Mahoosuc area loop - Day hike or short backpack ideas?

I am having a craving to return to the Mahoosuc range. What shall I do? Sounds like some options aren't available post-Irene due to Success Pond Road being partially kaput.

Criteria:

- would prefer a loop, since I doubt I'll have car spot or pickups available.

- doing Mahoosuc Notch again would be fun but I'd be just as happy to be up on open summits

- would love to include Goose Eye peak if possible

- would like to avoid going up Old Speck if possible

- no insanely huge miles please

- a day hike would be great, but if there's a sweet one or two night backpack I should do, talk to me!

Haven't seen too many post-storm trail conditions reports from this area either so any updated info would be a huge help. Looking forward to hearing recommendations. Thanks in advance for all the expertise!

The Unstrung Harp said:

I am having a craving to return to the Mahoosuc range. What shall I do? Sounds like some options aren't available post-Irene due to Success Pond Road being partially kaput.

Criteria:

- would prefer a loop, since I doubt I'll have car spot or pickups available.

- doing Mahoosuc Notch again would be fun but I'd be just as happy to be up on open summits

- would love to include Goose Eye peak if possible

- would like to avoid going up Old Speck if possible

- no insanely huge miles please

- a day hike would be great, but if there's a sweet one or two night backpack I should do, talk to me!

Haven't seen too many post-storm trail conditions reports from this area either so any updated info would be a huge help. Looking forward to hearing recommendations. Thanks in advance for all the expertise!

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If you put it off until next year, you can join us and not need to do a loop. We are going to start from RT 2 and hike out the dirt road near Speck Pond.

Backpack the Grafton Loop.

Say you started at the south end. You begin with a short road walk south on 26 then head west into the woods. The west side is gorgeous. The campsites on that side are really nice, and the summit of Sunday River Whitecap is spectacular. You do go over Old Speck, but the approach from the GL is gradual and beautiful woods.

Then descend to 26. The east side starts out with the Baldpates, again super awesome. Now pick one of many campsite options. These are further down, further into the woods, a little drearier but still decent. Final day continue south over Long and up over Puzzle then back down to your car.

Thanks, I would love to return next year as well.

Not sure I can wait that long this time though -- I have spent an embarrassing amount of time in the past few days on trailjournals.com, imagesearching on Goose Eye, etc.

Hmm, you want Goose Eye? Okay, my information is that the washout on Success Pond Road is at the Speck Pond Trail. That means you can get to the parking lots for Success, Carlo Col, Goose Eye, and Notch. There aren't really loop options without a road walk, though.

Here's one option: Get an early start up the Notch Trail. Get on the AT and head up over Fulling Mill and to Full Goose Shelter. Claim a tent site or space in the shelter. Take a small pack and go out to Goose Eye. All three peaks will take you plenty of time and you'll enjoy the best part of the entire range. Then double back to Full Goose, crash out for the night, and return back down the Notch Trail to your car. Or get a late start one day one and do the out-and-back on day two.

The Unstrung Harp said:

Thanks, I would love to return next year as well.

Not sure I can wait that long this time though -- I have spent an embarrassing amount of time in the past few days on trailjournals.com, imagesearching on Goose Eye, etc.

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I look forward to seeing the trail report. This hike was on the "to do" list for August, but things didn't quite work out.

Hm... just did the Baldpates a couple of weeks ago. Spectacular indeed but going to wait before I do them again.

Haven't heard too many "I loved it!" responses about the other areas of the Grafton Loop Trail. In fact I feel like I hear a lot of folks say it's sort of blah so it hasn't been super high on my list. Did you love it? Would love to hear more opinions.

Definitely do want to do Sunday River Whitecap at some point. What's the best way to day hike it? Or is it best via GLT?

If you can ever swing the car spot doing this hike with someone else, I strongly recommend a day hike going up Notch Trail and down (depending on your pace) Goose Eye Trail, Carlo Col Trail, or best but longest option: all the way to Mt Success then double back to Success Trail and include the side trip to the Overlook.

I'm just sayin' … it does NOT suck up there.

Having not yet actually been on Success Pond Road - please forgive my ignorance - can I get to those trailheads from the Maine side or do I have to go to Berlin?

I was originally thinking of just doing a there&back on the Wright Trail as a day hike up Full Goose, but not if I can't get there! - Preferably from the Maine side. But...if I have to go to Berlin, I'll do it.

What's the distance from the Notch Trail trailhead to Goose Eye summit?

Great pics. I've done the AT from Gorham to Grafton Notch, which is how I initially fell in love with the area. Just looking for the best ways to get back up there for a day or two...

Well, okay, the east half of the Grafton Loop is a bit blah. But the west side is simply excellent hiking and camping. Sunday River Whitecap is accessed (officially) only from the Grafton Loop Trail. There's an old bootleg trail from before the GLT existed, but it's not maintained (AFAIK) in the interest of protecting the unique alpine zone summit. It'd be a wicked long day hike and you'd have to either double back or go over Old Speck (easy from the south on the GLT, it's a gentle approach through beautiful woods) then hitch back down 26.

The Unstrung Harp said:

Having not yet actually been on Success Pond Road - please forgive my ignorance - can I get to those trailheads from the Maine side or do I have to go to Berlin?

I was originally thinking of just doing a there&back on the Wright Trail as a day hike up Full Goose, but not if I can't get there! - Preferably from the Maine side. But...if I have to go to Berlin, I'll do it.

What's the distance from the Notch Trail trailhead to Goose Eye summit?

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Ah, gotcha. Okay, so you know the Mahoosucs. Ain't they awesome?
Sorry I don't know about the road access to the Wright Trail. Hopefully someone will report back some information. My suspicion is that the south branch is probably okay, and the north branch probably a complete mess.

Yes, to access any of the aforementioned trailheads on Success Pond Road, you'll have to approach from the Berlin side, due to the washout by the Speck Pond trailhead. Also, when we were there last, the Maine side of the road was actually gated!

I was on the Bull Branch Road within 1/2 mile of the Wright trail head last weekend (9/4) and it was fine for a 15 yr old Dodge Caravan with bad shocks. The stream came close to washing out the road at the new twin bridges, but they held strong. THIS link describes the Wright trail as closely following the brook for a while. From what I saw last week, the brook swelled to at least 10 feet above its normal stream bed, so the trail may have been impacted.

Thanks Quietman, I hope someone else will chime in if they've been up the Wright Trail in the past week.

(I just found my map a few minutes ago (and it's an NH map so it cuts off the road name, but I believe Wright Trail does not actually start from Success Pond Road as I'd thought...) looks like it starts from a totally different place, along Bull Branch stream as you mention. Glad you spoke up to affirm the correct location of the trailhead.

Michael - awesome is an understatement!

Hm. Has anyone done the Goose Eye - Carlo Col loop? Is it amazing? (Sounds like the trailhead is accessible, yes?) Fun terrain on ascent/descent? I can't recall - is there some sweet above-treeline (or close) stuff on the AT up there or is it further north?

MichaelJ said:

Well, okay, the east half of the Grafton Loop is a bit blah.

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Whaaaaaaaat? Aside from the section with the clearcut, I see nothing blah about either side of the GLT. What's all this negativity about? Lightning Ledges and Puzzle Mountain for views, Long Mountain for some gorgeous mossy woods, and a really pretty walk along the streams and rivers between Long Mountain and Lightning Ledges... what's not to like about that?

Oh, just the stretch from Lightning Ledge to Puzzle can be a bit of a slog if you plan your first day to be 12 miles with packs full of 5 days of food & supplies.

Seriously, though, I found the west side very invigorating, really great woods, while the east side seemed dreary.

Yes, the Wright Trail begins near Sunday River ski area. Up the access road, right like you're going to the Jordan Grand, pass the covered bridge (part of the XC system), then the road to the Jordan forks left and you go right. Follow the river up, then if I recall correctly you turn right onto Bull Branch Road just after you go over a bridge.

You'll know you're in the Wright (hah!) place if on the drive in you pass a small parking area with outhouse on the left, which exists to support the popular swimming spot in the river on your right. The trailhead (wide spot, parking, well-marked) is on the left not far past here.

As for Goose Eye - Carlo, you will get some but not the best of the above-treeline stuff. The Goose Eye Trail tops out at the tallest, and southernmost on the trail, of the three Goose Eye peaks, and of course that's wide open and awesome. From there you descend vertically ("the" ladder) but the open terrain is somewhat limited going south towards Carlo, you're in and out of trees. The most spectacular open terrain is to the north, between the Goose Eye peaks and between Goose Eye and Fulling Mill.

I'm tempted to suggest out-and-back from the Goose Eye Trail, and when you top out, just go north on the AT over the Goose Eyes, and double back when you feel like it.

Up Notch trail to AT south to Goose Eye and down Goose Eye Trail with a road walk is a nice loop. Even better is to go all the way to Mt Success then double back and head down the Success Pond Tr -- requires a bike spot or car spot.

I would avoid the Carlo Col Trail, unless you enjoy miles of clearcutting :-(

PS both day hikes -- we did the latter in just under 10 hours at a moderate pace.

MichaelJ said:

Oh, just the stretch from Lightning Ledge to Puzzle can be a bit of a slog if you plan your first day to be 12 miles with packs full of 5 days of food & supplies.

Seriously, though, I found the west side very invigorating, really great woods, while the east side seemed dreary.

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I feel as if we've had this discussion before, maybe a few years ago...