Signage on Tripyramids

[ChrisB]

Hey,

Did the N/S slide loop yesterday and noticed no signs marking the summits.
I recall the last time I did this hike a few years ago there were signs.

Have the signs been removed because of the wilderness designation of this area?

cb

 

[David Metsky]

I don't remember any signage on the summits. I first hiked the Tripyramids in the late 80's and I don't think there were signs up there then.

-dave-

 

[dug]

No signs I can recall back in the 70's either. In fact, we ended up hitting all the peaks a couple different times to make sure we got them all. Back when I cared.

 

[BLE]

I did that loop on saturday myself and was thinking about the signs as well. What I noticed was all the signs just outside of the sandwich wilderness boundary seemed 'brand spanking new' while all those inside the boundary marking trail junctions seem very old. I wonder if NFS plan is to simply let all signage within the wilderness area decay. The sign marking the Kate Sleeper trail off the south slide seemed particularly illegible.

 

[David Metsky]

Trail junction signs in the Wilderness Areas have been updated in recent years with brand new signs, so that's not it. Trail signs in general don't get updated very frequently unless they are in dire need. The Sleepers trail and sign could definately stand some improvement.

The biggest problem with the signs on the Livermore Road is that at the junction with the South end of the loop there's no sign to indicate you stay on the Livermore Road to reach the north slide. I've frequently seen people make that mistake and climb up the south slide thinking they're on the north slide. The sign at the south junction has the distance to North Peak and that confuses hikers.

-dave-

 

[ChrisB]

Got me thinking...

Hummmm.

Maybe I was confusing Carter signage with the TriPs.

If Metsky does not remember it, it didn't happen.

While I'm thinking about it: How many other NH 4ks lack a summit sign?

cb

 

[Jeff-B]

The biggest problem with the signs on the Livermore Road is that at the junction with the South end of the loop there's no sign to indicate you stay on the Livermore Road to reach the north slide. I've frequently seen people make that mistake and climb up the south slide thinking they're on the north slide. The sign at the south junction has the distance to North Peak and that confuses hikers.

-dave-

Yup, I was one of them too on Saturday, Oh well, I guess the North Slide needed to be downclimbed anyway....

Later that day, back at the sign you mention, someone....had scratched an new arrow into the "North Peak" direction to continue on Livermore Rd....but I am not saying who.....

 

[David Metsky]

While I'm thinking about it: How many other NH 4ks lack a summit sign?

Well, some are really obvious and don't need a sign. Others are where trails intersect so there is a trailsign, but no "summit" sign.

Some off the top of my head: Madison, Jefferson, Monroe, Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson, Bond, Bondcliff, N & M Tripyramid, N & S Kinsman, Lincoln, Liberty, Flume, Whiteface, Osceola, East Osceola, and I'm sure lots of others.

The ones that seem to need signs are those in the woods without any obvious indication that it's the summit. Signs on Cabot, Waumbek (is it still there?), Middle Carter, and Zealand really help. The one that seems to need it the most (besides Owls Head) would be Whiteface which no one ever really knows until they've past it.

Someone should make a webpage. Maybe that's a project for me, summit signs.

-dave-

 

[Seeker]

If Metsky does not remember it, it didn't happen.

ROTFLMAO!!

 

[David Metsky]

ROTFLMAO!!

You're laughing with me, not at me, right?

-dave-

 

[Periwinkle]

Some off the top of my head: Madison, Jefferson, Monroe, Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson, Bond, Bondcliff, N & M Tripyramid, N & S Kinsman, Lincoln, Liberty, Flume, Whiteface, Osceola, East Osceola, and I'm sure lots of others.

Thinking back..... Cannon? Hale? Wildcat A & D? Passaconaway? Garfield? Field? Moriah? Carrigain (trail sign only)? Isolation? Tecumseh?

All above except Passaconaway and Wildcat D are in the obvious summit features category.

The ones that seem to need signs.... Waumbek (is it still there?)

Waumbek's was missing when I was there in 2003. The bolt was still on the tree and there was a smallish cairn. Almost missed it covered in snow.

The one that seems to need it the most (besides Owls Head) would be Whiteface which no one ever really knows until they've past it.

[Warning: Ranting yet again] Whiteface should, at the least, have a cairn. The pile of rocks pushed over the side of the boulder at the summit evidence that there once was. It's just plain mean not to have one.

I know it's wilderness and not necessary and therefore against the rules, but I'm still bitter two years later. [Okay, everyone, all together now: GET OVER IT, PERI! ...Yah, yah....I know....] But, walking literally almost halfway across the Rollins Trail because I missed it, then having to turn back, was really the icing on an already terrible day. I think I would have cried, except I've the told "there's no crying in hiking"

Someone should make a webpage. Maybe that's a project for me, summit signs.

I think I have pictures of every summit marker: signs, cairns, benchmark pins, even that miserable little rock on Whiteface -- if you're missing any.

 

[TDawg]

Passaconaway has this sign pointing up a short spur trail which ends at the actual summit. It is maybe 20-30 ft. from the summit so I guess it counts in my book.

I'm also in the crowd that walked over the Whitface summit without knowing exactly where it was. I knew it was on the trail and after I was decending down the Rollins en route to Passaconaway I figured, "Huh, I must have hit it already, oh well."

 

[Kevin Rooney]

[Warning: Ranting yet again] Whiteface should, at the least, have a cairn. The pile of rocks pushed over the side of the boulder at the summit evidence that there once was. It's just plain mean not to have one.

5 or 6 years ago I put a bit of blue surveyor's tape on the dead spruce marking the highpoint of Whiteface, but UV and weather take their toll so I don't know if it's there any longer. But, usually when I do that loop I'm chugging along to/from Passaconaway so you automatically 'hit' the summit, IIRC.

 

[Raymond]

I remember some tape from 2003, but I think it was pink. There may have been blue, too, but I can't recall now.

There was also a smiley-like face on a tree.

 

[Periwinkle]

I don't remember any tape. Just this:

 

[RoySwkr]

All above except Passaconaway and Wildcat D are in the obvious summit features category.

I consider the tower on Wildcat D to be obvious, although you can quibble whether the purist HP is under the tower or off to the side

Waumbek's was missing when I was there in 2003. The bolt was still on the tree and there was a smallish cairn. Almost missed it covered in snow.

Last winter there were trail signs pointing in both directions, do you count these as summit signs?

Whiteface should, at the least, have a cairn.
I know it's wilderness and not necessary and therefore against the rules

Whiteface once had a sign but as you say was removed for Wilderness reasons, look for bolt holes in that tree behind you to the R

 

[Periwinkle]

I consider the tower on Wildcat D to be obvious, although you can quibble whether the purist HP is under the tower or off to the side

Ooopsie. Got my Wildcats backwards. I meant A Peak. My bad.

Last winter there were trail signs pointing in both directions, do you count these as summit signs?

I was thinking along the lines of Washington, Adams, Lafayette, etc. with the signs piled in at the high points. The "you are here" summit signs only.

Whiteface once had a sign but as you say was removed for Wilderness reasons, look for bolt holes in that tree behind you to the R

I looked at the original high-resolution version of that picture and can make out what might be a bolt hole. Missed that then. Eh -- I'm just glad there's one more person that thinks I took my summit photo at the right spot on the trail!!!!