1HappyHiker
Well-known member
This was a 5.4 mile (round-trip) XC-ski along Tunnel Brook Road. My sole destination was the trailhead for the Benton Trail. Primarily, this was for the pure pleasure of gliding on my skis through a remote corridor in the WMNF. Secondarily, I wanted to get a feel for conditions along the route with the thought of using this corridor in the future to reach other destinations.
This trek began on Tunnel Brook Road at a plowed parking area located about 0.2 mile from Rt. 112 at the boundary for the WMNF. There's room for about 4 cars.
After about a mile, you reach the junction of Tunnel Brook Rd & Tunnel Stream Rd. Here, there's a sign regarding the damage that Tropical Storm Irene caused to this road in August 2011. Just beyond this sign, the evidence of damage to this road is very apparent. Even a covering a pure white snow doesn't hide the clear signs of erosion, and the culverts that were ripped out of place. There are some easy workarounds at some of the more severely damaged spots.
On the bright side, there are long stretches of Tunnel Brook Road that are undamaged and provide for some great skiing. When I reached the trailhead for the Benton Trail, it was interesting to see that the trail registry was still in place, and that hikers are still signing in. And even more interesting is that there is an entry for February 2nd of this year!
From the trailhead, I skied the short distance to the point where the Benton Trail crosses Tunnel Brook. It looks like the brook crossing MIGHT be ice-bridged. However, I was not going to be the one to test it!
My BLOG has some photos.
This trek began on Tunnel Brook Road at a plowed parking area located about 0.2 mile from Rt. 112 at the boundary for the WMNF. There's room for about 4 cars.
After about a mile, you reach the junction of Tunnel Brook Rd & Tunnel Stream Rd. Here, there's a sign regarding the damage that Tropical Storm Irene caused to this road in August 2011. Just beyond this sign, the evidence of damage to this road is very apparent. Even a covering a pure white snow doesn't hide the clear signs of erosion, and the culverts that were ripped out of place. There are some easy workarounds at some of the more severely damaged spots.
On the bright side, there are long stretches of Tunnel Brook Road that are undamaged and provide for some great skiing. When I reached the trailhead for the Benton Trail, it was interesting to see that the trail registry was still in place, and that hikers are still signing in. And even more interesting is that there is an entry for February 2nd of this year!
From the trailhead, I skied the short distance to the point where the Benton Trail crosses Tunnel Brook. It looks like the brook crossing MIGHT be ice-bridged. However, I was not going to be the one to test it!
My BLOG has some photos.
