Ever since I first spotted it from Table Mountain, and then Potash Mountain, in 2012, the 2011 slide on the NE side of West Sleeper has fascinated me. Because it is fringed with hardwoods, it's a colorful destination during foliage season. This would be my tenth visit to this slide (possibly a dubious record), which was brought to us by Tropical Storm Irene.
I knew the Sabbaday Falls trailhead would be busy, but it was more than that, it was absolutely nuts with dozens of cars parked along the Kanc in addition to a full lot. To avoid the masses on the first part of the trail, I made an impromptu decision to bushwhack along the east side of Sabbaday Brook for 1.2 miles, using a route my friend Ray Caron and I followed a few years ago. Ray had spotted an old logging road on the lidar hillshade map, and we used that on a snowshoe trek to the West Sleeper Slide to avoid the three sketchy crossings of Sabbaday Brook. This road dates back at least to the days of the Swift River Railroad (1906-1916) and was noted in the 1916 edition of the AMC White Mountain Guide. After parking on the shoulder of the Kanc, I bushwhacked in the general direction of the old road through mostly open woods.
Because I hadn't planned on this route, I didn't have my intel on its exact location and I wandered back and forth a bit, look for it. At one point I ended up down on the east side of Sabbaday Brook.
From there I climbed steeply up the slope and found the road on the flank of Potash Mountain, where it leads mostly through hemlock forest. It's overgrown in places, but other sections are clear and it provides a stable footbed.
Farther along it passes through hardwood forest.
I linked up with Sabbaday Brook Trail shortly before it enters the Sandwich Range Wilderness.
A trailside view of Sabbaday Brook.
Foliage walking along the long, straight section of trail on the east side of the brook, following another old logging road.
A peek at The Fool Killer.
Sled runners at the site of the Swift River Railroad's Monahan Camp.
Following yet another old logging road, off-trail into the woods.
This brook drains a minor ravine on the north side of East Sleeper.
Peering down from the top of a small cascade that falls into Sabbaday Brook.
A favorite glade.
October sky.
Glorious.
Exploring in this valley guarantees an intimate acquaintance with hobblebush.
Looking down at the tributary brook that drains this side valley.
Emerging onto the slide runout after slithering down a steep, densely grown bank.
For the first few years after the slide fell, this approach was an open rock highway, but shrub and tree growth is now proliferating.
The brook had more water flow than I expected in this dry season.
A bank gouged out by the slide.
Approaching the bottom of the slide, with part of Sleeper Ridge looming ahead.
Dense growth has overtaken a steep bank of gravel and rock deposited when the slide slammed into the streambed at a right angle.
Looking back at The Fool Killer.
The slide, robed in its autumn finery.
Closer look.
A short scramble brought me to a flat deposit area at the base of the slide.
Looking back at the gold-spangled northern spur ridge of East Sleeper. Over the last 14 years I've taken a series of photos from this angle to document the revegetation on this deposit area.
Side view of the steep base of the slide.
One of several small pioneering white pines I've seen here in the last several years.
Looking up.
First look at the distant view, with another white pine in the foreground.
Partly zoomed. This slide is unusual in that, due to its wedge-like shape, the view is much better on the lower, wider part of the slide. From L to R, Mount Tremont, Carter Dome, Bartlett Haystack, the Baldfaces, Potash Mountain, part of Bear Mountain, and South Potash.
Zoom on the central view.
Heading up.
Down-look.
The great wide open. The lower part of the slide is 200 feet across.
On most visits I climb about two-thirds of the way up the slide to this series of broken ledges.
This appears to be a basalt dike cutting across the Kinsman granodiorite bedrock.
Nice view of the East Sleeper spur ridge.
Side view. The average slope of the slide is 31 degrees.
Looking up towards the top.
North Moat in the distance, with Kearsarge North peering over on the left.
Hanging out.
Looking back up during a slow, careful descent over the loose rocks.
Last look at the view.
The conifer growth on the deposit area is almost impenetrable.
The husks of Pearly Everlasting, a common pioneer plant on landslides.
Late afternoon light.
The steepest pitch on the slide - 36 degrees - is at the foot.
I took a different route back to the trail after navigating this obstacle course of boulders and tree jams.
Bushwhacking along a nice shelf on the west side of the tributary brook.
Back down to Sabbaday Brook.
Barrel hoops from an old logging camp.
Confluence of the tributary brook and Sabbaday Brook.
Homeward bound on Sabbaday Brook Trail.
