Thunderbird Trail - Mt. Shaw region

[erugs]

Has anyone been on the Thunderbird Trail recently? I saw a trail sign for it at the top end of it when hiking Mt. Shaw/Black Snout last spring and want to explore that area. It is not listed on the Lakes Region Conservation Trust's map of hiking trails in that range, I think because they do not maintain it, and I read on this site that it is listed in the 1972 trail guide (which I don't have access to).

 

[REK]

This is from the 1972 edition

Thunderbird Trail
0.7 m. W of Tuftonboro on NH 171, a road branches to the N. In 1 m. a road to Sentinel Lodge leaves R. Continuing straight and passing through a settlement, the road turns sharp R 1.8 m. from NH 171. The trail begins at the corner and follows a road between stonewalls. The lower part is infrequently marked by yellow thunderbirds stenciled on trees.
The trail continues almost straight along this wood road, ascending slightly. In about 1/4 m., turn sharp R and pass between two fields. Bear L beyond an old cellar hole L, and enter the woods again from the NE corner of the westernmost field, following a wood road (cars could be driven to the field in 1971).
Follow the wood road, which soon ends at a new dirt road. Turn R. The new road ascends and soon passes close to a stream at the head of a cascade where there is a small camping place. A short distance beyond, where the dirt road bears L and crosses the brook on a bridge, the Thunderbird Trail continues straight, following a wood road. About 1 m. from the fields, the wood road ends at a small brook (if dry, water may be found a short distance upstream).
Beyond, the trail is blazed, and a well-worn pathway is evident. One accustomed to "standardized" trails will find this one poorly cleared. However, it is I easily followed. The trail slabs up the side of the valley, steeply in places. One mile from the end of the road, it ends at the old carriage road. A few feet I to the L is the trail to Black Snout. To the R a little over l/2 m., is the summit of Mt. Shaw.
DISTANCES. Carriage road 2 1/2 m. (2 1/2 hrs.); sum-| mit 3 m. (3 hrs.).

 

[carole]

Yes, I have hiked it recently. It was no problem to follow but is not clearly marked at the beginning from McDuffee Road. If you start on the Shaw trail you'll need a car spot because it ends up miles away from your car. It is not maintained by the LRCT.

 

[erugs]

Mt. Shaw

Thanks REK and Carole for information on Mt. Shaw. A group of 4 of us finally hiked there yesterday. We went up Gorilla and down Ball (from Black Snout). When we got to the end of the trail off Ball, we were faced with a dirt road, and questioned which way to go to get back to our cars. Right was right, then left to Camp Merrivista. It was a nice hike, though a little rough under foot because of the boulders on Gorilla and small rocks on Ball, and the leaf covering on both. Gorilla was a little tricky near the Shaw summit because of all of the blowdowns. Ball was okay, but is narrow and not used very much, so it, too, could have been a little tricky to follow. It is fun to explore new areas, though. We didn't try to go down via Thunderbird because the signage on Shaw at the Gorilla trailhead recommended Ball.