Red Cross Trail info (monadnock)

[brianW]

Looking for information on the abandoned Red Cross Trail (not to be confussed w/ Red Dot) Would like to hike it sometime. I know that the trail head was close to headquarters and it was west of the White Cross Trail.

The only info I gathered came from "The Monadnock Guide" which was what I just mentioned. I also saw it outlined in green in the Metacomet/Mondnock 7th ed. But the map is a little to small.

thank you,
brianW

 

[smitty77]

My dad Max and I tried to follow this trail once. We bushwacked to the left of the White Dot somewhere below the Sruce Link. I think we followed the old telephone line cut that brings you out onto the Lost Farm Trail. I want to say we found a few blazes on trees, but it's been more than 10 years since we did this, so I could be dreaming. IIRC, we found what we thought to be the old trail just before you reach the brook bed that flows to the resevoir at park HQ. I do remember only following the trail for a couple of hundred feet before we lost it.

Our original plan was to find the trail and follow it downhill, but we abandoned it when the going got to tough. Instead I stepped on an underground yellowjacket nest on the rest of the 'whack over to Lost Farm and got stung 15-20 times. In hindsight, we should have kept 'whackin, it would have been less painful.

If you go and want some company, drop me a note. I'd like to revisit this hike/whack again.
Smitty

 

[max]

Your best bet to find remnants of this trail would be to head up the Lost Farm trail. While you're still in the lower woods, you'll come to a section where the trail goes up a short steep-ish rise and the Lost Farm trail takes a 90 degree left turn at the top of that rise. Look directly to your right at that point. There is a stone wall there. If you hop over the wall and follow the normal line of relief downhill, this is the upper section of the power line cut that Smitty mentions. And its also the same area of the old Red Cross trail which basically followsthe Meade Brook valley in its lower route. I was actually able to find old tin crosses nailed to some of the trees in some areas. Best advice is just to keep your eyes and mind open and use some judgement as to what looks like the most likely line of relief.

Good Luck!!!!

 

[brianW]

thanks for the info Smitty and Max. I plan on asking a few of the rangers for info. I know a few are very knowlegable and are willing to share it with others. I was going to follow Meade brook but will take your advice about the Lost Farm trail.

brianW

ps nice to see a post from you again Max.