Spring Trail Work

HEDGEHOG MOUNTAIN: 6/2/20

Trail adopters received the green light from the Forest Service near the end of May, time for spring maintenance on the west side of the UNH Trail.

As dedicated trail worker Hal Graham says, "drainage, drainage, drainage." This is one of the longer ones on my section of UNH Trail.

Glad this precarious situation was not on the trail.

Thanks to the axe person(s) who took a couple of major blowdwons out. Saco Ranger District crew or Chris Garby?

I started cutting this one on the way up...

...and finished on the way down.

 

The only other blowdown I had to remove.

Done.

Mt. Washington still had a couple of snowfields.

East to Chocorua and Paugus.

Down-look.

Spring greens blanket the lower slopes of Mt. Passaconaway.

West view, featuring the Tripyramids.

PASSACONAWAY CUTOFF: 6/7/20

Teamed up with Eric Savage, Corresponding Secretary for the AMC Four Thousand Footer Committee, and his daughter Caroline for a spring maintenance trip to Passaconaway Cutoff, the Committee's adopted trail. We cleaned 56 drainages, removed 8 blowdowns, and did some brushing. Met several people doing traverses of the Sandwich Range high peaks.

Caroline works the Silky saw on a large red maple blowdown. She is a great trail worker!

Eric/Dad takes a turn.
 

Teamwork - well done!

Ladyslippers.

In the hardwoods.

After reaching the top of the Cutoff at 5:15, we dropped the tools and hiked 0.4 mile up the Square Ledge Trail for some views, passing this sled runner at a Conway Lumber Company logging camp site from the early 1900s.

We scrambled a short way up the slide on Nanamocomuck Peak; the trail goes across the base of the slide. Caution is needed due to slippery loose gravel.

Fine evening view to the north.

The sun highlights Hedgehog Mountain. In the distance is cloud-shrouded Mt. Washington.

 Eric and Caroline descend back to the trail. We did make it out before dark.