SpencerVT
Member
When did the Bemis trail stop being maintained? 1968? - when the fire tower was demolished??
I climbed Bemis on Saturday. Absolutely perfect weather. The snow was supportive of my snowshoes all day and I only seldom post-holed when there were gnarly spruce traps. I took the old fire tower trail up. At about 3000' it totally goes to hell and instead of trying to follow it, I just whacked to the summit, which was quite thick at times. Instead of descending via the old trail and having to go through the thick whack between the summit and 3000', I descended via a drainage which comes out at a little below 2000' on the Nancy Pond Trail. I stayed on the drainage while it was small, until there was too much water volume undermining the snowpack and then got off to the side of it. It was an awesome surprise, when, at about 2300' I encountered a large waterfall. (See photo). It was approx 25' tall and it didn't look as though anyone ever went there. Pretty awesome to find!!
Old fire tower trail still in good shape below approx. 3000'
Great view of Mt. Washington on ascent
Remains of old fire tower
View from fire tower site
Spruce trap
Descending the drainage
Discovering waterfall on drainage
Impressive Bemis Bushwhacking wound
I climbed Bemis on Saturday. Absolutely perfect weather. The snow was supportive of my snowshoes all day and I only seldom post-holed when there were gnarly spruce traps. I took the old fire tower trail up. At about 3000' it totally goes to hell and instead of trying to follow it, I just whacked to the summit, which was quite thick at times. Instead of descending via the old trail and having to go through the thick whack between the summit and 3000', I descended via a drainage which comes out at a little below 2000' on the Nancy Pond Trail. I stayed on the drainage while it was small, until there was too much water volume undermining the snowpack and then got off to the side of it. It was an awesome surprise, when, at about 2300' I encountered a large waterfall. (See photo). It was approx 25' tall and it didn't look as though anyone ever went there. Pretty awesome to find!!
Old fire tower trail still in good shape below approx. 3000'
![40479596204_a7786491a3_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/bb8/bb84c394075222a13c33fb2c2d8db68e.jpg)
Great view of Mt. Washington on ascent
![26320067327_b6cf1ca699_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/4f9/4f929db9b03344f4c8230b12d5d004cb.jpg)
Remains of old fire tower
![40479595054_920c4721b6_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/847/84750565421eb6bfca8920a162d32b2f.jpg)
View from fire tower site
![40479593734_abefef35a2_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/e7a/e7a6bab1837a792e918b8b3e5ca55633.jpg)
Spruce trap
![40479594414_cc62f35717_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/558/55844bd1ae6e9987d7c3509841ac96b9.jpg)
Descending the drainage
![26320069727_2eca6d792a_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/491/491dd7377081413b4375041a6a65fd87.jpg)
Discovering waterfall on drainage
![26320061477_ebcce229a3_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/3e3/3e3498c15b24c5dacd34a93dfde51052.jpg)
Impressive Bemis Bushwhacking wound
![26320064937_b24cda6a7e_z.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/678/6783a55110a1922c1781726dd0305284.jpg)
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