MikeB
Member
With freshly SnoSealed boots after last weeks slog, I was raring to go. Unfortunately other commitemnts kept me out of the mountains during the better stretches of weather, but you take what you can get.
Arrived at Sabbaday Falls parking lot at 7:30, only one other car there. Walked up the highway another mile to the Pine Bend Brook Trailhead and turned off into the woods. Still a lot of Trillium and Hobblebush in bloom, but they're reaching the end of their run. Overall a good trail, it crosses braches of the brook numerous times - I lost track. All the crossings are easy step-overs. There were two exceptionally boggy stretches. A hiking pole was a must just to probe the trail for the deep spots, but that still didn't prevent me from sinking one leg up over my calf. Dang! Fortunately the muck was so viscous that it didn't run down inside my boot, so all was well.
The trail steepens until it hits the ridge and the intersection with the Scaur Tr. I met two backpackers coming down. They were pretty bedraggled looking but still in good spirits after a wet night. They had got caught in a hail storm the previous afternoon on the south slide, which didn't sound too fun.
There are still a couple of icy stretches of boot packed snow along the trail up to the north peak, but easily navigable with a little care. Reached the peak at 9:30, found a nice rock with a view, and had a snack. All of the Tripyramid peaks are forested, but there are several clearings with good views in various directions. Clouds were low and drippy, so you couldn't see beyond the Sandwich Range, but what you could see was all the more stunning with the spring green forests sharply contrasted with the gray sky.
Continued along the trail, past the intersection with Sabbaday Brook Tr., up to the middle peak. More great views, especially out towards Waterville Valley. Drips were turning into rain and the clunds were lowering, so decided not to continue on to the south peak. Headed back the short distance to the Sabbaday Brook Tr. and started the descent.
The top portion of Sabbaday Brook Tr. is really steep, mostly monkey climbing over slippery roots. There is one steep granite slide where the only good option was to crab down sliding on my butt. Not pretty but effective. Once off the steep section, though, the trail is an easy moderate grade all the rest of the way.
The Sabbaday Brook Tr. crosses the full brook seven times, and there is a LOT of water coming down right now. You start on the east side of the brook. The first crossing was easy. The next two crossings were difficult but a little scouting found good spots. But they turned out to be unnecessary - they're only about a hundred yards apart and it would have been easy to bushwack along the bank if I had known.
By the fourth crossing the water was really roaring. There was no choice but to take off my boots and wade across. Brr. The trail continues its moderate grade out of the wilderness area. The fifth crossing was another boots-off wade, and then you shortly come to yet another crossing. But I was already on the west side (the trailhead side), and I knew the trailhead had to be less than a mile away, and another crossing must be coming up soon, so I decided to bushwack down the west side. This worked, and I was obviously not the first person to do it, but it was a pyrrhic victory since the brush was sodden from all the rain and I was soaked to the bone in minutes. Oh well.
There are two more crossings of large branches of the brook, but easy compared with the previous ones. I got to the falls and took the little boardwalk loop - quite impressive! There were a couple of family groups out and about, despite the rain.
Got back to the car at noon and was glad to dry off. A great loop, and was happy to have some views for a change, even if it was wet.
If I were to do it again I'd hike the loop in the opposide direction, and maybe stash a bike at the Pine Bend Brook Trailhead to coast back to the car. Since the bottom portion of the Sabbaday Brook Tr. is so easy I'd wear Teva's for the first few miles for all the brook crossings, and then switch to boots. Climbing up the steep portion of the Sabbaday Brook Tr. would probably be a lot easier than descending.
Arrived at Sabbaday Falls parking lot at 7:30, only one other car there. Walked up the highway another mile to the Pine Bend Brook Trailhead and turned off into the woods. Still a lot of Trillium and Hobblebush in bloom, but they're reaching the end of their run. Overall a good trail, it crosses braches of the brook numerous times - I lost track. All the crossings are easy step-overs. There were two exceptionally boggy stretches. A hiking pole was a must just to probe the trail for the deep spots, but that still didn't prevent me from sinking one leg up over my calf. Dang! Fortunately the muck was so viscous that it didn't run down inside my boot, so all was well.
The trail steepens until it hits the ridge and the intersection with the Scaur Tr. I met two backpackers coming down. They were pretty bedraggled looking but still in good spirits after a wet night. They had got caught in a hail storm the previous afternoon on the south slide, which didn't sound too fun.
There are still a couple of icy stretches of boot packed snow along the trail up to the north peak, but easily navigable with a little care. Reached the peak at 9:30, found a nice rock with a view, and had a snack. All of the Tripyramid peaks are forested, but there are several clearings with good views in various directions. Clouds were low and drippy, so you couldn't see beyond the Sandwich Range, but what you could see was all the more stunning with the spring green forests sharply contrasted with the gray sky.
Continued along the trail, past the intersection with Sabbaday Brook Tr., up to the middle peak. More great views, especially out towards Waterville Valley. Drips were turning into rain and the clunds were lowering, so decided not to continue on to the south peak. Headed back the short distance to the Sabbaday Brook Tr. and started the descent.
The top portion of Sabbaday Brook Tr. is really steep, mostly monkey climbing over slippery roots. There is one steep granite slide where the only good option was to crab down sliding on my butt. Not pretty but effective. Once off the steep section, though, the trail is an easy moderate grade all the rest of the way.
The Sabbaday Brook Tr. crosses the full brook seven times, and there is a LOT of water coming down right now. You start on the east side of the brook. The first crossing was easy. The next two crossings were difficult but a little scouting found good spots. But they turned out to be unnecessary - they're only about a hundred yards apart and it would have been easy to bushwack along the bank if I had known.
By the fourth crossing the water was really roaring. There was no choice but to take off my boots and wade across. Brr. The trail continues its moderate grade out of the wilderness area. The fifth crossing was another boots-off wade, and then you shortly come to yet another crossing. But I was already on the west side (the trailhead side), and I knew the trailhead had to be less than a mile away, and another crossing must be coming up soon, so I decided to bushwack down the west side. This worked, and I was obviously not the first person to do it, but it was a pyrrhic victory since the brush was sodden from all the rain and I was soaked to the bone in minutes. Oh well.
There are two more crossings of large branches of the brook, but easy compared with the previous ones. I got to the falls and took the little boardwalk loop - quite impressive! There were a couple of family groups out and about, despite the rain.
Got back to the car at noon and was glad to dry off. A great loop, and was happy to have some views for a change, even if it was wet.
If I were to do it again I'd hike the loop in the opposide direction, and maybe stash a bike at the Pine Bend Brook Trailhead to coast back to the car. Since the bottom portion of the Sabbaday Brook Tr. is so easy I'd wear Teva's for the first few miles for all the brook crossings, and then switch to boots. Climbing up the steep portion of the Sabbaday Brook Tr. would probably be a lot easier than descending.
