The Weeks over Waumbek (9 peaks - sort of)

[Tom Rankin]

We started on the Starr King trail around 6:15 AM. Up to Starr King by 8:20, and Waumbeck by 9. After this, the trail is little used, and the ferns that overhung the trail were wet! It's not hard to follow the trail, as there are a fair number of yellow blazes, but there are a lot of blowdowns. Some have been partly cleared.

We continued up and over South (a very short herd path to the left), Middle, and finally North Weeks. There are no signs, but if you look around you can find the tree that had the sign, usually with some nails still visible. We turned around and trudged back, up and over in reverse direction. We arrived back at the car around 5:00.

Stats:

15 miles or so
5000' or so of elevation
9 peaks, if you count Starr King, Middle, and the returns.

There is a tiny spring with a sign around 3400' on Starr King, but it took several minutes just to get a cup of water. Other than that, there were just a few trickles here and there.

 

[surf88]

Wow this is like a matching description of my account of when I did this same hike out and back a few years ago, water issues and all. I found similar conditions after Waumbek, even a dead Moose on the side of the trail. I had burned through my 2 bottles on the way back and was eager to get to the spring which was pretty low flow.
It truly feels like real backcountry out there.
How about that 600 feet of elevation up and down and back and forth between middle and north? I remember that being pretty tough to get hit with at that point in the hike. Thanks for sharing brought back a great memory for me.

 

[peakbagger]

KRT was intended to be a backpackers trail with the intent that all the side trails would be closed with the exception of Mt Cabot trail. Unfortunately after laying out the trail, the forest service changed management plans and after few years of thinking about it decided to keep the side trails. It also has few views except for Rogers Ledge and a couple on Mt Cabot so it has never caught on. It also doesn't help that the predominate hard wood is white birch which is just about useless to try to apply blazes to (unless the bark is cut which is strictly forbidden). When we originally blazed it, the FS wanted sparse blazing which also was not appreciated by the hiking public The water issue south of Cabot also doesn't help, they should have put in some spur trails off the ridge to get to reliable water but that was another lapse. Thus it has gained a reputation as a poorly blazed, rather dry route that doesn't have enough redeeming qualities to make it popular. Most make the loop of Cabot and Unknown Pond to grab Cabot and return a few years later to take the route you did or possibly in via York Pond Trail to grab the Weeks. North and South Terrace had views when we originally blazed it as result of national guard exercises but they are now grown in. There were canisters at North and South Weeks and signs on the three Terraces.

Last thing I knew the forest service had "zoned" the area as dispersed recreational which cuts out any new trails or facilities. The FS does pull a lot of wood out of the area as it tends to be out of sight out of mind from most FS users. Had the FS elected to develop a facility at Pond of Safety which they had discussed when they were acquiring the block, a connector trail to Pond of Safety and the logging roads that connect up with Bog Dam Loop road would have made some nice loop trails. In some ways the Kilkenny area is managed as a National Forest far more than much of the rest of the whites (a benefit for being an extra hour or so from Mass) At least the wildlife get to appreciate a relatively undisturbed north south corridor when combined with the town of Randolph lands.

 

[skiguy]

KRT was intended to be a backpackers trail with the intent that all the side trails would be closed with the exception of Mt Cabot trail. Unfortunately after laying out the trail, the forest service changed management plans and after few years of thinking about it decided to keep the side trails. It also has few views except for Rogers Ledge and a couple on Mt Cabot so it has never caught on. It also doesn't help that the predominate hard wood is white birch which is just about useless to try to apply blazes to (unless the bark is cut which is strictly forbidden). When we originally blazed it, the FS wanted sparse blazing which also was not appreciated by the hiking public The water issue south of Cabot also doesn't help, they should have put in some spur trails off the ridge to get to reliable water but that was another lapse. Thus it has gained a reputation as a poorly blazed, rather dry route that doesn't have enough redeeming qualities to make it popular. Most make the loop of Cabot and Unknown Pond to grab Cabot and return a few years later to take the route you did or possibly in via York Pond Trail to grab the Weeks. North and South Terrace had views when we originally blazed it as result of national guard exercises but they are now grown in. There were canisters at North and South Weeks and signs on the three Terraces.

Last thing I knew the forest service had "zoned" the area as dispersed recreational which cuts out any new trails or facilities. The FS does pull a lot of wood out of the area as it tends to be out of sight out of mind from most FS users. Had the FS elected to develop a facility at Pond of Safety which they had discussed when they were acquiring the block, a connector trail to Pond of Safety and the logging roads that connect up with Bog Dam Loop road would have made some nice loop trails. In some ways the Kilkenny area is managed as a National Forest far more than much of the rest of the whites (a benefit for being an extra hour or so from Mass) At least the wildlife get to appreciate a relatively undisturbed north south corridor when combined with the town of Randolph lands.

I rather enjoy the unique character of this area. The rustic nature of the trail system IMO is one of it's virtues.

 

[jniehof]

Most make the loop of Cabot and Unknown Pond to grab Cabot and return a few years later to take the route you did or possibly in via York Pond Trail to grab the Weeks.

Funny thing is, I haven't touched York Pond! I did Cabot from Stark, Unknown Pond from Mill Brook Rd. It's a longer drive but the hike is the same as from the east and this was when Bunnell Notch was even muddier. I did the Weekses by bushwhacking to the North/Middle col then running out in both directions. It's a very obvious route; the road's on AMC maps and it's visible on Google Earth.

EDIT: This might be why I rather like the area