You may now travel about the Traveler...

[spencer]

Yup, BSP cut a trail from N. Traveler to the Traveler and over to the Center Ridge Trail about 3 weeks ago. Maybe everyone already knew this and I've been out of the loop. I was quite disappointed to get to S. Branch and find out there is now a trail (I was there also the week before they opened the trail and there was no talk around the campsite about it).

anyway, we didn't make it all the way over (see TC for ME), but it's a full blown trail from what the ranger and their newly written description of it say.

spencer

 

[SherpaKroto]

I've been wanting to get over there for years, and now it looks like I'll be able to actually do it. Sounds like I have a June trip to do!

I understand the good news/bad news, but will appreciate being able to actually do this. It opens up a beautiful area in a much less travelled part of the park. I know others will disagree on this one.

 

[vegematic]

I'm really of two minds on this. The trail makes it easier for me to get to those summits but the trail, and all the other people that can now also get there, make it a fundamentally different place and a certain "Traveler" experience has been lost.

Does anyone know if there was a herd path problem developing that this new trail will relieve?
-veg

 

[Nadine]

I hoping I can get up there next week and check it out

 

[spencer]

The Ranger implied that it had been on the list of things to do for about 20 years. they finally had enough man/womanpower to do it at the end of this summer and they wanted to prevent further herd paths that are so common at South Branch Pond. When he said that, I was a bit confused.

I'm no expert on that part of the park, but it hardly seems riddled with herd paths to me.

My understanding from the various guidebook descriptions (Clark and MMG) is that the whack went through two animal yards between Peak of the Ridges (POR) and the Traveler proper. The new trail follows pretty much the same route, but it cut and blazed.

The part we saw (remember, we didn't get all the way b/c of the weather) from POR across the "little knife edge" was really well blazed and would be a spectacular hike in good weather. The topography of that area is quite interesting.

I might head back in the next couple of weeks too if I get a day.

spencer

 

[el-bagr]

Aiyee! Looks like we all missed that on our scouting trips earlier this summer. Guess that shows the value of talking to rangers.

 

[SherpaKroto]

...I might head back in the next couple of weeks too if I get a day...

You lucky SOB. I wish I had the luxury of BSP daytrips. At least you take advantage of it!

Do you think this will now make it an awesome winter hike?

 

[spencer]

It'll be a crazy cool winter hike now. Of course, you have to get to South Branch Pond and then have a 10 or so mile trip with a lot of it very exposed.

I'm in...

spencer

 

[Nadine]

I did a similiar trip two winters ago. Rented a cabin at South Branch for a week and skied Black Cat and Big Peaked mountains. We didn't ski the Travelers due to lack of snow though. Spencer is right, it is very exposed up there. You would need the weather to be cooperative.

btw, the cabin is very nice and weather tight.

 

[SherpaKroto]

I feel a trip coming on... Maybe I'll have to modify my winter White plans a bit (after I finish the winter 48?).

 

[spencer]

What about a 7.5 Gathering in the Park? Could we pull that off?

go, Tramper and I are thinking about a traverse, which would start at South Branch Pond (after skiing in). We could have a Gathering there for a couple of days before some of us head through the park.

The big problem as I see it is a lot of folks may not be too excited about that part of the park.

Maybe it doesn't have to be an official gathering, but rather a bunch of us coordinating a trip sometime.

thoughts?

spencer

 

[Nadine]

I'd be up for a trip sometime this winter if the timing was right. The cabin holds 8 as I recall.

Nadine

 

[Nadine]

As I remember, the ski in was about 11 miles. I believe the cabin costs 30 bucks a night per person...maybe more now with rate increases. Firewood supplied.

For the non-purist, you can hire a snowsled to haul your gear in the first 10 miles.

 

[spencer]

Nadine,

Are you talking about the Crew Cabin? I didn't know they rented it out. There is a bunkhouse that is only $18 a person in winter (all bunkhouses are $18 except Chimney Pond which is $27).

spencer

 

[Nadine]

Spencer,

Maybe I'm confusing the prices with last winters trip into Chimney pond


Given some thought, it is more of a bunk house than cabin. Newly constructed. Two curtained rooms with four bunks per room, picnic table, sideboard, and a couple of built in bench chairs. Front porch stacked with firewood. Outhouse close-by. Stove was new two years ago.


I was there over Superbowl week and the ranger cabin nextdoor was full the whole time. Several rangers were hauling building materials down the Pogy Notch Trail via snowsled.

 

[spencer]

yup, that's the bunkhouse. I stayed there a couple of weeks ago. It is pretty new and super nice, although simple.

 

[SherpaKroto]

I'd definitely be up for that. I have room for one trip outside of the Whites this winter, and BSP always sounds like the perfect place to go.

And my sled has been waiting patiently for nearly a year now!

 

[twigeater]

We stayed at that bunkhouse last winter and never saw another soul while we were there.
Good thing, cause our games of WAR! WAR! WAR! could've woke the dead.

It is a very nice bunkhouse.