WMNF Forest Road Status

[bikehikeskifish]

Go, and report back on the parking situation for everyone else

Tim

 

[DayTrip]

Is the "fire wardens route" an obvious path? Never used and sounds like it is fairly popular for many winter peaks. Just curious if you need to have GPS coordinates, local knowledge, etc or if it is well beaten and easy to follow.

 

[Greg YEAH!]

I thought this was a road status update thread.

 

[summitseeker]

I thought this was a road status update thread.

It is. My question was supposed to be a short one (more or less directed to Tim).

These things happen. Hence how a previous thread on giving way on the trail leads to a hysterical video on postholing.

New thread. Back on track.

Z

 

[BobC]

Does anyone know if Iron Mountain Road in Jackson is closed?

 

[summitseeker]

Go, and report back on the parking situation for everyone else

Tim

This post addresses Tim's inquiry regarding parking at the end of Little River Road. It doesn't pertain to any road closings, but this is where that thought and a short lived second thread ended.

SteveR, HA, and I met up at 8:30 at the end of Little River Road. The first thing that caught my attention, as someone new to this trail, was all the posted signs. We geared up and shortly before leaving the impromptu lot a truck pulled up the small road and stopped before the locked gate. The man looked in our direction but did not say anything. We stalled for a few minutes and then crossed the bridge and ducked under the gate. There is a brand new post with address numbers and signs of development in the immediate area. I do not know much about the history of this property but I am guessing that it has nothing to do with The 7 Dwarfs Hotel.

After a great hike we returned to the lot and I was relieved to see our cars had not been towed. FWIW it seems like the land across from the snowmobile bridge will be further developed and I do not know what that means for us hikers.

This is a great trail and far more interesting than a road walk down Zealand once the gate is locked. I truly hope that hikers are permitted to respectfully pass through this small stretch before reaching the trail to the Twins parking area.

Z

 

[DayTrip]

Anyone been across the Kanc since the storm? Thinking about the Tripyramids via Pine Bend Brook on Sat. Curious what the condition of the road is and whether or not the road has been widened yet for parking near trailhead. Haven't seen any trip reports on VFTT or NETC since the snow this week. I prefer coming in from Rte 93 but can come in via Rte 16 if that is in better shape. If anyone has any info it would be appreciated. My car is lousy in the snow. Thanks.

 

[Lefty E]

Rt. 113 from Rt. 2 in Gilead Maine (EVANS NOTCH) is open...noticed a trail condition report from Ken (and his hiking pup Grete) from yesterday, so I took a motorcycle ride this afternoon...and a section from near Haystack Notch trail over to the ME/NH border was paved late last year so it's not too bumpy (for now anyway). Nice new suspension bridge over Wild River for Highwater Trail..Wild River Rd gated still...Basin and Cold River campground gated too, Hastings Campground does not have a gate but fee tube is covered..trailheads look in good shape...

 

[Lefty E]

Bear Notch Road open both ends...Sawyer River Road and Zealand Road still gated...

 

[alexmtn]

Not sure I understand the 'both ends' comment; is the middle open as well??

 

[hiker0200]

A few more opened as well- Evans Notch Rd, Patte Mill Brook Rd, Hurricane Mtn. Rd, Dugway (Passaconaway) Rd, and Crocker Pond Rd. are open as of 5/9/2014.

 

[David Metsky]

Not sure I understand the 'both ends' comment; is the middle open as well??

There are gates at both ends, and sometimes they open one gate before the other meaning it's possible to get 98% of the way across and have to turn back. But there's no gate in the middle so if it's open at both ends it means someone saw that both gates are open.

 

[TJsName]

There are gates at both ends, and sometimes they open one gate before the other meaning it's possible to get 98% of the way across and have to turn back. But there's no gate in the middle so if it's open at both ends it means someone saw that both gates are open.

And to contrast it with a road like Sawyer River Rd, which only has one entrance. There are a few roads with two gates:

Gale River Rd (it's a loop)
Long Pond Rd
Tripoli Rd
Cherry Mtn Rd
Sandwich Notch Rd (which is very rough, not recommended for low clearance vehicles)
Hurricane Mtn Rd
Evan Notch Rd

I'm probably missing some. Anyway, I can't imagine them opening one gate and not the other...

 

[Lefty E]

There are gates at both ends, and sometimes they open one gate before the other meaning it's possible to get 98% of the way across and have to turn back. But there's no gate in the middle so if it's open at both ends it means someone saw that both gates are open.

Thanks David for clarifying that!! Next year I will be more specific....

 

[DayTrip]

Got out of the woods early today so I grabbed a large coffee and took a ride around the major trail heads to see what was and wasn't open:

Sawyer River Road CLOSED @ 1:42PM
Clinton Road OPEN from Crawford Parking Area to Base Road (CLOSED beyond Base Road toward Jefferson @ 2:05PM)
Ammonoosuc Parking Area CLOSED @ 2:06PM
Zealand Road CLOSED At Rte 302 Bridge @ 2:25PM
Haystack Road CLOSED @ 2:32PM
Gale River Road CLOSED @ 2:36PM
Gale River Loop Road (Garfield) CLOSED @ 2:37PM (But there is room for about 10-12 cars before gate)

I am quite confident that going through this exercise will ensure that all of these roads will be open soon and make my drive irrelevant.

 

[MichaelJ]

Haha I did almost exactly the same thing today, having not seen your post, and the conditions are the same except I didn't go up to Ammo parking to check that. I felt that for approaching Edmands Path going via Base Road and coming south on Mt. Clinton would be better conditions, there were some nasty spots between Edmands and Crawford Connector.

 

[DayTrip]

I forget where I saw it but someone posted that it would not be until at least 5/15 on most roads, and only then on a case by case basis.

 

[alexmtn]

Bear Notch Rd

Thanks David for clarifying that!! Next year I will be more specific....

Just checked the WMNF status page, which shows the road as OPEN -- so in addition to the two ends, I now surmise that the middle is indeed good to go as well...

 

[MichaelJ]

Just checked the WMNF status page, which shows the road as OPEN -- so in addition to the two ends, I now surmise that the middle is indeed good to go as well...

I can confirm that, having driven it 3 days ago!

 

[bobandgeri]

As of 2:30 today Zealand Road and both ends of Gale River Road are open! Haystack Road is still gated.