Will the Dry River Trail be opened.

hikerbrian said:

How much worse could it be than any other gnarly bushwhack partially following an active drainage?

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That was my general feeling - until I suddenly encountered an undercut bank (on another Irene-damaged trail). It would have been very easy to take a ten foot tumble into the rocky stream bed below. The existing trail led right to the edge, yet the drop wasn't visible until I was right on top of it. Bushwacking around the edge was also hazardous, because the vertical drop was completely disguised by brush. It was different than any stream-side conditions I've previously encountered in the White's. So I now have some respect and appreciation for the decision to formally close the Dry River Trail.

Live free or die is the state motto. This is Federal land .

Haha, excellent points, both above posts! I guess I'm just getting antsy, it being a year now that that area has been closed. I wish they'd put a sign up to the effect of, entry strongly discouraged, you can and will be charged for a rescue, pass at your own risk, etc. I mean, we don't have an infinite variety of objective hazards in the Whites, I say celebrate the ones we do have!

With the latest SOPA, the future of trails in the Dry River Wilderness is formally up for consideration:

*NEW LISTING* Recreation management
Presidential Range Dry River Wilderness Area Trails Project
Developing Proposal, Est. Scoping Start 07/2013, Decision Expected:02/2014, Implementation: 05/2014
Description: The Presi-Dry Wilderness has sections of the Dry River Trail, Rocky Branch Trail and Isolation Trail that were severely damaged and are currently unpassable. These trail sections need to be repaired, relocated or decommissioned.

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This means that no action will be taken until at least May 2014, and the damaged trails will continue to be closed for the 2013 summer season.

I was in the Dry River area after Irene. Between Dry River Falls and Dry River #3 shelter there were large areas of trail completely gone. There were several places where the hillside had slid to the river leaving leaving loose,unstable slides. I can't imagine a trail rebuild that wouldn't require major re-routes. I'm not sure how that would work with wilderness area regs.

This thread, and the idea of wilderness, made me think of a show I watched last week on Public TV's show "Nature, River of No Return" where Isaac Hancock and his fiance were studying wolves on a year-long trip in Idaho.

He said, "We've had to create wilderness. A place managed to be wild."

True enough, isn't it?

Ultimately I dont see the WMNF keeping the entire area out of bounds forever so they have a choice, repair the trails and reduce the risk to people entering the area or close the trails and let hikers enter at their own risk and let the state bill for rescues. Looks to me like the "stroke of the pen" approach is looking better if the alternative is to do nothing.

Without having seen the Dry River Trail in its current state, I will still speculate that it will not be reopened. The federal budget problems and the extensive damage suggest a very strong likelihood that it is gone. What will be done for/to bushwhackers is an open question IMO.

I haven't been into the Dry River since Irene. A friend of mine has - he accompanied others who were red-lining, and as I recall he said they dropped down around Isolation. He told me it was a horror show and were very glad to make the highway.

sardog1 said:

What will be done for/to bushwhackers is an open question IMO.

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peakbagger said:

Ultimately I dont see the WMNF keeping the entire area out of bounds forever...

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At at recent meeting with the Forest Service (Saco District), I was told that the closure order only applies to the specified trails. The watershed as a whole is still open for public use, such as bushwhacking.

psmart said:

At at recent meeting with the Forest Service (Saco District), I was told that the closure order only applies to the specified trails. The watershed as a whole is still open for public use, such as bushwhacking.

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What does this translate to in practice? The trails and immediate areas are destroyed, right? How close can you bushwhack without being on the closed trails?

Tim

bikehikeskifish said:

What does this translate to in practice? The trails and immediate areas are destroyed, right? How close can you bushwhack without being on the closed trails?

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The official closure is partly a legal issue - it declares the trails to be unsafe and that the USFS is not responsible for their condition or the consequences of any public use. I don't think anyone will care if you set foot on the trail at some point.

psmart said:

The official closure is partly a legal issue - it declares the trails to be unsafe and that the USFS is not responsible for their condition or the consequences of any public use. I don't think anyone will care if you set foot on the trail at some point.

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Not a proposition I care to test:

I did Isolation from a camp in the Dry Rver valley and it's a trip I remember fondly. Personally,I would not ignore the closure and go in there for two reason's. First,that's a steep walled valley with a tough river at it's base, given the potential blowdown's/ river cossings that you might encounter, it would be a difficult, if not a dangerous route. Secondly, if you happen to get in trouble and needed help, they would crucify you for being in here.

Dry River and Rocky Branch trails to be repaired

For details see
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?51039-Status-of-Dry-River-Trail&p=406863#post406863

We have two active threads on this so I'll close this one and point folks to the more recent thread.

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?51039-Status-of-Dry-River-Trail