Storm damage

[sierra]

I've been following my groups on FB and thought I'd share a few tidbits. Jefferson Notch road is closed and in very bad shape. The Caps ridge trail has many blowdowns, the maintainer, plans on going up soon, but restricted to manual saws, it will be a tough job. The Airline trail, is just buried in large blowdowns. It will take a professional trail crew to clear it, from what I saw. DOT is making quick work of route 302 and it may be open soon.

 

[TDawg]

Tripoli Rd is only closed from Waterville side to the height of land. I was able to hike Tecumseh today from the West via I93/Exit31. Osceola trailhead also accessible via this side, gate is closed just East of the trailhead.

 

[skiguy]

Thank you for the Beta. Certainly puts the Willey House event of 1826 into perspective. https://www.nhstateparks.org/uploads/pdf/WilleyHouse-InfoSheet.pdf

 

[cwoodside]

The Avalon, A-Z, and Willey Range Trails were all passable today. One climbable blowdown on A-Z. The tree holding the signs at intersection of Avalon and A-Z fell down.

 

[DayTrip]

Been following the various groups pn Facebook as well. Can't believe the extent of the damage. This is the first significant weather damage that I have seen since I began seriously hiking about 6 years ago. Is it safe to assume that having occurred so late in the fall that many of these trails will be in shambles until the Spring because a lot of trail adopters may have already done their Fall maintenance and may not be able to return, especially if a closed access road adds to the miles covered? I'm sure a lot of maintainers and volunteers have limited free time and they may have already spent what they can before the storm.

Started following a Facebook group for NH Trail maintainers and was surprised at the level of activity, volunteer efforts, etc. Didn't realize how substantial the efforts are to hit some the trails. Thought it was far more modest. Pretty encouraging to see the level of enthusiasm they are putting forth. Hell of a mess out their.

 

[egilbe]

Chopping blowdowns is good exercise.

 

[miehoff]

My tent platform in Crawford Notch made it, but the bridge to get to it didn't. Guess I have to buy some waders.

 

[DougPaul]

Can't believe the extent of the damage.

Hurricane Irene (Aug 2011) damaged road bridges (on both main roads and back country) and washed out a number of trail sections requiring rerouting. It took several years to repair some of the damage. There was also extensive damage in other nearby states.

There are a number of threads on the topic:
https://www.google.com/search?q=site:vftt.org+hurricane+irene

There is general info on the hurricane at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irene

Doug

 

[DayTrip]

Hurricane Irene (Aug 2011) damaged road bridges (on both main roads and back country) and washed out a number of trail sections requiring rerouting. It took several years to repair some of the damage. There was also extensive damage in other nearby states.

There are a number of threads on the topic:
https://www.google.com/search?q=site:vftt.org+hurricane+irene

There is general info on the hurricane at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irene

Doug

Amazing how the damage was. I started "serious hiking" in May 2012 so I missed most of this storm's impact. When I did Carrigain for the first time I had to do the road walk because the road to Signal Ridge trail head had not been officially reopened yet. That was about the only impact Irene had on my hiking. This storm will be different.

 

[peakbagger]

My tent platform in Crawford Notch made it, but the bridge to get to it didn't. Guess I have to buy some waders.

Might want to take a look at one of these https://www.facebook.com/ShelburneT...8496626625963/801046803370940/?type=2&theater

 

[peakbagger]

The big issue out there is that these are so called 100 year storm events and they are happening every 10 years. Both the ice storm of 98 and Irene generated special funding to various trail clubs to restore and rebuild trail networks after the events, I wonder if similar funding will be made available this time?.

There is much damage that never was repaired post Irene, much of the trail network in the wilderness areas was downgraded. The Upper Great Gulf Trail was herd pathed via the path of least resistance in many locations. The Moriah Brook Bridge was ultimately removed due to Irene damage and the fate of the Thoreau Falls bridge looks dire. The Dry River trail was effectively abandoned for a couple of years and was ultimately restored to a "pass at your own risk" minimally blazed trail.

 

[jniehof]

The tree holding the signs at intersection of Avalon and A-Z fell down.

Maybe not surprising. That was the site of a massive bark beetle infestation that had to be logged out and people tend to stamp out the area so stuff doesn't grow back in readily. It's a weak/susceptible part of the forest.

 

[DayTrip]

the fate of the Thoreau Falls bridge looks dire.

Have you seen any references to that bridge and whether or not it is even there anymore since the storm?

 

[dailey7779]

Have you seen any references to that bridge and whether or not it is even there anymore since the storm?

Still standing, my girlfriend Whitney went out to Thoreau Falls Bridge the day after the storm. More sand was deposited onto the trail leading up to the bridge and there was new debris washed up in the woods, but the bridge held up.

 

[peakbagger]

How did the new back yard make it through?

 

[dailey7779]

How did the new back yard make it through?

New back yard held up well, as far as I can tell 99% of the wall held up, just one spot where the river ripped out a boulder along my property. Down the river at the bridge on 16 the rock wall next to the bridge abutment had damage, the crews have been out there for a few days fixing that.