thought is that if you would like to do more than just bag a somewhat nondescript peak (with a nice cabin nevertheless) then think about doing it via the Bunnell trail which will turn your hike from simply an “I bagged it” occurrence into a most delightful experience.
My second choice was the Carters loop. It would be doable in the rain, but the last time I did the Carters it rained all day and I was hoping for some views this time.
My third choice was Mt. Cabot via the Bunnell trail. I was curious to see what that trial was like. Also, for a variety of reasons I was feeling the need for some solitude and reflection. Putting it all together, it seemed like Cabot was the ideal choice so off we went, heading to the Berlin fish hatchery.
Our route took us over Pinkham notch where we made a quick stop at the visitor center. I learned there that the bicycle race scheduled for Saturday had to be postponed because of high winds. Apparently the winds Friday night reached 100 mph and were at that time blowing at 60 mph. That info confirmed my decision not to do Washington.
We reached the Bunnell trailhead at the far end of the hatchery about 8:00 AM, pulled into an empty parking lot, put on the backpack and headed out.
For any who like biking and hiking this trail has possibilities. The initial section on the logging roads could easily be done on a bike, or in the winter on skis. Even at the point where the trail leaves the logging road and heads up a flight of stone steps you could after negotiating the stairs continue with the bike for a ways.
The trail follows stream beds for a considerable distance. It is a very pretty hike, peaceful is the word. The solitude was complete. I saw no one all the way to the summit. In fact because of the solitude and the tree covered summit I had the feeling I should be looking for a canister.
I noticed as I was going up, that at the point where the Bunnell trail leaves the Kilkenny trail to go down to meet the Cabot trail, the trail was blocked and a sign said that the Cabot trail was closed. However, at the point where the Kilkenny trail meets the Cabot trail, the trail was not blocked and there was no sign.
On the way back I started running into people, first twelve in one group then a couple of other people. They had come up the Cabot trail. Coming up the shortest trail has a certain logic, especially if you simply want to add another peak to your list. Also, I was assured by one person that while the dispute between the landowner and the Forest Service has never been resolved, the tensions have cooled off and there is very little likelihood of a confrontation.
I would also admit that in the winter, if it is a choice between taking a shorter trail that is broken in and a longer trail that is not broken in I would be greatly tempted to take the trail that had been broken in. But summer is another story.
The Bunnell trail has been well maintained. It is smoother under foot than the Cabot trail and much more attractive. It is also much less used, which in itself is an attraction to many. The trail is, I believe, about 1.3 miles longer each way, but with the easy grade and relatively smooth footing I don’t think that it takes that much longer to do.
One of the nagging problems with the Bunnell trail is the gate which reportedly is locked every day at 4:00 PM. I talked with the game warden about that gate after my hike. He said that for the moment the gate is not locked because it had been improperly reinstalled after the paving. It will eventually be repaired and then locked every evening. The gate is generally locked when it gets dark which is earlier in the winter than in the summer. I was told, though, that if one arrived back a little late, it is permissible to ask at the houses by the gate. I f someone is there they will open the gate for you. If by bad luck, no one is around, you might have to wait for an hour or so but normally no longer.
My final thought is that if you would like to do more than just bag a somewhat nondescript peak (with a nice cabin nevertheless) then think about doing it via the Bunnell trail which will turn your hike from simply an “I bagged it” occurrence into a most delightful experience.
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