Ed'n Lauky
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- Feb 15, 2007
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Did the loop up Piper, Weetamoo, Hamond and Liberty and down Piper.
The crossing of the Chocorua river on the Weetamoo trail was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. There was a good flow of water but I decided to attempt the crossing at the normal place. About 3/4 of the way across I suddenly realized I had a problem. Standing on the wet rounded nob of an inverted cone of a rock there was no place to conveniently step forward and returning looked even more difficult. I finally decided to fall forward to a large rock and with the momentum I would take a small jump to a rock and quickly to another and I would be on the bank, or I would be in the stream. I did it, I made it when suddenly I felt a tug from behind, Lauky had decided not to come and he pulled me back into the stream.
Oh well only one wet foot, on we go. I would recommend walking up stream a ways before crossing. I saw some places that looked like good crossing spots as I continued up the trail.
Weetamoo was in good shape lower down but there were an increasing number of blowdowns as we went up. Most of them fairly easily passed and not too large. Once on Hammond things changed. There were stretches where there were trees down everywhere. It looked like a war zone. You'd get a bit of break then it would start again. The closer you get to Liberty, the worse it gets. Sometimes you would go over, some times around, some times right through--it was like going through a cave. At one point the only way through was a belly wiggle under the tree. It will take an enormous amount of work to clean all that up.
From the intersection with Liberty it cleared up. There were very few blowdowns after that.
There was some snow on the trail before the cabin but it was easily passed.
From the cabin up the trail was mostly clear of snow and while there was some water here and there on the rock ledges that also was easily bypassed.
It was a beautiful day at the top with great views of the fresh snow on Washington.
Piper on the way down had snow on the trail from the time you entered the woods down to about 3000' when it abruptly stopped. The snow is not deep, rather it is hard packed and slippery but not so much that traction is needed.
On the way down I was impressed by how well the Piper trail was constructed and how well kept up it was. It has been beautifully maintained. Back in the parking lot I met Chris from VFTT who maintains the trail. He said he spent 90 hours maintaining the trail last year and it shows. He has done a great job and was out working today.
He told me work will begin on Hammond tomorrow.
4.6 miles up 4.1 down Elevation gain about 2800'
The crossing of the Chocorua river on the Weetamoo trail was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. There was a good flow of water but I decided to attempt the crossing at the normal place. About 3/4 of the way across I suddenly realized I had a problem. Standing on the wet rounded nob of an inverted cone of a rock there was no place to conveniently step forward and returning looked even more difficult. I finally decided to fall forward to a large rock and with the momentum I would take a small jump to a rock and quickly to another and I would be on the bank, or I would be in the stream. I did it, I made it when suddenly I felt a tug from behind, Lauky had decided not to come and he pulled me back into the stream.
Oh well only one wet foot, on we go. I would recommend walking up stream a ways before crossing. I saw some places that looked like good crossing spots as I continued up the trail.Weetamoo was in good shape lower down but there were an increasing number of blowdowns as we went up. Most of them fairly easily passed and not too large. Once on Hammond things changed. There were stretches where there were trees down everywhere. It looked like a war zone.
You'd get a bit of break then it would start again. The closer you get to Liberty, the worse it gets. Sometimes you would go over, some times around, some times right through--it was like going through a cave. At one point the only way through was a belly wiggle under the tree. It will take an enormous amount of work to clean all that up.From the intersection with Liberty it cleared up. There were very few blowdowns after that.
There was some snow on the trail before the cabin but it was easily passed.
From the cabin up the trail was mostly clear of snow and while there was some water here and there on the rock ledges that also was easily bypassed.
It was a beautiful day at the top with great views of the fresh snow on Washington.
Piper on the way down had snow on the trail from the time you entered the woods down to about 3000' when it abruptly stopped. The snow is not deep, rather it is hard packed and slippery but not so much that traction is needed.
On the way down I was impressed by how well the Piper trail was constructed and how well kept up it was. It has been beautifully maintained. Back in the parking lot I met Chris from VFTT who maintains the trail. He said he spent 90 hours maintaining the trail last year and it shows.
He has done a great job and was out working today.He told me work will begin on Hammond tomorrow.
4.6 miles up 4.1 down Elevation gain about 2800'
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