Trail Maintenance, a bit of Redlining, and a Terrifying 25 Peak Bag, oh my!

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

hikersinger

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
90
Reaction score
0
Location
New Boston, NH
Nothing real special with this trip I suppose, but I was able to fit a few notable (for me) things into three days along the Whitewall Brook and Ethan Pond area. Such a blast. It gets harder and harder to come home each time...

Day 1
  • 11:10 - 11:50 Zealand Road lot to hut (2.7 miles)
  • 12:15 - 12:45 Hut along Ethan Pond Trail to junction with Zeacliff Trail (1.7 miles)
  • 12:45 - 16:50 Zeacliff Trail maintenance
  • 17:00 - 17:35 Twinway back to Zealand Falls hut (1.3 miles)

Day 2
  • 08:10 - 09:00 Hut along Ethan Pond Trail to junction with Zeacliff Trail (1.7 miles)
  • 09:00 - 10:40 Zeacliff Trail maintenance completed
  • 10:50 - 12:50 Ethan Pond Trail to Willey Range Trail junction, with stops at Thoreau Falls and Ethan Pond/shelter (5.1 miles)
  • 13:05 - 14:50 Willey Range Trail to Mt. Willey summit, and back (2.2mi)
  • 14:50 - 17:10 Ethan Pond back to hut, with stop for dip at Thoreau Falls (6mi)

Day 3
  • hike out (2.7 miles)

Photo Library: https://www.facebook.com/erikbertrand/media_set?set=a.10153134616369567.1073741862.570654566&type=3

As co-adopter of the Zeacliff Trail with Jamie Gillon, I have the responsibility to visit the trail at least once a year for routine maintenance. I hadn't been the previous year at all, but Jamie did visit it with some friends and covered good ground. I was ready to spend as much time as needed to ensure the trail was clear to follow and free of brush for the two-foot-wide, eight-foot-high corridor allowed. (Visit the AMC website for more info on their Adopt-A-Trail program.)

(All but perhaps 20-30 feet of the trail's 1.4-mile length lies within the Pemigewasset Wilderness area, one of a few in the White Mountains that limit the measures available to trail maintainers. For instance, painted trail blazes are not allowed, and the corridor width/length is greatly reduced.)

The rough plan was to spend three days in the forest, doing maintenance and exploring the Ethan Pond area (which I hadn't yet visited in my travels). I'd spend the two night in-between at the AMC Zealand Falls hut.

After a casually late start, I started off from the end of Zealand Road and made good time to the hut. I checked in, dropped much of my pack, and headed off along the Ethan Pond Trail for the Zeacliff Trail junction to start the work. I wanted to be back in time for dinner at 6 - a can't-miss event!

I knew from past experience that the upper 1/3 of the trail tends to grow the most, as it's pretty dense and sees more water than the rest of the trail. This trail doesn't require much more than simple "brushing," the act of cutting back branches and other growth to maintain the trail corridor. Since I'd be coming the same way the next day on the way to Ethan Pond and that general area, I left the lower part of the trail alone and concentrated on the upper 2/3.

Still, the lower 1/3 of the trail was in quite good shape. The crossing of Whitewall Brook was straightforward, with reasonable water levels. I did have to clear some fallen trees/logs that were laying across or along the steepest parts of the trail, but made relatively quick work of that. Some brushing along the way was required, but nothing terrible.

As I traveled along, I spent more time ensuring branches were cleared, especially the higher ones. I often pictured myself three, four, or even more feet higher than I was, as if it were winter, when snow levels effectively put hikers that much higher. I couldn't reach many branches I would have liked, but I was able to clear a good many and ensure a roughly eight-foot-tall opening.

I spent the most time taking care of the upper 1/3 of the trail. In several places, I spent quality time cutting back a lot of growth that had encroached over the trail proper. This made a huge difference and was long overdue.

As I worked, I listened to A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson's telling of his trip along the Appalachian Trail. Mildly funny in places, and appropriate for the task I suppose, since this trail connects two lengths of the Appalachian Trail. A hike of the AT is something I'd like to do some day, though I'm most certain I'd have to do it in sections. Hearing his account, and talking with an AT thru hiker later that evening at the hut, I knew this would be best anyway since "rushing" through it is just not that fun an experience.

Four hours later, I reached the top of the trail at its intersection with the Twinway. I was relieved since I had hoped to be done for the day by 5pm, but wasn't checking GPS coordinates to see how far along I'd been progressing. I'd easily be able to travel the 1.2 miles back to the hut for dinner.

The Zealand Falls hut experience - like all AMC high-mountain huts - is something every person should experience at least once in their life. To be able to join together with fellow hikers for a hearty meal inside relatively rustic hut, after a day of play in the mountains, is one of the funnest things. The hut was almost full this night with solo hikers like myself, couples, and families with children of all ages.

Weather remained quite good this first day, and we saw stars ever-brighter as the evening wore on. The calm but persistent rush of the falls just steps from the hut's front stoop, along with views along the river valley south, provided such an idyllic and peaceful environment in which to just sit and "be."

The next morning, following a hearty breakfast, I started on my way along the Ethan Pond Trail again to finish trail work. The weather forecast called for a chance of showers, thunderstorms, and even hail, so I packed accordingly, including the new rain jacket I purchased the day before at Rogers. I had been hoping for a Gore-Tex/breathable rain shell, but the one they had (an Arcteryx) was going for well over $400. No thanks - I settled for a Helly Hansen they called "breathable" for just $99, knowing it wouldn't be the very best, but it would do me well.

This time, I focused my trail work on the first relatively short stretch of trail which crosses a boulder field and enters the woods above Whitewall Brook. In places along this stretch, some hikers found their way off-trail, since much of it involved basic rock-hopping. I placed some large sticks, and constructed one small cairn, to help guide people along the trail; we'll have to see how these measures stand up to nature!

All in all, I spent 5.5 hours on the trail, and felt very good about the outcome. I'll be submitting a trail report and will plan on visiting the trail either this Fall, or certainly next Summer.


trip report continued below...
 
Last edited:
... continued from above...


With trail work complete, I continued along the Ethan Pond Trail. I'd not been along this stretch of the trail or anywhere south, so I was excited to explore. In a couple miles I came to the Thoreau Falls junction, and hiked the short distance to check it out. I'd heard great things about the falls, and they looked very fun. It was fascinating to see the few completely rounded-out holes carved by thousands of years of water current. With the cascades and pools, this was definitely a place to return to for some water fun.

I continued along Ethan Pond Trail to Ethan Pond itself, and the nearby shelter and tent platforms. I passed several AT thru and other hikers along the way, and marveled at the kind of experience they were living, most having started out southbound from Mount Katahdin in Maine some few to several weeks earlier.

I didn't have a stone-set plan today beyond finishing the trail maintenance, but I was hoping to work some vertical into the day, since most of the terrain so far that day was essentially flat. I continued along to the Ethan Pond Trail's junction with the Willey Range Trail, which brings hikers very steeply up to the summit of Mt. Willey (4,285'). I hemmed/hawed for a while, wondering if I could hike the 2.2-mile round trip and be back to the hut in time for dinner. Finally, I decided to go for it, since the lure of the trail and summit were just too large, and I had to take advantage of being in this place; I could be late for dinner, not a big deal!

No question, the Willey Range Trail up to Mt. Willey is among the steepest I've climbed, almost as bad as Madison Gulf, the Holt trail up Cardigan, and the Flume Slide Trail. It's so steep in places, there are multiple ladders with around 100 total steps between them. I kept a slow but steady place, and was sweating a ton as I ascended. Almost half-way up, I crossed paths with a woman and three very bubbly teenagers coming down. They were enjoying themselves quite a bit; I'm sure the sight of me huffing and sweating was one they found amusing, since they were in that very place just an hour or so earlier (unless they were doing the Tom/Field/Willey range with a car spot!).

It took me a strenuous but invigorating 50 minutes from bottom to top, and I sat at the "real" summit just off the trail for a bite to eat. I had to take in the view down and along Route 302 and the southern end of Crawford Notch; it's breathtaking, and also includes a mostly clear view up to the southern Presidentials, most of which were in the clouds this day.

It turns out the Willey Range Trail is an elective on the Terrifying 25 list, a newer list of trails created by Trish Herr and her daughters that feature harrowing or otherwise very steep ascents in the Whites. I was happy to knock another off this list, as I'm casually working it as I go.

The past few hours, I had been expecting clouds to roll in with the threat of showers, but for the most part I continued to see sun and occasional cloud masses moving through. I wasn't complaining for sure, though part of me hoped to hike in the rain, for the "complete" experience.

I descended and was back at the Ethan Pond Trail junction by a bit before 3pm. The trail sign counted 5.8 miles back to the hut. Given my average time on the mostly-flat terrain was a bit under 3 miles per hour, I'd easily be able to make it back for dinner.

The stretch of the Ethan Pond trail between the Shoal Pond and Willey Range trail junctions, featured a wealth of bog bridges. Water levels were not at all high, but these bridges made quick work of this stretch, and I decided to stop again at Thoreau Falls to take a dip. The water was cool and very refreshing; I felt like a new person that just took a shower! I had the falls to myself the entire time, too. I definitely wanted to bring family and friends to see and experience this natural playground.

I was back to the hut a little after 5pm, and enjoyed one final dinner. What a fun day, chock full of rewarding experiences ranging from strenuous trail work and steep ascents, to casual walks along ponds and flat terrain, to dips in the just-right waters of Thoreau Falls. You really can't buy experiences like this, and I'm thankful to the AMC and US Forest Service for providing these opportunities to explore conserved land.

The following day, I decided to hike out, and meandered home. I had considered hiking a smaller mountain on the way, perhaps a New England 100 Highest peak, but thought it better to just take it easy. The mountains would be there when I return, which is never soon enough!
 
Thank you for the trail work sir.

For me, I either get involved with trail construction or, my most recent effort, a trail with no maintenance for five years. Not complaining, just saying it's more like a rehab job. I would not dare to wear high-priced anything on these projects. I go to Sears, buy some Carters work clothes (as does the Maine Conservation Corps), throw in extra dry gear and head out. Even still, I've got some pretty handsome tears in the pants. I look like pigpen when I come home. I've got 2.5 miles of trail to do. We accomplished 1/4 mile in a full day's work. Plan to assemble a croo for the fall.

I'm thrilled you were able brush everything back!
 
Last edited:
Top