Old trails

[woodstrider]

I know that there are alot of very knowledgeable people out there.. so , what are some of your favorite old, forgotten or abandoned old trails and roads?

I am a huge fan of the old "Step Trail" on Slide Mountain, NYS. I love to walk this fading and narrow old trail with it's beautiful winding "staircases". Built over 100 years ago it is still in good shape tho it seems to see little travel.

Also high on my list is the Maltby Hollow trail.

These old trails can be a challenge to follow but they afford a privacy not to be gotten on the "offical" trails.
And I don't mind sharing them- for if others don't find and walk these trails they may disappear altogether from lack of use.

 

[--M.]

Wow, what a great thought!

By contrast, I noticed the lack of solitude and woodsy feel on the AT sections between Franconia and the northern Presis. It seemed like a highway. Too well maintained. It was odd. And then, when we dipped off to descend the Zeacliff, we were instantly alone on what felt like an obscure, old path.

Thanks again.

--M.

 

[DougPaul]

Lost trails website: http://world.std.com/~Whites/

In general the AT and trails to the 4K footers are heavily traveled. Many of the others are much less crowded.

Doug

 

[Umsaskis]

I don't know how old it is, but certainly little used - the Crawford Ridgepole Trail along Squam Ridge. With the exception of the section around Morgan and Percival, there's really nobody on the trail and it is quite pretty. Going up from Sandwich Notch, you get the feeling that you are really way out there (even though you aren't that far from civilization).

Old, old trails....plenty of old logging roads and a few old railroad grades in northern Maine. The old Eagle Lake & West Branch railroad that runs from the tramway and around behind the Crow's Nest campsite on Chamberlain Lake - you can find much of it if you look hard. The same with an old railroad bed running southwest from the Big Bog area. The remainder of the Freezeout Road from Telos Cut to Grand Lake Mattagamon. These are historic and almost gone in many places. When you find them, you feel very connected to the past. I still hope to run across a piece of a Lombard log hauler or a two-sled on one of these....

 

[audrey]

In Lake Placid, the trail to South Notch (south of Slide Mt in the Sentinel Range) has been fairly recently abandoned. As of 2 years ago, it was obvious that someone was keeping it open. We skied it, crossing the brook, and found some wonderful open hardwood hillsides to tour around in. It's a very gentle rise in to South Notch.A half mile before the notch is (was?) a leanto autographed all over as far back as the days of the 1932 Olympics, when the trail was a part of the cross-country route. If you continue ESE, you'll find the Old Military Road which goes behind Pitchoff Mt. You can also climb Slide Mt. from here. I sure have a lot more exploring to do.

Other favorite abandoned trails are the old Osseo from the Clear Brook condos in Lincoln, NH (you can climb Mt Flume) and Priscilla Brook Trail in Jefferson, NH, which is a nice route most of the way up to the Kilkenny Ridge Trail between Waumbek and South Weeks.

 

[Raymond]

My son, ladyfriend, and I followed the recently reopened old trails over Moose and McKenzie Mountains in the Adirondacks in August, and Susan and I took the old Frye Brook Trail to Baldpate Mountain in Maine in September.

Anyone know why the latter was closed in the first place? It was in excellent shape.

Two weeks ago we took the old Mink Hollow Trail from the end of Mink Hollow Road to the Devil's Path in the Catskills. Saved four miles of walking by doing so. Two days before that hike, we wanted to follow the old Seager Trail from the West Branch-Pine Hill Trail to Burnham Hollow Road, but didn't because the map warned us to keep out of the private land in the hollow. We didn't really see any sign of the old trail anyway.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment.

 

[forestgnome]

Great thread, very interesting!

Thanks, DougPaul, for that link; I'll investigate the site.

I've noticed that the big Delhorme Road Atlas of NH has hiking trails where I'm not aware of any, good fodder for exploration.

Along the Downes Brook Trail, there is an abandoned trail that goes up a slide on Mt Whiteface. Further up the DBT, look closely through the trees for another slide, which looks much younger and is about as wide as football field in the middle. Really nice views from both slides!

Happy Trails!

 

[hikeritz]

You might also want to check out this site. It has links to old topo maps for New England and New York.

 

[Rugger]

The old Killington Hotel road, which is close to the Bucklin trail but mostly South of it and really hard to find.

 

[erugs]

Friends Cathy, Jerry and I hiked the mostly abandonded section of the Franconia Ridge Trail that starts off at condos across from Loon Mountain and ends near the top end of the Osseo Trail. The first couple of miles were easy to follow to a lookoff, then it was quite challenging. Since it was late spring we ran into snow in addition to many blowdowns on this grown-in trail. But what fun!

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

"Franconia Ridge Trail"

Friends Cathy, Jerry and I hiked the mostly abandonded section of the Franconia Ridge Trail that starts off at condos across from Loon Mountain and ends near the top end of the Osseo Trail. The first couple of miles were easy to follow to a lookoff, then it was quite challenging. Since it was late spring we ran into snow in addition to many blowdowns on this grown-in trail. But what fun!

Oh, you mean this.

...Other favorite abandoned trails are the old Osseo from the Clear Brook condos in Lincoln, NH (you can climb Mt Flume) and Priscilla Brook Trail in Jefferson, NH, which is a nice route most of the way up to the Kilkenny Ridge Trail between Waumbek and South Weeks.

 

[erugs]

Yes, some call it the old Osseo Trail, but in my 40's guide book it is a part of the Franconia Ridge Trail. I could be wrong about that. Sometimes I'm confused.

 

[nartreb]

I read somewhere that Whaleback Mtn is also known as Mt Osseo. The old trail climbed Mt Osseo on the way to Mt Flume, and was thus called the Osseo Trail. The trail was moved pretty recently (like 1985?) to take it away from private land, but the name "Osseo" was retained.

In the 1940s, the names were different:
I found RoySwyker's scan of a 1941 map and if you look closely the section *south* of whaleback is labeled 376 which means "Franconia Ridge Trail"; the name "Osseo Trail" does not appear anywhere.

 

[woodstrider]

Old Trails

I have recently been in contact with Rowland Dutcher, a direct descendent of the man who built this trail in the 1800's. He would like to do some repair work in the next year. If anyone is interested in helping, please let me know.

 

[Rivet]

It was pointed out to me that I erronously stated that the Old Step Trail was on Hunter Mountain when in actuality it is most definitely on Slide Mountain.

From the DEC site...

James Dutcher was among the best of all mountain guides and the guardian spirit of Slide Mountain. In the 1870's he blazed a trail up the mountain from Winisook Lake, building stone steps where needed. While the "Dutcher" or "Step" Trail as it came to be known is no longer used today (it crosses private land), a trail nearly as old is still in use.

 

[jjo]

Good info. Thanks for posting....

 

[bcskier]

Lost Trails Website Missing?

Lost trails website: http://world.std.com/~Whites/

In general the AT and trails to the 4K footers are heavily traveled. Many of the others are much less crowded.

Doug

Does anyone know if this is permanent?

 

[Ridgewalker]

Not sure, but I know which one your talking about. That site is very informative to check out. Has anyone hiked the Adams Slide Trail before?

 

[Mike P.]

It's been years since I checked it out but is the Lost Trails site still up? Dave M., do you know?

 

[snowshoe]

Old trails are neat. Just yesterday I picked up an old white mt guide book dating back to the 1950's. As well as an old AT book for Ct, NY, NJ and PA 4th edition. You have to go to used book stores and you will be suprised at what you may come across.