Stupid Scree Wall on Mt. Bond

[Papa Bear]

They also use flimsy twine in the heavily trodden area around Lakes of the Clouds Hut which seems to work.

I'm not sure if the Hut Croo (aka the AMC) or the Forest Service maintain it. I would guess the Croo.

 

[Mike P.]

the twine does seem to get the most respect, probably because for some people, it resembles what they see in their neighborhoods when lawns are planted or driveway's paved. (Some people ignore it & they'd ignore a 6' foot wall too.)

Come winter, that stuff should hold a decent drift on one side, can you sue the AMC & the Caretaker for your rescue fees if you injure your leg falling into a scree wall trap that shouldn't be there????

 

[skiguy]

IMO the dichotomy of this wall building is that the actual building of the wall probably caused damge to the vegetation in the process off building this edifice. That's an awful lot of rocks and branches. They had to be carried and dragged from somewhere. I have a hard time believing that all the building material in itself came from non sensitive vegetative areas not to mention the foot traffic in retrieving the material. Who knows I could be wrong; but for his sake I hope the Caretaker did all his building barefoot and carried all the rocks from the East Pemi River not to mention carrying all the sticks up from the Wideness Trail.

 

[roadtripper]

If the FS decides to keep this, I'm going to get 20 people together to build a 20 foot tall cairn at the turn off for Owl's Head

 

[Paradox]

If the FS decides to keep this, I'm going to get 20 people together to build a 20 foot tall cairn at the turn off for Owl's Head

Of course, they might drive a bulldozer and backhoe in to knock it down.

 

[bryan]

i forwarded a link to this thread to the head of the amc shelter program. she had already become aware of the issue and is planning on visiting mt. bond to check it out.

bryan

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Not sure about today, but a few years ago the Guyot site caretakers were AMC employees, who maintained the spur trail to West Bond as well as the Twinway between Bond and South Twin.

Anyone have a photo of the ridiculously piddly scree wall built from the old cairn materials on WEST Bond that I saw on July 2nd this year?

In the larger scheme of things, alpine areas in the Whites are doomed from AGW, with probably only the stretch between Ike and Madison remaining as alpine tundra by AD 2050.

But, there is no excuse for creating overall ugliness with such overbuilt and futile scree walls; Guy Waterman must be rolling over in his grave.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Anyone have a photo of the ridiculously piddly scree wall built from the old cairn materials on WEST Bond that I saw on July 2nd this year?

No, but I always assumed that was to mark the true summit.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

No, but I always assumed that was to mark the true summit.

Ha, ha, ha: LOL. Thanks, Tom!

 

[Billy]

another pic of the Confederate battlements on Bond


...and here's the one on Pierce (left of center leading away from the cairn). Note that I risked incarceration by jumping the barrier to take this photo. Pierce also has a barrier of downed trees, but the pic of that (2nd to last pic in the Southern Presi gallery) didn't come out too well. Also, I might have been half asleep or delusional, but I thought I saw two summit benchmarks on Pierce last saturday.

 

[Drumhaggart]

Also, I might have been half asleep or delusional, but I thought I saw two summit benchmarks on Pierce last saturday.

Not delusional.

I have pics of two seperate reference markers from the summit area on Pierce:
One, A USGS "Reference Mark" from 1943, and

Two, A USGS "Bench Mark" with an unreadable date (19??)

Anyone know if these are these different classes of marker or whether the terminology changed between the installation of the markers?

-Steve

 

[evilhanz]

N
I have pics of two seperate reference markers from the summit area on Pierce:
One, A USGS "Reference Mark" from 1943, and
Two, A USGS "Bench Mark" with an unreadable date (19??)

Anyone know if these are these different classes of marker or whether the terminology changed between the installation of the markers?

The reference marks (usually one or two) point to the benchmark. They're useful in locating the primary marker or if one or more marks become obscure.

 

[Tom Rankin]

The reference marks (usually one or two) point to the benchmark. They're useful in locating the primary marker or if one or more marks become obscure.

Yup, the Triangle one is the one that the 2 with arrows point to. In this case, we have 'No. 2' and the Triangle. Balsam Lake has a 1, a 2, and a Triangle, but it took a little digging to find one of them!

 

[Drumhaggart]

Thanks for the info, Gents!

 

[walker]

Contact the WMNF Ranger Station????

Has anyone made contact with the Forest Services directly to ask what the hell is going on?

Everyone should call the Ranger In Charge (Tom Wagner 603 536-6100) to voice their opinion. If enough people call and make there opinion known (the complete disregard of the Forest Services Reg's about permanent structures in wilderness areas (Cairns, signs, trail marker)) maybe something will be done.

It is utterly contemptible to build something this hideous in one of the most beautiful back country places in the Whites. Everyone who takes the time and energy to get to the Bonds knows enough to stay off the vegetation. We don't need the Bond Wall.

The Pemi Ranger Station Telephone Number is: (603) 536-6100 (Main Desk )
District Ranger: Molly Fuller

The HQ Number is: (603) 536-6100
Forest Supervisor: Tom Wagner

Both are open 8:30 to 4:00

CALL AND VOICE YOUR OPINION!!!!

See you the trail....Walker

 

[roadtripper]

Phone is probably best, but you can probably contact the FS via email as well. I've never tried it, but here's the address:

[email protected]

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Everyone who takes the time and energy to get to the Bonds knows enough to stay off the vegetation. We don't need the Bond Wall.

Not everyone:

...While we were there, someone came up from West Bond direction and walked right over the wall, looking to go to Bondcliff.

Tim

 

[Neil]

This thread brings to mind an ugly, useless and tradition-soaked piece of human effort:

The cairn on Skylight, which I would dimantle immediately but won't, due to concerns over a second Deluge. Also, with all the difficulties in re-naming East Dix to Grace who wants to go through re-naming Skylight to Ararat?

 

[TDawg]

Not everyone:


Tim

So, now simply walking over the new, stupid wall is synonymous with trampling the vegetation? I don't think so and that is silly, as there isn't really much there at the present time.

Granted, it could be made a re-vegetation zone, but as Dr. D stated, relatively low alpine areas such as Bond are doomed at the rate the warming earth is going anyway.

I know that if I climb Bond tomorrow, I'm going (responsibly,) where ever I please while not trampling REAL vegetation. Not the packed soil and rocks that make up most of the summit area as it is.

BTW, I agree that not 'EVERYONE' will be mindful of not trampling fragile plants. Maybe we could say 'the majority' people who travel to Bond will be. Franconia Ridge? Different story, scree walls are appropriate.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Granted, it could be made a re-vegetation zone, but as Dr. D stated, relatively low alpine areas such as Bond are doomed at the rate the warming earth is going anyway.

With a view like that, let's just trample everything, and have a huge bon-fire up there!