Sabbaday Brook Valley

A hike into the remote and beautiful Sabbaday Brook valley in the Sandwich Range Wilderness is an almost annual occurrence for me. On this 9 1/2 mile round trip I visited three old landslides and three logging camp sites of the Conway Lumber Company's Swift River Railroad (1906-1916).

The water level in Sabbaday Brook was late-summer-low, making the three big crossings relatively easy. They still require focus as some of the rocks have awkward shapes and some are very slippery. 

Into the Wilderness at 1.2 miles.

 

A unique triangular rock aids the crossing of one of numerous small drainages along a 1.5 mile section of century-old logging road along the east side of the brook.

Long stretches of good walking here.

 

Mossy rocks at the fourth crossing, an easy one this day.

 

 

Heading into the inner sanctum of the valley between the Sleepers, Mount Tripyramid and The Fool Killer.

A steep bank scramble at the fifth crossing.  

 

 

Washout damage from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

One section of the brook was bone dry.

A beautiful valley.

 

 

 

The trail runs alongside a scenic mossy section of the brook.

 

 

I made a short bushwhack up to the last remaining open  patch on an old slide on the flank of The Fool Killer.

An intimate look up at West Sleeper.

 

The wooded wall of Mount Tripyramid looms high above. 

 

 

 

Dwindling brook.

 

 

The seventh and final crossing of Sabbaday Brook.

 

The trail heads up onto the valley headwall.

 

 

An upland hardwood glade at 3100 ft.

 

 

Traversing across the head of the valley.

The trail crosses the track of Tripyramid's second and more northern East Slide. The 1925 edition of the AMC White Mountain Guide noted that this slide fell in September 1924, “and the subsequent flood washed out the valley for some distance.”

 

 

Today this slide is fully revegetated save for a small open gravel patch at 3,400 ft. I followed the track steeply up from the trail to access this patch, which I have visited several times over the last two decades.

 

This apparently was a gravelly slide.

 

 

The open patch still has what the AMC Guide  called "wild and interesting views to Mts. Passaconaway and Chocorua.” The scrubby spruces taking over the slide have been slowly shrinking this vista over the years.

 

 

The picturesque profile of Chocorua.

 

 

 

 

The graceful sweep of Passaconaway. 

 

 

There must have been some serious snow loading up here over the winter.

A peek at The Fool Killer.

 

I traversed across the steep slope to meet the trail where it follows the upper end of the older, more southern East Slide of Tripyramid.

 

The trail scales these steep slabs, which mark the upper end of the older East Slide. Until a 1980s relocation, Sabbaday Brook Trail climbed this slide all the way from its bottom down by the brook.

 

 

This section requires caution, especially descending.

 

 

 

Heading back down the valley.

 

Sled runners from an upper mountain camp of the Swift River Railroad. 

 

 

 

 

Other artifacts from that camp. As always, note that these are historic artifacts protected by law and it is illegal (and unethical) to remove them. 

 

A bucket at the site of the Monahan Camp, farther down the valley.

Stove doors. 

A variety pack of artifacts. On the right are what appear to be pieces of a lantern. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

The "Magnetic Pearl" was a small cookstove manufactured by Southard, Robertson & Company of New York City. It had four holes and was designed to be used with either coal or wood.

Still farther down the valley is this unusually intact stove at the site of the Holland Camp. Thanks go to longtime White Mountains tramper and historian Ben English, Jr. for intel on this camp.

 

 

Sabbaday Falls at dusk. Once past the falls area on my way in, I saw not a single hiker the rest of the day, on a beautiful weekend day in August.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Webster Cliffs

On a cool, partly sunny and windy day I headed up Webster Cliff Trail to check out an ongoing major relocation by the AMC trail crew and enjoy some views.

 

A classic weathered trail sign at the trailhead, which will soon be outdated. 

 

Can this really be the Webster Cliff Trail? It doesn't last long.

The bridge over the Saco River is dedicated to the iconic couple of the early days of the AMC 4000-Footer Club.

 

It's a fine bridge.

Low water in the Saco.

 

The lower part of Webster Cliff Trail is moderate and pleasant as it angles up and across the south end of Mount Webster.

Entering the Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness for a while.

 

A mile in, the trail starts to get down to business with this steep rock staircase.

 

The new relocation, 1.2 miles long, will start a bit above here and ascend at moderate to easy grades with many switchbacks, keeping well to the north of the current trail. It will bypass a steep, badly eroded section of trail that has a couple of sketchy spots. The trail will be 0.6 mile longer but more sustainable and more enjoyable to hike. Most of the relocation has been roughed out, except for the lower, eastern section. If all goes well, it should be completed by the end of the fall season.

 

A typical section along the new route.

Impressive benching work on a sidehill.

 

 The relocation will rejoin the existing trail before the first ledge outlook along the Webster Cliffs, elevation 3025 ft. Mts. Bemis, Nancy, Carrigain and Hancock in the distance.

 

 

 

This ledge has an outstanding view of Crawford Notch and is a worthy destination in its own right for a solid half--day hike with 1750 ft. of elevation gain.  Currently 3.6 miles round trip, it will become a 4.8-mile round trip. 

 

Bondcliff, Mount Bond and Mount Guyot off to the west.

 

The Willey Slide - not to be confused with the famed 1826 Willey Slide, which has long since been revegetated. This one is best known as an ice climbing destination.

 

In between its many viewpoints, Webster Cliff Trail leads through ridgecrest conifer forest.

 

An interesting ledge step scramble leading up to the next outlook.

This ledge has an excellent view of the mountains to the south, with pointy Mount Chocorua seen left of center.

A nice easy stretch through the woods.

 

From the next outlook, looking north to Mount Willard and beyond to peaks in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

 

Right above here is one of several very steep ledge scrambles along the ridge. There are also many shorter scrambles, making this a more tiring and strenuous trip than the stats - 3.3 miles, 2750-ft. elevation gain to Mount Webster - would suggest.

 

This spectacular stretch of trail, from the floor of the Notch to Mt. Webster - was cut in 1914 by noted AMC trail-builders George Blaney, Charles W. Blood, Nathaniel L. Goodrich and Paul R. Jenks. The project took them just four days. 

 

 

 

 This expansive ledge area at 3400 ft. was my destination, as I had a late start and didn't have enough time to go all the way to Mount Webster and back down.

 

 

From here you get a peek at Mount Washington (in cloud), Boott Spur, and Montalban Ridge. Here the sun was illuminating Mount Isolation.

 

This ledge area is marked by a large cairn. 

 

 

 

 

The wind was knocking me around a bit, so I hunkered down behind the big cairn for a long break.

 

Great angle on the Willey Range.

 

Looking down on Willey Pond and the Willey House site on the floor of the Notch.

For many years, the AMC White Mountain Guide carried this endorsement for the Webster Cliff Trail: “The views along the cliffs of Mt. Webster are such that anyone with a normal appreciation of the grandeur of mountain scenery will add at least 2 hr. for their enjoyment. There is nothing finer in the White Mountains.”

 

Heading home.

 

 The south end of the Webster Cliffs from the parking area on US 302.