Hale via Fire Warden's Trail, 1/19/2012

peakbaggers..

I heard it's mostly peakbaggers that maintain that trail
not very good skiing anyways, to low-angle

The coordinates for the start of the FW trail were very helpful. My husband Fran and I did this hike on Sunday. One of my favorite winters hikes so far! Beautiful, fast, easy and fun! I am going to take my friend up there via this route next month! Thanks again for all the info.
Karen

I'm still hoping to hike this trail. Any slower pokes want to try it with me?

Any good estimates on the distance from Seven Dwarfs to the summit traveling that route? Thinking about a seven or eight mile loop hike at some point. Thanks!

Roughly 4½ miles each way.

Dave Bear said:

Any good estimates on the distance from Seven Dwarfs to the summit traveling that route? Thinking about a seven or eight mile loop hike at some point. Thanks!

Click to expand...

My GPS said it was 8.7 miles round trip.

erugs said:

I'm still hoping to hike this trail. Any slower pokes want to try it with me?

Click to expand...

First off thanks Earl very helpfull, except for the GPS stuff, I wouldnt know a GPS if one fell out of the sky and hit me square in the head.

erugs I'd be very interested in company on this hike, let me know when its good for you. I will say this Im climbing wednesday and then Im dedicated to work and poker ( the same thing) until Sunday. Im open mon, tues , wed.
P.S. I am not fast going up, do like quick descents but dont care much about the pace to be honest.

Big Solo Loop January 2009

I did this as a big loop in January two years ago trying to meet up with a group from here that was supposed to be doing Hale via the FWT. Went in Hale Brook Trail, out the Fire Wardens Trail and a nighttime hitch back to my truck parked at the winter Zealand parking lot. Combination snowshoe and ski jaunt. FWT was not broken out or tracked. Not a bad outing for the year I turned 70.

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27355

Cymbidium said:

The coordinates for the start of the FW trail were very helpful. My husband Fran and I did this hike on Sunday. One of my favorite winters hikes so far! Beautiful, fast, easy and fun! I am going to take my friend up there via this route next month! Thanks again for all the info.
Karen

Click to expand...

Hey Karen,

I'm glad you enjoyed the hike. It is really a pleasant trip to the summit. Just avoiding the sideslope section in winter through the birches on Hale Brook Trail is enough, but there's a lot more.

Hopefully it continues to get plenty of traffic so others will have an easy time locating and enjoying the route.

sierra said:

First off thanks Earl very helpfull, except for the GPS stuff, I wouldnt know a GPS if one fell out of the sky and hit me square in the head.
.........

Click to expand...

Sierra,

I am happy with a map, compass, and altimeter. Some day I may have a GPS but for now I'll get by with the tools I have.

This may provide a little extra help....

There is a place between the first and second crossing where the herd path makes a sharp right. At that location, almost straight ahead and slightly to the left is what appears to be an old skidder road. For the longest time I thought the Fire Warden’s Trail followed that road. In fact, it does, but in the opposite direction. At that point, if you look back over your left shoulder you’ll see the skidder road climbs the slope and swings around away from Little River.

That’s the old Fire Warden’s Trail.

Enjoy the hike!