Earlier this week Daniel Newton and I had hiked up the Kettles Path, my adopted trail in Waterville Valley, en route to a bushwhack along the ridge to the east of Irene's Path. Along the trail we encountered five blowdowns, including two large multi-limbed spruces. On a sunny spring afternoon I returned to the trail to take care of those fallen trees.
As it was three days earlier, the first gentle stretch of Kettles Path was a flowing brook. A relocation is in order here, hopefully this year.
The biggest job was removing this snapped-off spruce with numerous long branches. It took more than 40 cuts and over an hour to take care of this one.
The main trunk topped, trimmed and ready to be cut and removed.
Spruce limb graveyard.
All clear.
After that spruce I'll take a gimme.
Done.
Looking down into the deepest Kettle.
Spring snowshoeing in mashed potatoes.
Approaching the second big spruce.
This one only took 18 cuts.
Outta there!
A low-lying beech limb.
A pretty quick one.
A favorite fungus.
On every visit I have to take a pic of the champion white ash.
Bare ground! Ditched the snowshoes below.
Last blowdown, on the steep spruce section ascending on the north side of The Scaur.
Cleared with just two cuts.
Some nasty ice on this section. Spikes mandatory.
Spur path to The Scaur.
One of my favorite places. Sandwich Dome in the distance.
Mount Tecumseh and the Waterville Valley ski trails.
When I arrived here, I flushed a big Turkey Vulture that was hanging out on the ledge. It left a calling card.
Middle and South Tripyramid, with West Sleeper peering over on the right.
The Lost Pass area, with its aura of mystery.
Backlit Mount Osceola.
I think I'll whack down through those hardwoods, back to the trail below.
A brief stint on Irene's Path, past the Rock of Gibraltar.
Evening sun and bare ground in the hardwoods.
There are a few large black cherries in the mix here.
Aaahhh, spring.
I let the rock faces at the base of The Scaur guide me back to the trail.
I'll be back after the snow is gone to clean the drainages.
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