Meaning of Tote Road

Tote = Logging? Stagecoach?

Most of the ski trails at Sugarloaf are named after logging terms, so I think you got the right idea. Sugarloaf has a trail called Tote Road....here's their definition :

Tote Road-

The road going into the woods to a logging camp along which supplies are hauled (toted) from outside

tote roads

I think Sugarloafer has got it. But I have two informal definitions of "tote road":

1. a road that exists only in local legend or detailed hikers' directions. Examples a. "Just follow the old tote road left from the lumbah stah." b. "After driving for 2.3 miles, come to a prominent intersection. Follow the main tote road leading left. A right turn after another 1.7 miles brings you to the trailhead."

2. a road that doesn't go where logic, common sense, or initial direction indicate it ought to go. Example "Hey, this tote road looks like it follows our compass azimuth! It should take us directly to the ridge, and save miles of bushwhacking..."

Sugarloafer said:

....Tote Road-
The road going into the woods to a logging camp along which supplies are hauled (toted) from outside

Click to expand...

Ditto, In North-central PA, during logging operations in the 19th century, logs were skidded down to the junctures of the Shay Line (Narrow Gauge) Railroads that were quickly and temporarily built up the mountains to take the logs down to the rivers.
The tote roads were used for supplies - food, water, tools, shelter equipment and getting the loggers into (and out of) towns on Saturday nights each month to blow there earnings.

When I got back into backpacking, it was on trails in North-central and North west PA - most of the trail-guides mention trails following old logging or tote roads and I used to confuse the terms or use them interchangeably, but after several trips to the Logging museum in North-Central PA and hearing some lectures about logging here (as well as the 'daks) it made better sense to me.

If anyone ever finds themselves near north-central PA, in addition to fine hiking, Mtn Bike riding and backpacking , there is also the logging museum on Rte 6 in Galeton.

Thanx to all.

I think that Cushetunk's #2 response has a little bit of real-life trailless peak-finding experience injected into it...

Rick said:

Ditto, In North-central PA, during logging operations in the 19th century, logs were skidded down to the junctures of the Shay Line (Narrow Gauge) Railroads that were quickly and temporarily built up the mountains to take the logs down to the rivers.
The tote roads were used for supplies - food, water, tools, shelter equipment and getting the loggers into (and out of) towns on Saturday nights each month to blow there earnings.

When I got back into backpacking, it was on trails in North-central and North west PA - most of the trail-guides mention trails following old logging or tote roads and I used to confuse the terms or use them interchangeably, but after several trips to the Logging museum in North-Central PA and hearing some lectures about logging here (as well as the 'daks) it made better sense to me.

If anyone ever finds themselves near north-central PA, in addition to fine hiking, Mtn Bike riding and backpacking , there is also the logging museum on Rte 6 in Galeton.

Click to expand...

so, a "logging road" refers to more modern logging operations in which logs are taken out via the road on a large truck.

"Tote road" refers to roads built and used by the loggers themselves during times when logs were removed via waterways or railraods.

Do I have it right?

sleeping bear said:

Do I have it right?

Click to expand...

What about modern day loggers who use draft horses? (Unusual but not unheard of for some small woodlots.) Are their roads "tote roads" or "logging roads" or neither?

Stay tuned next week when we add "skiddah trails" to the mix!

In all seriousness, though, one thing that I like about hiking in certain areas of Maine is that you have encounters with forestry. You see bad forestry, and you see good forestry, but you can't escape being reminded that we depend on the land for more than just hiking trails.

sleeping bear said:

so, a "logging road" refers to more modern logging operations in which logs are taken out via the road on a large truck.

"Tote road" refers to roads built and used by the loggers themselves during times when logs were removed via waterways or railroads.

Do I have it right?

Click to expand...

Sleeping bear, (Nice Avatar)
I think so....
My understanding is that the tote roads were better developed "back in the day" whereas most logs were skidded down to an access point via other routes, by either horse, mule or system of cables & pulleys and drums. Most logging was done in PA during winter by mostly Farmers looking for additional income - From the access points logs were loaded onto trains and then taken down the mountains to rivers & larger creeks that were damned up, to wait for the spring thaw.

I kinda understood it that once Logging became more mechanized, and machinery and power equipment replaced manpower, there wasn't a need for lumber camps, and therefore tote roads. What replaced everything were the logging roads. - If anybody can add anything, that would be great. I think there are a few loggers/logging historians on the board.

What I found interesting is that many European immigrants worked on the rails. While the loggers were cutting timber, the rail workers were busy removing the tracks off one denuded mountain and putting up a rail-line to the current mountain - They'd both finish about the same time, load the logs bring them down and then move to another mountain.

Anyone interested in the ways of old logging days in the Adirondacks should get a copy of the video Lumberjack Skypilot. It's a local (Watertown NY) PBS production with lots of old video. It has been demo playing continuously in the book section of the Old Forge Hardware Store for a couple of years.