North Twin Mountain via North Twin Trail, 01/17/09
Since there have been a lot of questions regarding how to get to the North Twin Trail in winter and since I find the available maps to be inadequate, I took some photos today to hopefully make it easier for y'all. Thank you to una_dogger for relaying directions from 1HappyHiker, and to Franz for drawing me a custom map!
After looking at North Twin from South Twin last weekend and wishing there was a little bit more daylight to permit a visit, I decided to go for it on a very cold day. According to Wunderground, perhaps the most reliable weather source in the world, it was about -25 when I started from the 7 Dwarfs Motel on Little River Road.
I paid my $6 and ended up having an almost half hour conversation with Franz (not to be confused with the Fonz) - having both run motels, we had a lot of horror stories to share!
Compared to the $3 or whatever it is to park at random WMNF fee area that at best has a disgusting toilet pit of some sort, the $6 for a nicely plowed parking spot, warm place to gear up, clean bathroom, reasonably priced refreshments, and very friendly hosts (who will even draw you a map of how to get to the trailhead) is well worth it.
The Franz asks that hikers please keep dogs and Yankee fans on leash until they cross the river, as he has livestock nearby. The Rocket asks that hikers please push Yankee fans into the river.
The road to the bridge is between these two rocks, maybe a hundred feet up Little River Road, past the office:
The bridge over the Little River (Snowmobile Corridor 11N):
Take an immediate left after crossing the bridge, onto the Corridor 11 Bypass:
Following the river, you'll see this when looking to your left after a little while - the closed bridge (made famous by Simon and Garfunkel's "Troubled Bridge over Water") is to the left of that yellow posted sign, and to the right of it is the more direct herd path that skiers use to get to the North Twin Trail:
Assuming you stay on the snowmobile trail (bearing right instead of going left to the closed bridge), you will soon find out what happened to the Partridge Family after their show was cancelled...
The snowmobile trail meanders around a little bit, and eventually arrives at the gate of destiny:
Take a left beyond the gate onto Haystack Road, and you'll be at the North Twin Trail trailhead a few minutes later (the previously mentioned skier herd path joins Haystack Road just before the bridge that's adjacent to the summer parking lot).
Since there have been a lot of questions regarding how to get to the North Twin Trail in winter and since I find the available maps to be inadequate, I took some photos today to hopefully make it easier for y'all. Thank you to una_dogger for relaying directions from 1HappyHiker, and to Franz for drawing me a custom map!
After looking at North Twin from South Twin last weekend and wishing there was a little bit more daylight to permit a visit, I decided to go for it on a very cold day. According to Wunderground, perhaps the most reliable weather source in the world, it was about -25 when I started from the 7 Dwarfs Motel on Little River Road.
I paid my $6 and ended up having an almost half hour conversation with Franz (not to be confused with the Fonz) - having both run motels, we had a lot of horror stories to share!
Compared to the $3 or whatever it is to park at random WMNF fee area that at best has a disgusting toilet pit of some sort, the $6 for a nicely plowed parking spot, warm place to gear up, clean bathroom, reasonably priced refreshments, and very friendly hosts (who will even draw you a map of how to get to the trailhead) is well worth it.
The Franz asks that hikers please keep dogs and Yankee fans on leash until they cross the river, as he has livestock nearby. The Rocket asks that hikers please push Yankee fans into the river.
The road to the bridge is between these two rocks, maybe a hundred feet up Little River Road, past the office:
The bridge over the Little River (Snowmobile Corridor 11N):
Take an immediate left after crossing the bridge, onto the Corridor 11 Bypass:
Following the river, you'll see this when looking to your left after a little while - the closed bridge (made famous by Simon and Garfunkel's "Troubled Bridge over Water") is to the left of that yellow posted sign, and to the right of it is the more direct herd path that skiers use to get to the North Twin Trail:
Assuming you stay on the snowmobile trail (bearing right instead of going left to the closed bridge), you will soon find out what happened to the Partridge Family after their show was cancelled...
The snowmobile trail meanders around a little bit, and eventually arrives at the gate of destiny:
Take a left beyond the gate onto Haystack Road, and you'll be at the North Twin Trail trailhead a few minutes later (the previously mentioned skier herd path joins Haystack Road just before the bridge that's adjacent to the summer parking lot).
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