Walker Ravine: 10/31/24

The day was a Halloween treat: wall to wall sun and temperatures soaring into the 70s. At this time of year, a southwestern exposure provides the most sunshine. A combination of a partial hike up the Old Bridle Path to check out this year's trail improvements, and a bushwhack up into the north branch of Walker Ravine to an open slide patch, would provide plenty of "second summer" brightness.

This is the third year of the Franconia Ridge Loop Restoration Project, intended to restore, reconstruct and in some places relocate the badly eroded trails that make up the massively popular loop over Franconia Ridge: Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail and Falling Waters Trail. Some $1.1 million in funding has been provided for this project from the federal government through Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Additional contributions have come from the World Trails Network, Appalachian Mountain Club, and a major private donor, for a total of $1.8 million. 

 

The first 0.2 mile of Old Bridle Path has been completely relocated, and hikers quickly get to see the quality of work being done.

The work is being undertaken by trail crews from the White Mountain National Forest,  Appalachian Mountain Club, Peter S. Jensen & Associates LLC, OBP Trailworks LLC, the Trail Fixing Collective LLC, Northwoods Stewardship Center Conservation Corps, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, and N.H. Student Conservation Association. Many volunteers have pitched in and have made a huge contribution to the effort.

 

The World Trails Network-Americas and New Hampshire State Parks are major partners in the project. So far the work has been focused on the lower part of the Old Bridle Path, mostly within Franconia Notch State Park but also extending upslope into the WMNF. The work of the crews is pretty amazing. Through countless hours of intensive toil with rock and soil, they have fashioned a well-graded and sustainable treadway.

Near the top of this new section is a junction where a 75-yard connector leads rightward to the bridge over Walker Brook and Falling Waters Trail, while Old Bridle Path turns left and ascends more of these carefully constructed rock staircases. Over the next two years there will be a major relocation on the lower section of Falling Waters Trail.

Easy on the feet - could this really be a hiking trail in the White Mountains? Above here another relocation - this one nearly a half-mile long - has been marked, with work slated to continue next year.

Higher up, I left Old Bridle Path and descended a steep slope to Walker Brook in the lower part of Walker Ravine.

On the floor of the valley I followed a century-old logging road for some distance. This route is familiar to backcountry skiers heading into the south fork of Walker Ravine to ski "Lincoln's Throat."

Where the road petered out, I crossed Walker Brook.

On the far side there were several blowdown patches to navigate around.

Perhaps the ghost of another old logging road.

The confluence where the south and north branches of Walker Brook unite. I was heading into the north fork of the ravine.

A brushy swath on the south fork of the brook, just above the confluence, is likely a remnant of one of the slides that has swept down through the ravine.

The route into the north fork of the ravine starts with a climb up a very steep slope.

From the south edge of the steep slope, a glimpse of Lincoln's Throat, high above.

Once above the steep slope, the grade became easy to moderate through mostly open woods.

The north branch of Walker Brook, an inner sanctum of the Franconia Range.

A ferny opening in the forest.

There were occasional glimpses up to the cliffs and slides fronting the ridge followed by Old Bridle Path.

I had been into this valley several times on snowshoes, but this was the first time in here without snow. The woods were just as beautiful.

A Tolkienish opening strewn with mossy rocks. Good place for an Entmoot.

Flattened.

At the base of the old slide that was my destination, the brook was filled with revegetating slide outwash.

Climbing up a track of the slide, which likely fell during the September 1938 hurricane.

Emerging on the only open patch left on this slide, right at the bottom. When it fell from near the top of Agony Ridge, its open swath carried downward for 1,500 feet, as seen in a 1964 aerial photo. I know of one AMC hutman who climbed the slide up to the ridge in the 1960s.  In the photo shown here are two of a half-dozen white pines thriving on this remnant open patch.

Looking up the slide patch.

Looking down from near the top.

I found a rock seat and settled in for a long sojourn in the balmy sun, admiring the view across to the Old Bridle Path ridge.

Zoomed. The rocky swath on the right appears to be a slide that could also date back to 1938, or earlier.

A hazy view of ridges to the SW, including Mount Kineo, Carr Mountain and spurs of Mount Moosilauke. Mount Pemigewasset is in the foreground.

I probed a little way above the open patch. From here up the slide is completely revegetated.

A mossy stretch of the old track.

From the slide's edge, a glimpse up to Franconia Ridge, near Truman Peak.

 

A small gorge on the north branch of Walker Brook.

Taking a look up the south branch of Walker Brook, then time to head for home.