Stevens Brook Trail - Carr Mountain Ridge

[Hillwalker]

A few years ago when I lived in Wentworth, NH I attempted to trace out the path of the abandoned Stevens Brook Trail which used to run between Buffalo Road up over the Carr Mountain ridge and down to Stinson Lake Road. The hike was a really nice open bushwhack and there were a few identifiable old trail sections and a definite trace where it crosses Carr Mountain ridge in a nice little col. However I stopped at the col and did not go down into the valley of Stinson Lake. When ascending the west side of the ridge on my trail finding attempt I was amazed by the amount of paint markings on nearly every tree. I know that the Carr mountain area is classified as an inventoried roadless area by the Forest Service, and it appears that they counted every tree during the inventory. Amazing.

Now to my question. Has anyone here explored this area with the intent on locating the old Stevens Brook trail. On my Mapsource Topo US 2008 it looks like it is shown as a road. Curious.

Now living in Western Maine I am concentrating on locating old trails around here.

Mapsource US Topo 24K National Parks shows it much better.

Good grief, Earth Pro shows the trail too. Wonder what gives with this topo feature?

 

[Becca M]

HI - yes - I tried it from the west a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/viewreport.php?entryid=23204

I tried from the Stinson Lake area first but was hesitant to poke around for the start of the trail (I assume it's the old road I could see from the road) because of people near there. I will try from the east again at some point. Very neat area. Other than a couple of trail markers (I think), there was absolutely no evidence of the old trail that I could find. I was really hoping to find some evidence of the old bridge across the stream but couldn't find anything.

It has probably been logged fairly recently. I also found evidence of forest fires.

Based on my GPS software, I was definitely EXACTLY where the trail was supposed to be (west of the ridge); maybe on the east side of the ridge it's an old road. It starts out on the west side (from where I took it) as a newer logging road.

 

[Hillwalker]

Thanks Becca M Just what I was looking for, a report from someone else who likes to wander in the woods looking for stuff. Two weeks ago I discovered a very old trail to the top of Saddleback Wind (2546) in Carthage Maine. Only traces of the trail remain however once at the granite domed summit I discovered numerous names cut into the rock from the days when this was popular. It was reminiscent of the rock carvings at the far eastern (old AT) ledges of Mount Cube in Orford. I wonder just what the time period was when people carried hammers and chisels in their rucksacks to perform their lapidem scalpturis deformantur?

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

Och aye, Hillwalker. Glad tae see ye're oot oan the hill.
From what I can see the chisel grafitti business started when people first climbed these hills for sport, and it continues today. On Cardigan IIRC there are dates pre-1855 fire, which indicates the summit has always been treeless. Some are in copperplate, which must have taken quite a while to cut. The most recent is three YO, a square panel cut out leaving block capitals. If someone is willing to put in the time and effort...

 

[Becca M]

wow - interesting info - I have to say, I do really like finding the old names carved (in the old letters!!!).

So many neat areas to explore! One can spend HOURS pondering the old maps and old trail descriptions.... some just disappear quickly and others are evident LONG after closure...

 

[Jazzbo]

Becca ... I hear from a certain off-trail wanderer who hunts for forgotten waterfalls that one can catch the old Stevens trail from east side at some run-down mobile home and out-buildings. He says there is just enough space for a single vehicle. I forget his exact instructions, but he says there is distinct path heading into woods either between the buildings or maybe to one side. There is interesting box canyon with waterfall probably just below beaver ponds. This is on my to-do list. It might be nice thing to do before the snow flies and hunting season is just about done.

 

[Becca M]

HI Jazzbo - yes - very much the east-side entrance I figured I saw from the road... I was hesitant to try due to activity from that side. I will try again tho!!!! Excellent info!!!! I am guessing that box canyon is what that photog referred to as one of the best ones he's seen in the video on Hawthorne Falls

 

[Jazzbo]

HI Jazzbo - yes - very much the east-side entrance I figured I saw from the road... I was hesitant to try due to activity from that side. I will try again tho!!!! Excellent info!!!! I am guessing that box canyon is what that photog referred to as one of the best ones he's seen in the video on Hawthorne Falls

BTW there is cliff type formation 1841' I suspect would be worth a visit. I think it is the cliff I always see when driving up from Rumney on Stinson Lake Road. It should have a nice VFTT.

 

[Becca M]

HI All, I visited the east side of the trail today. I followed the road (Basin Brook Road) from its junction with Stinson Lake Rd. AS it turns out, I then had to cross Stevens Brook because the trail is on the north side of the river. Anyway, on the return I followed the trail to the footpath between a couple of old mobile homes as Jazzbo mentioned.

The eastern section has seen some maintenance and is very obvious until about 1800', once you get closer to the huge beaver ponds. There is occasional flagging and blowdown removals. There is some flagging near the box canyon, which is *NOT* on the old trail, but, it is pretty amazing, with today's water flow, and is really worth visiting.

Above the beaver ponds, once I crossed the river, I lost the trail completely. I bushwhacked back and forth crossing the location of the old trail until I got to the height of land (above 2200'). Very interesting there! I found an old cairn possibly, and possibly a part of the trail but really couldn't find anything obvious.

On the descent I followed the river from the beaver ponds until the box canyon which was about 1600' - there are many steep and beautiful cascades along the way. In all, just under 5 miles round trip to the height-of-land and back, including a LOT of bushwhacking around. I got hit in the eye REALLY good with some hobblebush... extremely painful....

Neat area!!!!

 

[Hillwalker]

Thanks Becca. Enjoyed reading your report.

 

[Tahoma]

Now living in Western Maine I am concentrating on locating old trails around here.

Mapsource US Topo 24K National Parks shows it much better.

Good grief, Earth Pro shows the trail too. Wonder what gives with this topo feature?

Id love to see someone restore the Old Speck Fire Wardens trail! Since youre in western maine, maybe itll become a project for you!

 

[egilbe]

Id love to see someone restore the Old Speck Fire Wardens trail! Since youre in western maine, maybe itll become a project for you!

Where was that one?

 

[Hillwalker]

It started about 2 tenths of a mile before reaching the parking lot in Grafton Notch off ME Rt 26 and seemed to run pretty much straight up the mountain. Of you hike up to the old lookout tower and then look down from the clearing toward the east I think that you can see where it came up the mountain. Not a good idea to independently "restore" old abandoned trails in this day and age. Compared to the very fun Eyebrow trail up old Speck, and the AT section up the mountain, this trail would be an "unrelentingly" steep slog. IMHO

 

[peakbagger]

Id love to see someone restore the Old Speck Fire Wardens trail! Since youre in western maine, maybe itll become a project for you! I agree that this one is best left to intrepid folks who want to search out old trails rather than reopened as a functioning trail. The reason for the closure was serious erosion. Its inappropriate for AT hikers and in general the reroute is far preferable.

 

[Barbarossa]

I was on the Wentworth side yesterday. It started as FR 429 and is good shape for quite a way. I did a lot of meandering and in places the GPS was telling me I was on the trail, but there nothing on the ground that appeared trail-like.

There is a skidder path that will get you above 1600' that is reasonably close.

I believe the trail has been mostly obliterated by logging in the area.

If anyone is anxious to get to height of land or Willoughby Mountain I recommend going over Upper Rattlesnake. The ridge is gentle and fairly open.

 

[RossNH]

I went in from the east side off Stinson Lake Road near the abandoned mobile homes above the junction with Basin Brook Road. Although I probably could have parked there, I figured it was easier to park by the Loveland Bridge historical marker which added a nice road walk. As soon as you go between the old mobile homes you'll see a small tall shed, the old trail pretty much starts there and is very evident and visible although there a lots of blowdowns including a few that look to be new this year perhaps from the April blizzard. I only went up as far as the box canyon which is very impressive and worth the relatively short hike.

That property with the abandoned mobile home ruins really should be on the list to suggest the WMNF to purchase. There's easily room for a small parking lot that could provide another access to the Willoughby/Carr ridge and it appears to abut the WMNF boundary already.

 

[Hillwalker]

Whoops, I'm getting Deja vu or is it Sera vu. I kinda miss living in Wentworth.