TEO
Well-known member
I spotted this link last week:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2556
and knew that this would be a great way to finish up my 46-R journey. The lumber camp and Emmons Slide had intrigued me for years, but my hiking partner for the trip, Bob, an old college buddy also working on the 46, and I only had two days.
Tuesday and Wednesday, we followed the suggested route, climbing Seyomour, Emmons, Donaldson and Seward (my 46th). My hat is off to Johnnycakes who did the route in a single day.
The path along Ouluska Pass Brook up above the lumber camp had some old corduroy. Does anyone know the history of it? Is it the same as the tote road lower down McMartin and Goodwin refer to? How old is it? Did it go all the way through to the other side of the pass? It has been trimmed since the 1950 blowdown, but I doubt with a chainsaw as someone suggested here. There is occassional flagging.
There is also some flagging (blue, pink and yellow) on the South side of the tributary fed by Emmons Slide.
It is quite dense below the summit of Seymour, along the upper reaches of Ouluska Pass Brook and below Emmons Slide. Through much of the bushwhack we opted for walking in the streams themselves.
Tuesday night we camped at the lumber camp. With no moon, it was about as good a starry night as it gets. A bear (we assume) was heard frolicking nearby in the woods and brook.
As I mentioned in my trail conditions report, above Emmons Slide we must have angled higher than McMartin meant to suggest because we ended up just South of Emmon's summit. I actually thought that the going wasn't too bad above the slide.
It was a great relief to reach Emmons's summit and know that the bushwhacking was done for the trip than it was to finish the 46. We did enjoy cigars and bourbon on Sewards summit.
Calkins Brook was a nice descent, but I wonder how well it will hold up in the years to come with increasing usage. The upper reaches could become quite ugly.
Anyway, it was a good hike.
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2556
and knew that this would be a great way to finish up my 46-R journey. The lumber camp and Emmons Slide had intrigued me for years, but my hiking partner for the trip, Bob, an old college buddy also working on the 46, and I only had two days.
Tuesday and Wednesday, we followed the suggested route, climbing Seyomour, Emmons, Donaldson and Seward (my 46th). My hat is off to Johnnycakes who did the route in a single day.
The path along Ouluska Pass Brook up above the lumber camp had some old corduroy. Does anyone know the history of it? Is it the same as the tote road lower down McMartin and Goodwin refer to? How old is it? Did it go all the way through to the other side of the pass? It has been trimmed since the 1950 blowdown, but I doubt with a chainsaw as someone suggested here. There is occassional flagging.
There is also some flagging (blue, pink and yellow) on the South side of the tributary fed by Emmons Slide.
It is quite dense below the summit of Seymour, along the upper reaches of Ouluska Pass Brook and below Emmons Slide. Through much of the bushwhack we opted for walking in the streams themselves.
Tuesday night we camped at the lumber camp. With no moon, it was about as good a starry night as it gets. A bear (we assume) was heard frolicking nearby in the woods and brook.
As I mentioned in my trail conditions report, above Emmons Slide we must have angled higher than McMartin meant to suggest because we ended up just South of Emmon's summit. I actually thought that the going wasn't too bad above the slide.
It was a great relief to reach Emmons's summit and know that the bushwhacking was done for the trip than it was to finish the 46. We did enjoy cigars and bourbon on Sewards summit.
Calkins Brook was a nice descent, but I wonder how well it will hold up in the years to come with increasing usage. The upper reaches could become quite ugly.
Anyway, it was a good hike.
