Sawyer River Rd will be closed to vehicles for 2024 until further notice

[JustJoe]

Didn't realize they finally removed it.

 

[Ken MacGray]

The bridge approaches were washed out by a major flood event tied to I believe Hurricane Irene in 2011.

The Rocky Branch bridge was washed out during the Halloween storm of 2017.

 

[NHClimber]

I was there last fall and the bridge was in place (though you'd have to climb a little to get onto it so folks were just crossing the river underneath it). I'd be surprised if the FS mounted an operation to remove it and it got done that quickly. I'll go back and check once the snow clears a little.

 

[sierra]

Didn't realize they finally remove

I was there last fall and the bridge was in place (though you'd have to climb a little to get onto it so folks were just crossing the river underneath it). I'd be surprised if the FS mounted an operation to remove it and it got done that quickly. I'll go back and check once the snow clears a little.

I thought I went in there last year and saw it as well, but my memory is not that great, lol.

 

[DayTrip]

I looked hard at this route to get to the Giant Stairs (Stairs Mt.) I'm doing multiple rounds of the 52wav list and I'm trying to do as many different routes as possible on the peaks. With the road closed and the bridge in its current state, I didn't think this was a viable day hike, at least for me. I do hope it opens again, because it's really access to an amazing area, but I'm not holding my breath.

I've done several hikes up Stairs Col Trail to that access that area and it is a nice route although now that I have finally done Mt Resolution coming over from Crawford I prefer that way. Rocky Branch > Stairs Col used to be my route of choice to get to Mount Davis, one of my favorite remote peaks.

The full length of the Rocky Branch trail starting at the bridge is also pretty awesome if you want to cruise some nice woods with abundant river and valley views and dramatic eroded areas from various hurricanes. I don't think I've been out that way since 2016 before the Halloween storm Ken mentioned. Not sure how it has changed since.

 

[jrcinnh]

I was there last fall and the bridge was in place (though you'd have to climb a little to get onto it so folks were just crossing the river underneath it). I'd be surprised if the FS mounted an operation to remove it and it got done that quickly. I'll go back and check once the snow clears a little.

So we are talking about the bridge on Jericho Road, I have a picture of Jen and I at the bridge last August (2023) it was there, but had washouts at one end. Scott Bruns posted his picture about a week ago, the bridge is gone. We asked Scott if that was the bridge on Jericho road, he said yes. I haven't checked, probably be out the summer to get the rest of Rocky Branch, don't know if anyone else has checked.

 

[Ken MacGray]

AFAIK, USFS still has plans to remove the damaged bridge over Rocky Branch, but it's unclear when it will happen. When we were working on the last White Mountain Guide, they told us it was going to be 2022 but to my knowledge the bridge is still there.

 

[JoshandBaron]

AFAIK, USFS still has plans to remove the damaged bridge over Rocky Branch, but it's unclear when it will happen. When we were working on the last White Mountain Guide, they told us it was going to be 2022 but to my knowledge the bridge is still there.

What do you suppose those photos are of?

 

[JustJoe]

I was at the RBR bridge last, in October 2022 and it was still there. However, the road which was severely washed had been repaired. My previous visit was 2019. It would have needed to be repaired to get equipment up to, and remove the bridge. Have no idea if that happened sometime last year. But, that screen shot looks sort correct as far as that road baring right after the bridge. This photo is from 2015. The new bridge in the middle of its 4-5 year life.

 

[JustJoe]

Since we've drifted away , from Sawyer River Road, I have a question about Rocky Branch Rd. Non-winter parking was at a gate, just before the first of the 2 bridges going over Rocky Branch River. The first being an older wooden bridge. The second the newly replaced. My question is, could you ever drive over these bridges to the area where it actually becomes a trail vs a road? Where there's a large area which could easily have been parking. Probably a couple 10ths of a mile past the second bridge. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[MikeC]

We own two camps on Allen Road, which is the old RBRR grade. I typically go to the end of the grade (where the river has washed it out) and jump over to the USFS road (Jericho).

The road above Bridge 2 is very grown in, a few hundred feet above the bridge it necks down to single track before opening back up to pickup width. There is an even older road (27A/B) where the Rocky Branch trail starts (circled in red), which heads up towards Mt. Parker. It can be seen on the Stairs Mt. USGS map.

 

[peakbagger]

Welcome to VFTT Mike, always good to see a "local"

Has there been issues with transients moving in at the end of the road like reportedly was an issue in the past (pre covid)?

 

[maineguy]

A few pics from SRR damage in 2011:

 

[jrcinnh]

What do you suppose those photos are of?

I just checked with Scott (his FB post/ pictures) to make sure it was the correct bridge, he clearly said that bridge is gone. I took pictures of the bridge in August 23, his are in March 24.

 

[NHClimber]

The bridge is gone. Checked it this a.m. I was last there at the end of October so they certainly hustled to remove it. First pic is looking across RB. Second is looking back to the little wooden bridge.

 

[JustJoe]

There's an even older road (27A/B) where the Rocky Branch trail starts (circled in red), which heads up towards Mt. Parker.

Been in that area 3 times, only to use 27A to get to Rocky Branch Dome. (Not an official name as far as I know.) Very cool little knob.

 

[skiguy]

The bridge is gone. Checked it this a.m. I was last there at the end of October so they certainly hustled to remove it. First pic is looking across RB. Second is looking back to the little wooden bridge.

Thank you for the recon. Sufficient to say that monitoring water levels before heading in there an expecting to cross would be prudent.

 

[sierra]

Thank you for the recon. Sufficient to say that monitoring water levels before heading in there an expecting to cross would be prudent.

That was my exact thought when I saw the picture of that crossing. I plan on heading in there this summer, I'll pick a good time, my dogs least favorite thing is to cross rivers, he will do it, but he doesn't enjoy it.

 

[Ken MacGray]

The bridge is gone. Checked it this a.m. I was last there at the end of October so they certainly hustled to remove it. First pic is looking across RB. Second is looking back to the little wooden bridge.

Thanks for that update!