unhiking
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Hillwalker
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Thirteen Falls
All the trails into Thirteen Falls, Cabin Trail in Sandwich, Scaur trail in Waterville, Numerous trail on the slopes of the Northern Whites, Shoal Pond trail and I'm just getting started.
All the trails into Thirteen Falls, Cabin Trail in Sandwich, Scaur trail in Waterville, Numerous trail on the slopes of the Northern Whites, Shoal Pond trail and I'm just getting started.
cushetunk
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I'd happily say goodbye to the Wright Trail on Goose Eye. That would be a sweet trailless valley.
Actually, come to think of it, I am a big fan of trailless valleys in general. There aren't enough. Bushwhacking up a ridge, looking down on all that terrain, is cool. Bushwhacking up a valley, surrounded by so many high peaks, is really cool.
Actually, come to think of it, I am a big fan of trailless valleys in general. There aren't enough. Bushwhacking up a ridge, looking down on all that terrain, is cool. Bushwhacking up a valley, surrounded by so many high peaks, is really cool.
A great early bushwhack of mine was into Jeff Ravine and up to the top of 6 husbands, where I encountered 3 three attrative young hut girls from madison hut out for a day's stroll.
I bushwhacked up the steam into King Ravine and hooked onto great Gully trail briefly and on to Adams, in recognition of Starr King.
So maybe I would pick the Ami below Lakes of the Clouds, or the whole Dry River Trail, or Castle Ravine Trail.
Or the whole Presie range including no auto road or cog.
Be nice to beat Darby Field.
In the rigth frame of mind out there bushwhacking today, maybe you can do all of the above.
I bushwhacked up the steam into King Ravine and hooked onto great Gully trail briefly and on to Adams, in recognition of Starr King.
So maybe I would pick the Ami below Lakes of the Clouds, or the whole Dry River Trail, or Castle Ravine Trail.
Or the whole Presie range including no auto road or cog.
Be nice to beat Darby Field.
In the rigth frame of mind out there bushwhacking today, maybe you can do all of the above.
Steve-o
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Easy... Eliminate the Kanc.
John H Swanson
Active member
The trail along the Weeks
forestgnome
New member
Sawyer Pond is a beautiful place that gets too much visitation by disrespectful people, IMO. It's too easy to reach to discourage partying grunts who don't want to haul all that beer and lounge chairs very far.
But, it's a nice stroll for respectful folks who can't get around too well, so I wouldn't do away with the trail. We just have avoid party time, and clean up after them.
I would not eliminate trails above treeline. Franconia Ridge and the Presidentials benefit tremendously from the trails well-defined be scree walls and cairns. Alpine flaora is a beneficiary of the trails.
If Slippery Brook Trail was eliminated from Slippery Brook Rd to Mt. Eastman, I wouldn't mind.
happy trails
But, it's a nice stroll for respectful folks who can't get around too well, so I wouldn't do away with the trail. We just have avoid party time, and clean up after them.
I would not eliminate trails above treeline. Franconia Ridge and the Presidentials benefit tremendously from the trails well-defined be scree walls and cairns. Alpine flaora is a beneficiary of the trails.
If Slippery Brook Trail was eliminated from Slippery Brook Rd to Mt. Eastman, I wouldn't mind.
happy trails
sapblatt
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MichaelJ said:
BLASPHEMY!!
Those are amongst the nicest trails in the Whites - the ones no one ever hike on are so nice!!!
marty
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MichaelJ said:
sapblatt said:BLASPHEMY!!
Those are amongst the nicest trails in the Whites - the ones no one ever hike on are so nice!!!
Yeah, I agree with Sapblatt on this. He and I have explored strange new worlds together on these trails and have seen several nice viewpoints and waterfalls. These trails are very seldom used, which gives one a unique sense of remoteness.
Regards,
Marty
--M.
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Stev-o said:
Bravo to this one, and reroute 93 away from Franconia Notch. Why stop there, too? Get all of the notches free of asphalt and reroute all traffic to the outside.
Just dreamin', but this is the reality of the Sandwich Notch Road, which is a truly magical place as a result. I wonder what the local support would be for such proposals.
Sorry if this constitutes thread-drift....
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SAR-EMT40
Well-known member
Stev-o said:
Don't eliminate it but make it a foottrail only. And Bear notch road also.
Keith
forestgnome
New member
sapblatt said:BLASPHEMY!!
Those are amongst the nicest trails in the Whites - the ones no one ever hike on are so nice!!!
Lots of trails might imply lots of traffic, but instead most hikers ask "which is easier or better" and most hike the same few routes. There are many trails there that feel very secluded and quiet. Many trails have plenty of leaves and needles and soil right on the trailbed, and the trailbeds are skinny and have a feeling of seldom use. I like to explore my way up toward treeline using all those lesser used trails. I'm happy to have quiet alternatives to the more heavily used trails.
happy trails
forestgnome
New member
Stinkyfeet said:Remember, too, that just because a mountain has a trail doesn't mean you can't bushwhack it. The total area a trail occupies on a mtn. is pretty small. All the rest is bushwhack-able.
Right on!!! In fact, I find that a mountain with multiple trails to her summit is usually more pristine, once I'm away from the trail. I've gotten very funny looks when I mention bushwacking on Mt. Chocorua or Mt. Passaconaway.
happy trails
Kevin Judy and Emma
Well-known member
Trails, roads
I apologize for the drift here, but I agree with those who say remove the roads. I have long wished that the only way through Franconia, Crawford and Pinkham Notch was by foot. I'd also like to see foot travel be the only way to the summit of Washington.
I know I have drifted from the original intent of this thread, and if I were to go on about the things I would like to see removed from the mountains I would be treading on some extremely controversial (and maybe sacred to some) territory. That said, I would like to see the mountains returned to the way they were before they became a for-profit attraction. I know, I'm dreamin'.
I'm not much of a bushwhacker, (yet, but there's hope), but I came across this quote today, and it is how I feel about hiking and life in general:
"There is no road; the road is made as we walk."
Antonio Machado
KDT
I apologize for the drift here, but I agree with those who say remove the roads. I have long wished that the only way through Franconia, Crawford and Pinkham Notch was by foot. I'd also like to see foot travel be the only way to the summit of Washington.
I know I have drifted from the original intent of this thread, and if I were to go on about the things I would like to see removed from the mountains I would be treading on some extremely controversial (and maybe sacred to some) territory. That said, I would like to see the mountains returned to the way they were before they became a for-profit attraction. I know, I'm dreamin'.
I'm not much of a bushwhacker, (yet, but there's hope), but I came across this quote today, and it is how I feel about hiking and life in general:
"There is no road; the road is made as we walk."
Antonio Machado
KDT
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Steve-o
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How cool would that be.Kevin said:
If I had to choose a trail. Maybe white dot and white cross on Monadnock.
just for fun!
--M.
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I would temper my enthusiasm for a return to nature by saying I'm not above convenience and selfishness. I for one don't prefer the need for continuous vigilance that most bushwhacking entails. I can tolerate a lot of pokes and scratches, but one in the eye is one too many, and it really makes 'whackin' less attractive to me. Also, I like to get lost mentally a little while hiking as well, and bushwhacking is like driving Route 128: you really gotta pay attention.
Also, I like that Sandwich Notch Road and Tripoli Road are passable by vehicle and I wouldn't argue for the end of all amenities. I just don't like hearing all that road noise from elevations above the notches, and think it would be really cool if nature were in charge instead. Again, if you haven't seen the analogous passes in the NY high peaks, check 'em out. Could you imagine a road through Avalanche Pass?! Now that would be sacrilege, so why is it okay in Pinkham or Franconia or Crawford Notches?* Have you seen how beautiful Evans Notch is? Thank God it doesn't get the volume to produce real noise.
New Hampshire and New York are a little bit of apples & oranges, but the highway impact in the Whites is unmistakable and a real imposition.
You just have to consider all the other users of the sandbox..., and they might not be into it. I wonder what the locals say about the notch roads.
*The answer of course is the emphasis in New Hampshire on multiple uses. It was really cool to see the logging patterns on the Baldfaces/Royces while atop Hight & North Carter, but what if there were no logging at all? "Land of Many Uses." And I can't begrudge them that, or the snowmobiles, or the local hunters, or cyclists, or skiers (should Wildcat go?). Gotta get along.
Also, I like that Sandwich Notch Road and Tripoli Road are passable by vehicle and I wouldn't argue for the end of all amenities. I just don't like hearing all that road noise from elevations above the notches, and think it would be really cool if nature were in charge instead. Again, if you haven't seen the analogous passes in the NY high peaks, check 'em out. Could you imagine a road through Avalanche Pass?! Now that would be sacrilege, so why is it okay in Pinkham or Franconia or Crawford Notches?* Have you seen how beautiful Evans Notch is? Thank God it doesn't get the volume to produce real noise.
New Hampshire and New York are a little bit of apples & oranges, but the highway impact in the Whites is unmistakable and a real imposition.
You just have to consider all the other users of the sandbox..., and they might not be into it. I wonder what the locals say about the notch roads.
*The answer of course is the emphasis in New Hampshire on multiple uses. It was really cool to see the logging patterns on the Baldfaces/Royces while atop Hight & North Carter, but what if there were no logging at all? "Land of Many Uses." And I can't begrudge them that, or the snowmobiles, or the local hunters, or cyclists, or skiers (should Wildcat go?). Gotta get along.
Waumbek
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Kevin said:
I appreciate the sentiment, and this is to skew it a bit, but I'll repeat what has been said often before: it was the roads through the notches that saved the mountain sides from devastating logging and subsequent commercial development. At least that's largely the case with the Franconia Notch, Cannon ski area excepted. The early tourism base here created the "save the Notch" crusade that ultimately ended in the state park of today. Culture and nature are strange bed partners sometimes, but partners nonetheles.
MonadnockVol
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The lorax speaks for the trees...
Excellent point, although I would mention that high-volume mountains (e.g. Monadnock) would be destroyed if large numbers of people bushwhacked. Also some ecosystems (e.g. high altitude zones) are very fragile and trails confine the damage. Other than that I am a big fan of bushwhacking. In fact, I value my Catskill 3500 Club membership so much because the trail-less peaks really are trail-less (no herd paths). So in the Catskills you may not need oxygen but you need to know how to use a map and compass.
Cheers,
Monadnock Volunteer (aka Steve)
Stinkyfeet said:Remember, too, that just because a mountain has a trail doesn't mean you can't bushwhack it. The total area a trail occupies on a mtn. is pretty small. All the rest is bushwhack-able.
Excellent point, although I would mention that high-volume mountains (e.g. Monadnock) would be destroyed if large numbers of people bushwhacked. Also some ecosystems (e.g. high altitude zones) are very fragile and trails confine the damage. Other than that I am a big fan of bushwhacking. In fact, I value my Catskill 3500 Club membership so much because the trail-less peaks really are trail-less (no herd paths). So in the Catskills you may not need oxygen but you need to know how to use a map and compass.
Cheers,
Monadnock Volunteer (aka Steve)
