Stub Hill and Diamond Peak Ridge

[peakbagger]

In case someone is working on obscure summits, I have a small group heading up to Stub Hill and possibly Diamond Peak Ridge this Saturday. PM if you want info, its a 7:30 AM start. We use map and compass. It could turn into a mostly logging road walk as the gate on Smith Brook road appears to be closed. I expect the bugs will be present.

 

[TEO]

In case someone is working on obscure summits, I have a small group heading up to Stub Hill and possibly Diamond Peak Ridge this Saturday. PM if you want info, its a 7:30 AM start. We use map and compass. It could turn into a mostly logging road walk as the gate on Smith Brook road appears to be closed. I expect the bugs will be present.

Nice, sounds like a fun day. Where is the gate on Smith Brook Road? At the turn off onto 143?

You're going to try to fit in North Stub Hill, yes? Remember the Crispo Rule: Leave no stragglers. (Says one who has been known to leave stragglers, and had to return.)

 

[peakbagger]

I am at a disadvantage on exactly where the gate is closed as despite some searching I cannot find a map that shows the road numbers and gates. I have called the office in Pittsburg and left a message. The road status I found on the website lists gate numbers and road #s but there is no index to where they are. There are 7 gates listed with Smith Brook Road in the road name. Most of them are listed as closed including one called "gate 166 Smith Brook Road, Diamond Ridge Vista and Stub Hill listed as road number 10-56".

If you have source for a road index it would be greatly appreciated.

I don't formally keep track of summits. Someone else in the group is working on the NH 200 list and I am going along just because its new territory.

 

[srhigham]

There are many maps out there showing the gate locations, without the road names. Here's one:

https://www.nhstateparks.org/uploads/CLWF_FinalPlan_web.pdf

With enough poking around on Google you can match road numbers/names and gate numbers.

 

[peakbagger]

Thanks for the link. I already had it printed out. The numbers really don't line up well with the gate closure listing.

 

[srhigham]

Looking at old notes I remember that the gate numbers all changed c.2015. I only transcribed the ones that I was interested in, and they added either 100 or 200 to those gate numbers. So for instance 60 became 160, but 77 became 277. This might give you enough to figure out the road names and new gate numbers (gate closure list has new gate #s and road names; older maps have old gate #s but no road names.)

 

[peakbagger]

To close this one out, we had a great hike on Saturday. The local forester for DRED did not call back. There is a large map posted at kiosk near the river but the numbers and roads do not correspond with the gate closure status. There are also snowmachine trail emergency maps posted at many locations also with different numbering system. I think Steve's observation that adding a digit to the gate numbers on the original headwaters study worked for this hike. The gate for Smith Brook Road was open. The road was dried out but in few spots it looked like rutting was an issue recently. We went up by the intersection that has couple of camps on either side of the road. and then went past on to the next gated road going right. This is the gate 166 (66 on the headwaters map). There was a temporary snowmachine sign with "Scenic Vista" written on it. This road is in excellent condition There were one or two wet spots that were drying out. We walked all the way to the Col between Stub Hill and North Stub on an excellent road that could easly be driven with an econobox. Unfortunately there are no gates at any intersections in this road network so its going to be all or nothing if the gate is opened. We took the obvious cut trail to Stub Pond all the way to the pond to check out the view and then went back down the trail a short distance, from them it was easy hiking, mostly open softwoods with large fern patches and moose trails and paths everywhere. North Stub was also fairly easy with one thick patch about half way up the slope and then a stroll through a fairly open blowdown patch. The views are obscured from both summits but by moving a round a bit we could get them.

We had a good breeze up high but as we got down a bit it went away and the road walk become hot. We had included Diamond Peak ridge as optional which was assuming we could drive in farther past the gate. At that point I was running out of steam and the long road walk was starting to bother my feet. After a stop for blister repair I pretty much knew that the canister on Diamond Peak was not on my agenda for the day. I offered the others the opportunity to go ahead and bag the canister but they wanted to stick together. Given the obvious road and that they were coming back the same way I didn't mind but they insisted so we ended the hike at the vista that is not at the true summit (but great nevertheless). This scenic vista is shown on the headwater map as tourist attraction so I would expect it would be open at some point but this spur road is definitely in lot more need of repairs than the road to North Stub. Nothing major but some attention is needed prior to running an econobox up it.

The 5 plus mile walk out via the road was hot and I actually ran out of water. A general observation was there was water flowing in stream but in my opinion the woods are a lot drier than expect so early in the season. I was beat when we got to the car. I think it was just a combination a long exposed road walk and the sudden increase in temps but a reminder that warm weather is upon us.

I would be hard pressed to use an alternative approach to Stub, if I had good accurate road map there are potentially closed approaches from the south from Magalloway road but expect the bushwhack would be far longer and it could be in regrowth.

Thanks all for the help.