Wapack Trail Question - Pratt Mt Area

[DayTrip]

I have a trail question relating to the Pratt Mt area of the Wapack Trail. On the Mapbuilder Topo layer of Caltopo.com there is a trail shown on the West side of Pratt Mt that starts in two places near Mill Pond area and climbs approx 1.1 miles to summit of Pratt Mt. On the USGS layer there is a trail in a similar spot that looks to end about 0.5 miles into woods at a river. The Friends of Wapack paper trail map and web map do not show this trail. However, on their website in the "Side Trails" section there is reference to a Frank Robbins Trail, a new trail that starts in two places and avoids the forest cut area to the South (which is precisely why I want to go this way) and is approximately 1.1 miles long. When I click the "show on map" link it is broken and generates an error.

So....is there a trail as indicated on Mapbuilder in this spot? Is it the Frank Robbins Trail? And if it exists what is the parking situation? The satellite map shows a house on one of the lines that appears to be a trail and the other line cuts through what looks to be a beach (public or private land?). I don't see any obvious parking area. Trees obscure the satellite view for most of this area near the road. If anyone is familiar with this area and can shed some light on the situation it would be appreciated.

Alternatively and/or additionally, does anyone know how far down West Binney Rd you can drive and whether not there is any parking on that spot? This seems like a less desirable but reasonable way to avoid the clear cut area too but not sure if public or private land given the area. Almost all of the open areas on the satellite view have houses.

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[JoshandBaron]

The Hampshire Country School owns all the land from Mill Pond up to and including Pratt. Perhaps they or Ken MacGray can shed some more light.

 

[Ken MacGray]

Frank Robbins Trail was built to bypass the large logged area on the Wapack. It's basically a loop on old logging roads that isn't terribly exciting but is probably nicer in winter. There's no dedicated parking for it, you need to hike in from either end of the Wapack.

When I went out there to do field work on the FRT, I discovered the very minimal roadside parking at the driveable end of West Binney Rd. had been claimed by beavers. I ended up hiking in from the Watatic trailhead.

 

[DayTrip]

Frank Robbins Trail was built to bypass the large logged area on the Wapack. It's basically a loop on old logging roads that isn't terribly exciting but is probably nicer in winter. There's no dedicated parking for it, you need to hike in from either end of the Wapack.

When I went out there to do field work on the FRT, I discovered the very minimal roadside parking at the driveable end of West Binney Rd. had been claimed by beavers. I ended up hiking in from the Watatic trailhead.

OK. Thanks. Have you been in the area at all recently? Curious about conditions. Is there still any snow or has it all melted?

 

[Salty]

I find Trailsnh to be helpful with snow conditions. Look here and click on the snowflake symbols. At least it gives an idea of conditions around the area (generally at lower altitudes).

 

[DayTrip]

I find Trailsnh to be helpful with snow conditions. Look here and click on the snowflake symbols. At least it gives an idea of conditions around the area (generally at lower altitudes).

Thanks. I used to hate this site but it has become much more usable in recent years. NETC was the first site I became aware of so I tend to go there by default but TrailsNH does have much more info in one spot. There was enough activity for the area that I was able to confirm info I had accumulated on various other sites.

 

[TEO]

I've done the hike both from the East and West Binney Hill Road within the past 4 years, I'd recommend East Binney Hill. You can drive just about or all the way to the Wapack. The road is a little rough, but nothing a Honda Civic couldn't handle.

 

[DayTrip]

I've done the hike both from the East and West Binney Hill Road within the past 4 years, I'd recommend East Binney Hill. You can drive just about or all the way to the Wapack. The road is a little rough, but nothing a Honda Civic couldn't handle.

We wound up just going in from Watatic but I'll keep this in mind for the future. The trail I saw on CalTopo that I was hoping to take was apparently a bushwhack track. There was nothing where I expected it (although I suppose the snow could have obscured it). Thanks.

 

[SpencerVT]

There is snow and probably a significant amount of ice after Saturday's rain. It is snowing again today in the area.
That is a great trail!

 

[DayTrip]

There is snow and probably a significant amount of ice after Saturday's rain. It is snowing again today in the area.
That is a great trail!

There was snow. We went Sunday. Watatic area was fairly well packed. Trail from there to Binney Pond was in the 4-6 inch depth, crusty and fairly unconsolidated like walking in chunky sand. Ridge from Binney Pond to New Ipswich actually had some fairly deep drifts, maybe mid shin to even knee in a few spots, but was firm in most places. Everyone had stopped on Stony Top so we broke it out the rest of way to the big rock on New Ipswich before heading back. That section is kind of post holed but the foot holes in the firm snow made for nice steps to go up and down slopes. We wore spikes car to car and while snow shoes would have been nice in spots it was no big deal. Coming back enough people had passed that the low between Binney Pond and Watatic was much more compacted and from Watatic to car it was a very firm spike track.

I did this section one other time, I believe late March, and think it is a much nicer walk without snow so you can see all the grasses and plants, the ledges, etc. More "texture" made it more interesting to me. But still a nice area and it was a nice day.

 

[Reneeapril]

We received some snow down here yesterday which is covering up icy conditions beneath. I would bring microspikes.