peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
Sunday River Whitecap (SRW)on the west side of Grafton Notch is a very prominent open summit with 360 degree views. There is a extensive alpine zone on the the Grafton loop trail side of the summit. The trailbuilders have built extensive scree walls to keep hikers from degrading the alpine zone and the route is well graded with planty of switchbacks. Despite sharing part of a name with a ski area, SRW is north of the ski area and has no development. It is not a 4000 footer and is overshadowed somewhat by its northerly neighbor Mt Speck. Despite Mt Speck being taller the summit cone of SRW is far more impressive than Mt Speck. In general SRW's location and elevation would make this a perfect fall foliage hike if a direct route could be found. I have seen a few reports over the years and talked to a couple of folks about dayhiking this mountain and generally they all lined up with taking a grown in logging path up from a major logging road that parallels Rt 26. Many of the reports indicate that the logging paths shown on the USGS quad are grown in with thick underbrush and it was easier to head through the woods.
Although SRW can be accessed via the new Grafton Loop trail, an out and back dayhike would be a long day with limited views along the way (although some nice woods). While doing the west side of the loop recently, I noticed a distinct herd path coming into the trail from the North in Miles Notch (trail north of SRW, but actually compass west). I had the Old Speck 7.5 topo with me and there were several older logging paths coming up from Rt 26 that looked like good options to be the other end of the herd path. While at the junction, I fired up the GPS and took a coordinate. This herd path is obvious, the loop trail widens out in a flat area and there is discreet piece of orange flagging on a tree.
I had a spare half day on Saturday so I drove over with my trusty USGS Old Speck topo, compass and GPS. Driving north on Rt 26, I drove past the Screw Auger Falls parking, then went over a bridge and took a left on an obvious dirt logging road. The road is gated a short way in but there is plenty of parking. My GPS showed 2 miles straightline distance to the expected spot where I would head into the woods. Taking the logging roads would add a bit of mileage but speed things up I parked the truck and headed up hill following the very well improved logging road up the slope heading roughly south. After some steady climbing, I came to a T in the road and took a left following a very well improved logging road.
After a mostly level walk along the road I passed a large grown in logging yard with potentially great views east. The USGS map shows one major stream coming North out of Miles Notch, in the field there were two bridges and two streams but based on topo I could see two of the logging paths both sustantially grown in with dense growth. My GPS indicated about 1 mile to the point on the loop trail I had recorded previously and almost due south. I headed into the woods sticking to the east of the main stream occasionally encountering various pieces of flagging some of which were marked wetlands exclusion zone. The stream bed was starting to get deep so I headed up slope and away from the stream. The going was good, mostly open woods. After 15 or 20 minutes, I saw a open area to my left and decide to check it out. It was the third logging path located east of the stream. The path was grown in from the edges with a wall of brush and blackberry bushes making it difficult going. After going through the dense stuff, I popped out on a very well used path heading up the center of the road. This path appears to be used frequently and by many. There is evidence of clipping and stomping of the underbrush to keep it open but in spots it looks to be a battle keeping it open. The path headed up hill taking a right at two intersections. The second right headed into the woods following a much older logging path. This path was well graded and easy to follow and headed almost directly to Miles Notch crossing the sources of several brooks.
The path eventually came out at the herd path crossing with the loop trail. The weather was marginal and the winds were howling so I elected not to repeat the walk up white cap so I took a break and then headed down sticking to the path. From my break point on the loop trail to the major logging road where I had first headed into the woods was just about 30 minutes heading down with my truck about 55 minutes down. The logging path I followed is marked with a very small cairn and one piece of orange flagging. It is located south of the two bridges down the logging road about a 100 yards along the main logging road and is very obviously the third logging path shown on the USGS map. Overall the condition of this path is well above many of the lesser used trails in the whites.
A note about flagging along this route. There are many pieces of mostly blue flagging along the path on the ground, it could be left over from when the path was brushed out but it may also be a deliberate attempt to keep the path low key as it could easily be adopted as a bootleg snowmachine trail. There really isnt a need for it to be flagged as the route is obvious and the trail bed well beat. A GPS is a nice toy but really the only needed gear is a copy of the most recent 7.5 minute USGS topo and a compass (plus the knowledge to use both).
The description of the hike is probably a good one to use for the next year or so and may be usefull for longer if the path remains brushed out. I expect it will remain so as it is a good access for maintainers to the GLT but if its is not used, the blackberries and underbrush may grown in. If that happens, the woods are fairly open and some easy bushwhacking will get hikers to the same spot without a lot of effort. This route may also be useful to do an overnight trip up Speck from the south with two campsites located along the route.
I havent plotted the route out but I would expect the hike up SRW via this route is 2.5 to 3 hour event with much faster descent. I plan to be heading back up to check out the foliage in a few weekends.
Although SRW can be accessed via the new Grafton Loop trail, an out and back dayhike would be a long day with limited views along the way (although some nice woods). While doing the west side of the loop recently, I noticed a distinct herd path coming into the trail from the North in Miles Notch (trail north of SRW, but actually compass west). I had the Old Speck 7.5 topo with me and there were several older logging paths coming up from Rt 26 that looked like good options to be the other end of the herd path. While at the junction, I fired up the GPS and took a coordinate. This herd path is obvious, the loop trail widens out in a flat area and there is discreet piece of orange flagging on a tree.
I had a spare half day on Saturday so I drove over with my trusty USGS Old Speck topo, compass and GPS. Driving north on Rt 26, I drove past the Screw Auger Falls parking, then went over a bridge and took a left on an obvious dirt logging road. The road is gated a short way in but there is plenty of parking. My GPS showed 2 miles straightline distance to the expected spot where I would head into the woods. Taking the logging roads would add a bit of mileage but speed things up I parked the truck and headed up hill following the very well improved logging road up the slope heading roughly south. After some steady climbing, I came to a T in the road and took a left following a very well improved logging road.
After a mostly level walk along the road I passed a large grown in logging yard with potentially great views east. The USGS map shows one major stream coming North out of Miles Notch, in the field there were two bridges and two streams but based on topo I could see two of the logging paths both sustantially grown in with dense growth. My GPS indicated about 1 mile to the point on the loop trail I had recorded previously and almost due south. I headed into the woods sticking to the east of the main stream occasionally encountering various pieces of flagging some of which were marked wetlands exclusion zone. The stream bed was starting to get deep so I headed up slope and away from the stream. The going was good, mostly open woods. After 15 or 20 minutes, I saw a open area to my left and decide to check it out. It was the third logging path located east of the stream. The path was grown in from the edges with a wall of brush and blackberry bushes making it difficult going. After going through the dense stuff, I popped out on a very well used path heading up the center of the road. This path appears to be used frequently and by many. There is evidence of clipping and stomping of the underbrush to keep it open but in spots it looks to be a battle keeping it open. The path headed up hill taking a right at two intersections. The second right headed into the woods following a much older logging path. This path was well graded and easy to follow and headed almost directly to Miles Notch crossing the sources of several brooks.
The path eventually came out at the herd path crossing with the loop trail. The weather was marginal and the winds were howling so I elected not to repeat the walk up white cap so I took a break and then headed down sticking to the path. From my break point on the loop trail to the major logging road where I had first headed into the woods was just about 30 minutes heading down with my truck about 55 minutes down. The logging path I followed is marked with a very small cairn and one piece of orange flagging. It is located south of the two bridges down the logging road about a 100 yards along the main logging road and is very obviously the third logging path shown on the USGS map. Overall the condition of this path is well above many of the lesser used trails in the whites.
A note about flagging along this route. There are many pieces of mostly blue flagging along the path on the ground, it could be left over from when the path was brushed out but it may also be a deliberate attempt to keep the path low key as it could easily be adopted as a bootleg snowmachine trail. There really isnt a need for it to be flagged as the route is obvious and the trail bed well beat. A GPS is a nice toy but really the only needed gear is a copy of the most recent 7.5 minute USGS topo and a compass (plus the knowledge to use both).
The description of the hike is probably a good one to use for the next year or so and may be usefull for longer if the path remains brushed out. I expect it will remain so as it is a good access for maintainers to the GLT but if its is not used, the blackberries and underbrush may grown in. If that happens, the woods are fairly open and some easy bushwhacking will get hikers to the same spot without a lot of effort. This route may also be useful to do an overnight trip up Speck from the south with two campsites located along the route.
I havent plotted the route out but I would expect the hike up SRW via this route is 2.5 to 3 hour event with much faster descent. I plan to be heading back up to check out the foliage in a few weekends.
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