East Fork, Downes Brook Slide: 9/19/24

The Downes Brook Slide (aka Passaconaway Slide) came crashing down off the north slope of Mount Passacaonaway in the early 1890s and for many years was a major part of the route from Albany Intervale to the summit of the mountain, becoming known as the Downes Brook Slide Trail or Passaconaway Slide Trail. The Downes Brook Slide Trail remained in use for many years, but was noted as a dangerous route due to steep and slippery ledges. In the 1940s the AMC White Mountain Guide cautioned hikers: "This trail is dangerous, especially after a rain, and is not recommended to amateur climbers. It is not signed for this reason." Because of this danger, the Forest Service officially closed the trail in the late 1950s. In the 1990s, unknown parties put up trail signs at either end and painted white blazes on the route. The Forest Service and the Wonalancet Out Door Club worked together to stop the unauthorized maintenance. The white blazes have been obliterated or covered, making this route once again largely a bushwhack. 

The old trail followed the wide lower slabs and then the first and western of the two right-hand turns of the slide, as seen here in a view from Potash Mountain. The route gets occasional use from experienced off-trail hikers, but it must be considered a bushwhack and one can easily end up in dangerous terrain. The second or eastern fork of the slide fell at a later date, perhaps during the 1938 hurricane, though that is only speculation. I've been up the slide portion of the old route many times, summer and winter, but I had only climbed to the upper portion of the east fork once, snowshoeing up for views in a late winter with a huge snowpack. With the current very dry conditions, I figured this would be a good time to visit the east fork in summer conditions.

 

The four crossings of Downes Brook on the approach along the Downes Brook Trail were as easy as they get. Nevertheless, there is a fair amount of rock hopping involved, and some of the rocks are slippery.

Into the Wilderness.

Good footing predominates on this section of the Downes Brook Trail.

The section of the slide track in the woods is wet and slippery.

Emerging onto the broad, low-angle granite slabs on the lower section of the old slide. The ledges are grippy when dry, but beware if wet.

 

Red maples frame a view back towards Potash Mountain.

Stay off the slime!

View of Potash and its trailless neighbor, "South Potash."

Golden pool below a steep ledge step.

 

More ledges, with Mount Passaconaway peeking above the trees.

Atop this ledge is what I call the "Ring of Power," a relic of the Swift River Railroad logging days in the early 1900s. This was likely used to lower logs down the ledges with a cable.

The ledges keep coming.

A canyon-like section. Time to bushwhack around.

Back into the canyon, which required a steep climb to exit at its upper end.

A good scramble up the left side of this headwall slab.

 

Looking down the slab.

Ledge and pool at "the turn of the slide," where the 1890s slide came down from the right. Here I continued ahead onto the more recent east fork of the slide.

This mini-flume is one of several interesting features on the east fork that required bushwhacking around.

Some rough woods beside the slide.

Tiered ledges, dry enough to walk up.

Peering down into another flume-like formation.

This looked too slick to ascend - back into the woods.

A steep pitch alongside the slide brought me into this thicket at the base of the biggest drop on the east fork.

This thicket was almost completely buried when I came here in March 2019.

A steep 100-foot rise in the slide ahead. From my winter visit I knew that good views awaited at the top.

These ledges were too wet to climb, so another detour through the woods was needed to get up there.

A random bone (moose, I assume) on the forest floor.

I popped out onto the slide halfway up the pitch for a look down...

...across...

...and up.

In winter this is a serious ice bulge.

Back into the woods.

 

Emerging at the lip atop the steep pitch, with a view out to Mounts Carrigain and Hancock.

A Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar was scouting the slide.

There was enough dry ledge to climb a ways up the slide from here.

Expanding the view out to the Nancy and Willey Ranges, the Southern Presidentials and Mount Washington.

One of the ledge steps typically found on a slide.

Continuing up.

I think I'll stop here - both options look too wet to safely ascend.

I did make it up this pitch in winter. Above here, the slide narrows and the views are not as good.

 

Time to find a comfortable perch and stay a while.

Twisting view.

This spot will do. An hour passed quickly here.

Careful foot placement was required to descend these ledge steps.

Looking back.

Down to the edge of the lip.

Big dropoff down there.

Side view.

Making my way down past the flumes.

Evening on the lower slabs.