Redlining Contest to Precede Trip Report

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Ok, Sapblatt and other redliners, as training for the 19th Annual White Mountain CROP Walk (we could use some new recruits; contact Steve Smith at Mountain Wanderer Shop in Lincoln, SOON!), on Tuesday, I redlined 15 miles of trails to one (only one) NH 4, my 14th trip to this summit. So, 10 points for the name of the NH 4, and 5 points each for the trails that I redlined. Contest winner to be announced when I get back on-line on Sunday night.

 

[RoySwkr]

I thought redlining meant hiking for the first time, it's hard to imagine any peak you already climbed 13 times with 15 miles of trails undone.

 

[sapblatt]

I would think there would have to have been some walking over previously covered terrain to do something like this - but in general it could be a lot of redlining...I have some ideas on this, but I am going to wait until I have my trusty maps in front of me before putting out my guess(es)...

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I thought redlining meant hiking for the first time, it's hard to imagine any peak you already climbed 13 times with 15 miles of trails undone.

Yes, I am using Roy's definition of redlining. I was pretty surprised myself! Heh, heh!

 

[albee]

I'll wager a guess:
I think you seem like a Carrigain kind of guy, so I'll say you took the Hancock Notch trail to the Cedar Brook trail to the Wilderness trail to the Desolation trail to reach the summit of Carrigain. Looks like that would be about 15 miles, but I didn't actually check my trusty guidebook.

 

[sapblatt]

I'll wager a guess:
I think you seem like a Carrigain kind of guy, so I'll say you took the Hancock Notch trail to the Cedar Brook trail to the Wilderness trail to the Desolation trail to reach the summit of Carrigain. Looks like that would be about 15 miles, but I didn't actually check my trusty guidebook.

One problem there - I heavily doubt Dr. D had not already redlined Wilderness, Hancock Notch and Cedar Brook...but I could be wrong of course...
Albee I like your thinking - I was originally thinking of peaks that have a ton of trails on them, but your idea of a mountain with just long trails may be the way to go...hmmm

 

[NewHampshire]

Moosilauke; Tunnel Brook, Benton, Beaver Brook trails? (best guess which ironically added up to about 15 miles for the first 2.....Beaver brook trail adds .8 miles)

Brian

 

[Frodo]

I have an slight unfair advantage seeing that I know you, but I will take a guess anyway...

Since your a trail adopter on Moosilauke, you must have hiked this peak over 14 times.

I know you have done pretty much everything in the Pemi, so I'll rule that out.

I know you are almost done with the 48 x 12, so this must be a peak you have done a few extra times (not likely Waumbek or Cabot).

You also are giving only 10 points for the peak, but 5 points each for the trails. I tend to think there are a lot of trails, because the trails are tougher to guess than the peak (hence the more points).

And since it was Tuesday, you were likely solo with no car spot.

So, I'll guess that it is Passaconaway via the numerous trails from Wonalancet. Maybe Bickford Trail/Old Paugus/Big Rock Cave/Cabin/Whitin Brook/Kelly/Wonalancet Range/Walden Trails?

My second guess would be Carter Dome via the Rainbow Trail (and several trails in the Wild River Wilderness), but I think you would need a car spot for that.

Good luck on your CROP Walk!

 

[RoySwkr]

My second guess would be Carter Dome via the Rainbow Trail (and several trails in the Wild River Wilderness), but I think you would need a car spot for that.

I've done CD via Black Angel and Rainbow which doesn't require a car spot and might have enough miles but surely the Wild River Trail couldn't be undone - maybe return via Eagle Link, Meader Range, Basin?

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Three winners!

Roy, Frodo, and a VFTT lurker friend identified Carter Dome correctly (Frodo's second choice), and all three correctly suggested approaches from Wild River, where I had only been once before, on a CROP Walk across Shel-Moriah. Carrigain was a good guess Albee, as it is on my list for a return trip this fall to collect a sample from the water well for laboratory analyses. But, Saplatt was correct that I had probably already hiked most of the long approach routes to Carrigain, which included a CROP Walk a few years ago. Moosilauke was also a good guess, New Hampshire, but as Frodo pointed out (based on insider info), I have been all over that peak, being a co-adopter of the Glen Cliff Trail with Steve Martin for many years. Passaconaway was another good guess by Frodo, but I covered two of the longest approaches to Whiteface and Passaconaway on another CROP Walk two years ago. Our CROP Walk yesterday on the AT across Holts Ledge and Smarts Mountain was Steve Smith's and Mike Dickermans' idea, and was fantastic.

But, now for a short trip report of my Carter Dome hike with Steve Smith (no car spot needed). The newly anointed USNF Wilderness area in the Wild River drainage is now well signed, but my hope is that others may continue to have the pleasure of solitude that Steve and I experienced this past Tuesday. We only met two others on the entire hike, one an AT North-South through-hiker on the summit of C Dome, the other presumably someone in a sleeping bag in the Wild River lean-to about four miles in from the campground at the trailhead (I did not approach to confirm). And, my guess is that it is the relatively low numbers of folks who have hiked C Dome from Wild River over the years that have limited the amount of erosion to the Black Angel Trail (our route up) and the Rainbow Trail (my route down; Steve returned via the Black Angel), so common on more direct routes to NH4s in the Whites. Surprising to me, both trails appear to be regularly maintained, with most blow downs removed and much of the understory brushed back. Water bars are not common, but not really necessary given the layout of the Black Angel and Rainbow trails. The only tricky part of the hike was traversing the headwall on the upper part of the Black Angel below the junction with the Carter-Moriah Trail. Also, there were some muddy sections on the Wild River Trail north of the Perkins Notch area. There are also lots of blue plastic diamond markers high on trees in in Perkins Notch, presumably to lead x-c skiers from Jackson to the old lean-to?

I missed an opportunity to add another 3 miles to my 15 miles of redlining (roughly 5 miles on Black Angel, 3 miles on Rainbow, and 7 miles on Wild River) on the way out, but because darkness was encroaching fast, I elected to retrace the 3 miles of the Wild River Trail nearest the campground instead of redlining the High Water Trail (the only other section that I had previously hiked, many times, was the 0.4 miles on the CMT on the north side of C Dome). And, yes, the foliage was spectacular!

I am looking forward to more redlining in the Wild River Wilderness!

Dr. D.

 

[MichaelJ]

Mmm ... I've been through there, and agree on how beautiful it is! Nicely done!

 

[bikehikeskifish]

What is the meaning of CROP in this case? Presumably it is the acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty? Is this an organized fund raiser of some sort?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[RoySwkr]

>Black Angel Trail (our
>route up) and the Rainbow Trail (my route down; Steve returned via the
>Black Angel),

That's not much of a hike for you, I've actually done it

Steve hiked the Rainbow with his wife a couple years ago and wrote a column on it taking particular note of the pseudo-peak

>Surprising to me, both trails appear to be regularly maintained, with
>most blow downs remove d and much of the understory brushed back.

There was a 4-person trail crew of 20-somethings on Black Angel with
heavy-duty clippers when I was there a few years ago, I gather they were
hoping to be sent to fires out West

> The only tricky part of the hike was traversing the
>headwall on the upper part of the Black Angel below the junction with
>the Carter-Moriah Trail.

Yup

>Also, there were some muddy sections on the
>Wild River Trail north of the Perkins Notch area.

Triple yup, you should see it in the wet season

>There are also lots
>of blue plastic diamond markers high on trees in in Perkins Notch,
>presumably to lead x-c skiers from Jackson to the old lean-to?

As I recall, they went to the leanto and then back on the East Branch Trail, maybe the Wilderness types have removed them from that section?

> I elected to retrace the 3 miles of the Wild River
>Trail nearest the campground instead of redlining the High Water Trail

Hey, I did that but on the way up when I was fresh

Probably a good choice as this trail has lots of up & down and is much
rougher

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

What is the meaning of CROP in this case? Presumably it is the acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty? Is this an organized fund raiser of some sort?

Thanks,
Tim

Tim,

We have agreed not to solicit for charities on this board, hence I suggested that folks contact Steve Smith if interested in participating. We were down to 6.5 participants this year, from 10 or more a few years ago, so are looking for new recruits, and would be delighted to have you join us.

Dr. D.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I wasn't interested in participating... I just wanted to know what 'CROP' meant. Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty is the most-commonly returned acronym from Google and I think you've pretty much confirmed it.

It could have been Circumferential Redlining Outlying Peaks, given your other recent thread

Tim

 

[skiguy]

But, now for a short trip report of my Carter Dome hike with Steve Smith (no car spot needed). The newly anointed USNF Wilderness area in the Wild River drainage is now well signed, but my hope is that others may continue to have the pleasure of solitude that Steve and I experienced this past Tuesday. We only met two others on the entire hike, one an AT North-South through-hiker on the summit of C Dome, the other presumably someone in a sleeping bag in the Wild River lean-to about four miles in from the campground at the trailhead (I did not approach to confirm). And, my guess is that it is the relatively low numbers of folks who have hiked C Dome from Wild River over the years that have limited the amount of erosion to the Black Angel Trail (our route up) and the Rainbow Trail (my route down; Steve returned via the Black Angel), so common on more direct routes to NH4s in the Whites. Surprising to me, both trails appear to be regularly maintained, with most blow downs removed and much of the understory brushed back. Water bars are not common, but not really necessary given the layout of the Black Angel and Rainbow trails. The only tricky part of the hike was traversing the headwall on the upper part of the Black Angel below the junction with the Carter-Moriah Trail. Also, there were some muddy sections on the Wild River Trail north of the Perkins Notch area. There are also lots of blue plastic diamond markers high on trees in in Perkins Notch, presumably to lead x-c skiers from Jackson to the old lean-to?

I missed an opportunity to add another 3 miles to my 15 miles of redlining (roughly 5 miles on Black Angel, 3 miles on Rainbow, and 7 miles on Wild River) on the way out, but because darkness was encroaching fast, I elected to retrace the 3 miles of the Wild River Trail nearest the campground instead of redlining the High Water Trail (the only other section that I had previously hiked, many times, was the 0.4 miles on the CMT on the north side of C Dome). And, yes, the foliage was spectacular!

I am looking forward to more redlining in the Wild River Wilderness!

Dr. D.

For those of you familiar with the Mountain Ear in N. Conway there is a great Write up by steve Smith on this Hike. Nice Pic too Dr. "D"!