Wild Bushwhacks in the Whites

[Mattl]

Now that spring is in full swing (especically next week), its time to plan some serious bushwhacks for this year. What are people planning on doing this year? Has anyone ever done the entire Ethan Range? Maybe Anderson Brook to Ethan Pond? Thats the most wild area in the Whites in my opinion and I have always wanted to do it. An area of bogs, and beautiful spruce/fir with low mountains. The worst bushwhack I have ever done was carrigain pond a few years ago...Like a jungle. I would like to visit Bog Pond, Field Ponds, and of course Lost Pass which really isnt a bushwhack. Just something about bushwhacking..really makes one feel isolated. -Mattl

 

[chas]

You can extend the Lost Pass bushwhack by making your way through to the Southslide trail (at the base of Tripyramid South) then partway up that trail and onto the Sleeper trail and back down after Whiteface. I did something similiar on an overnight hike a while back, it's reasonbly easy going beyond the Pass.

Chas.

 

[Mattl]

I have never gone past lost pass, that sounds like a good trip! -Mattl

 

[grouseking]

I am not a big bushwhacker, but I would love to visit some nice things that are off trail. I'd like to go to Bog Pond for one. I'd also like to check out Redrock, but it looks like a pretty long day for me. So many other things....any pond off trail will suffice for me.

grouseking

 

[WildPeaks]

Considering Mt. Kancamagus.
Was wondering does everyone come in from the Livermore Tr. or has anyone tried from the Northwest?

 

[bill bowden]

Kancamagus from the Kancamagus highway

Is a reasonably straightforward bushwhack through not too bad spruce woods. At one time there were three registers so have a very reasonable chance of finding the summit .

Not much in the way of views; possibly a trick of memory but I seem to recall one of our posters found a skeleton on a minor peak of Kancamagus.

If Matt wants to try for som einteresting bushwhacks, I suggest he head north to the Nash Stream State Forest where combinations like Spruce, Goback Savage and Lightning or the Whitcomb or Pilot range can make for a wilderness experience.

 

[post'r boy]

Not much in the way of views; possibly a trick of memory but I seem to recall one of our posters found a skeleton on a minor peak of Kancamagus.

no trick, t'was i

 

[Mattl]

Wow I have never heard of Goback Savage and Lightning or seen them on maps. Where exactly are they? Im assuming the northern part north west of sugarloaf? I would love to trek up into the long mountain ponds, heard that was exciting. I spent quite a bit of time in nash this summer working with fisheries biologist on riparian habitat. Neat area. -Mattl

 

[WildPeaks]

Thanks ARM
That confirms my thoughts looking at the map.
Not sure when I'm going, hopefully soon. But I think your prints will be gone by then. I hope the snow will stay or more than likely we'll get some spring snows. It's still only March.

 

[audrey]

Besides a few of the slide climbs that people have described, I'd like to try some brookwhacks. Some good ones we've done:

Norton Brook on the way to Middle Abraham;
Snows Brook down from Flat Mt.;
Haystack Brook (to and from Peak above the Nubble);
Carrigain Branch part of the way to Carrigain Pond.

Ideally, you can stay IN the brook most of the time.

Of course, I'd also like to chip away at some of the NewEngland 3K's, having gotten stalled in the last few years.

 

[RoySwkr]

Considering Mt. Kancamagus.
Was wondering does everyone come in from the Livermore Tr. or has anyone tried from the Northwest?

Everyone I know has climbed it from due N by the brook, there is a wide plowed area. A little cliffy starting out. The first time in 1970 the cleared heliport was obvious but now it has grown up thicker than the rest of the peak.

If you are talking about the Bog Pond near Mt Wolf, there is/was a snowmobile trail along the power line, and a cable bridge across the middle of the pond, not to mention a line shack nearby.

The National Forest has the areas furthest from roads in NH, but the logging country around Pittsburg is furthest from other hikers.

 

[Mattl]

Snows brook is one I want to do too. There is an old ski area up there. I have done carrigain branch..and it was beautiful but thick in spots. You will find it is very steep as well in areas, as it is a ravine.-Mattl

 

[Nate]

The first time [hiking Kancamagus] in 1970 the cleared heliport was obvious but now it has grown up thicker than the rest of the peak.

There used to be a heliport on Kancamagus? What on earth for? Did there used to be a tower of some sort up there that required maintenance?

 

[audrey]

Of course, there is a nice trail running beside Snows Brook, but we didn't find it (or it hadn't been maintained back then). That's not nearly as much fun anyway. A highlight of the trip were the large boulders in the stream that were encrusted in multicolored lichens.

We climbed Kancamagus from Depot Camp, via the Livermore Trail/Livermore Road to Livermore Pass. It was a very easy trip along the ridge. We descended via Kancamagus Brook, then the ski trail to Greeley Ponds Trail. Not a direct route, but a satisfying one.

 

[dms]

Mattl, there's an old saying, "you'll never go back to Goback". The ridge and cols between Teapot, Goback and Savage is very nasty going. There actually was an old teapot hanging on the tree that held the summit register on, of course, Teapot! In the "old" days you could bag 5 3k's on one trip by wacking the two Spruces in addition to the others.

 

[bill bowden]

Recollection of Teapot

My major recall of this thoroughly unpleasant trip with snow on the ground in spring was startling a mother moose and young calf. The calf was about the size and color of an irish setter and had a call much like a crow. We were desperately trying to wokr around the calf in a stick forest before the cow came back to deal with what she certainly thought of a child molesters.

 

[Mattl]

hmm..a teapot huh. Ill have to check out the area, I wanted to hike in and fish cranberry bog pond anyway. -Mattl

 

[RoySwkr]

There used to be a heliport on Kancamagus? What on earth for? Did there used to be a tower of some sort up there that required maintenance?

The FS rotates managers & ideas from around the country, somebody decided to clear landing zones on several peaks so attack crews could reach forest fires sooner. He didn't realize that the Whites aren't called the asbestos forest for nothing as the lack of a dry season leads to few fires so his replacement allowed them to grow back. There are/were also 2 on Terrace Mtn and 1 on nearby Square Mtn, note that flattish summits were chosen.

 

[Mattl]

Eventually there will be a fire..and a lot of the whites could burn. But it could be good for some areas for sucessional growth. -Mattl

 

[Eric Savage]

my mountain?

Mattl, there's an old saying, "you'll never go back to Goback". The ridge and cols between Teapot, Goback and Savage is very nasty going. There actually was an old teapot hanging on the tree that held the summit register on, of course, Teapot! In the "old" days you could bag 5 3k's on one trip by wacking the two Spruces in addition to the others.

I actually found the trip up to Goback to be fairly easy, relatively open woods with the hint of a view through the trees in a couple of places north of Goback. The only problem was when our leader decided to leave the ridge up to the Teapot/Goback col to cut over to the ridge north of Goback. He claimed to be avoiding some really nasty stuff near Teapot but given that the ridges were so much better then dropping in between them, I'm still not convinced.
Once you leave Goback and head for Savage however... That was the first and, for a long time, only time I'd ever ripped any clothing.