I went in from Lincoln Woods to do some trail maintenance from Irene. I hadn’t done any maintenance on this trail since May, but I was pleasantly surprised on how good of shape it was still in. I cleaned water bars, took care of most of the blowdowns (there are a few that are too big for my bow saw which can easily be bypassed, which are leftovers from last winter). I also got some clipping in since there were not many new blowdowns.
That was the good news, the bad news is the stairs leading up to the footbridge have been damaged. You can still get up them, but they are at a 90 degree angle from the bridge. The bridge also has seen some erosion to the bottom of it due to the high water, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the next bridge to be taken down in the wilderness area. It was built in 1964, and has seen lots of Mother Nature…
There also is a 100 foot section of the Thoreau Falls Trail that has been washed away (it is now a 20 foot cliff). It is about at the ½ way point (2.5 miles from the North or South, near the Jumping Brook intersection). It is an easy bushwhack around it heading uphill, but heading downhill and trying to skirt the North Fork looks sketchy. This section will have to be relocated by the FS.
And on a final note, the infamous hornet’s nest is still alive and well. I got too close and was stung 4 times. It is approx 200 feet South of the “Entering a Wilderness Protection Area” sign, which is ¼ mile South of Thoreau Falls. Heading South, it is easy to find, but heading North it’s much harder due to the lack of landmarks, and you just might find yourself right under it before you even realize it…
That was the good news, the bad news is the stairs leading up to the footbridge have been damaged. You can still get up them, but they are at a 90 degree angle from the bridge. The bridge also has seen some erosion to the bottom of it due to the high water, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the next bridge to be taken down in the wilderness area. It was built in 1964, and has seen lots of Mother Nature…
There also is a 100 foot section of the Thoreau Falls Trail that has been washed away (it is now a 20 foot cliff). It is about at the ½ way point (2.5 miles from the North or South, near the Jumping Brook intersection). It is an easy bushwhack around it heading uphill, but heading downhill and trying to skirt the North Fork looks sketchy. This section will have to be relocated by the FS.
And on a final note, the infamous hornet’s nest is still alive and well. I got too close and was stung 4 times. It is approx 200 feet South of the “Entering a Wilderness Protection Area” sign, which is ¼ mile South of Thoreau Falls. Heading South, it is easy to find, but heading North it’s much harder due to the lack of landmarks, and you just might find yourself right under it before you even realize it…
