Passaconaway Cutoff: 11/6/23

My second fall maintenance trip to the Passaconaway Cutoff, the adopted trail of the AMC Four Thousand Footer Committee, and part of the northern route to Mount Passaconaway from the Kancamagus Highway.

White pines are pioneering on this gravel slope a short distance in from the trailhead.

Low-angle November sun on the railroad grade section of the Oliverian Brook Trail.

Stony bottom of Oliverian Brook.

Start of the Cutoff, 1.9 miles from the trailhead. Today's tasks consisted of cleaning 24 drainages and brushing hobblebush and conifer branches on the lower 1.1 mile of the trail.

Two weeks ago there was much golden leaf color still on the hardwoods in this attractive section of the trail. Stick season is now in full swing.

 

Two drainages in a muddy area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the drainages had dry fluffy leaves to hoe out. This one was full of wet leaves and muck and took a while to clean.

Looking better.

On the way back down, after completing the work, I bushwhacked over to a favorite beaver wetland with an imposing view of Mount Passaconaway. The spur known as Nanamocomuck Peak rises to the left. What a mountain!