Temporary Closure of Lincoln Woods trail

Lucky Laura said:

I forded the river many years ago from the campground 3 miles down the East side trail over to the bridge - at the time, it was no problem. ... Does anyone think this would be a problem with typical August water levels?

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I have also done that ford in the past, at one time the FS had arranged some large rocks to make this easy but I heard a rumor they were disturbed by Irene so the crossing may be harder than it was in the past.

They should have no trouble at _typical_ August levels but this has been a wet year and the ground is pretty well saturated, so I'll bet that unless we get no rain for a couple weeks the crossing will be well above typical August levels. The advice to watch the gauge readings (and project based on recent rain) is good.

Wrote to the Forest Service about this - first is my note (yeah I can be very direct) followed by the reply :

Seriously - your going to close the most utilized trail in Whites? Ruin vacation plans for hundreds if not thousands that visit just to take the kids out to Franconia Falls?

You know that people will bushwhack around it, creating many trails and impacting the forest, or will attempt to cross the river and get hurt. Why not cut a small temp trail proactively.

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Thank you for your comments. All of the trails on the White Mountain National Forest require regular maintenance so that they can continue to be enjoyed by the many visitors you reference in your message. The vast majority of the time this maintenance work can be done while the trails are open to the public because the hazards are minimal and easily mitigated. There are other times where such is not the case and the trails must be closed to prevent the public from being exposed to unreasonable hazards. Sometimes this is due to the terrain such as when reconstruction work is performed in steep areas like ravines. Over the past decade we've had to temporarily close other high use trails like the Tuckerman Ravine Trail (one of the most popular trails in the Northeast) when it was necessary to move the large rocks that form the stairs, soil retainers and water
diversion structures that have allowed the high use trail to exist for more than 100 years. It would not be safe to do this work with visitors in the area and if left undone the trail would fall into full disrepair and need to be abandoned. A portion of the work on the Lincoln Woods Trail requires the use of heavy equipment such as dump trucks, bulldozers and tractors. Just as the public would not be allowed access to a roadside construction site because of the associated hazards we cannot allow the public access to this area without putting them at significant risk.

It is always our policy to minimize the impact of closures on the experiences of Forest visitors and this is being considered for the Lincoln Woods Trail. The trail is popular year-round with a wide range of visitors so there is no "good time" to complete the extensive work needed. The recent press release concerning the closure did not include dates because it will not be instituted until necessary and when implemented we want to minimize the impacts to the greatest extent possible while still providing a reasonable margin of safety for visitors.

To that degree we have discussed having the closure lifted for weekends if the work site is not active. We also hope to mark a reasonable trail that skirts the site's edge once some of the materials have been moved. We cannot guarantee that this will be possible until we have the contract awarded for the heavy equipment work and the materials delivered to the site. The terrain is such that to avoid the entire work area it would be necessary to construct a temporary trail close to a mile long. Doing this would take almost as long as we'll take to repair the existing trail. While the site is closed we will provide suggestions for other recreation opportunities in the area (short trails, waterfalls, access to the Pemi Wilderness, etc.) but we will not encourage anyone to ford the river or travel off trail. If they choose to do so it is of their own volition and I believe the associated impacts are not likely to exceed the negative impacts that would occur if the work on the trail did not happen.

Thanks again for your inquiry and please check back with our office for the latest closure information if you're planning to visit the area.

Justin J. Preisendorfer
Dispersed Recreation, Wilderness, Special Uses
White Mountain National Forest
Pemigewasset Ranger District
71 White Mountain Drive
Campton, NH 03223

Seriously, if the old suspension bridge were actually maintained rather than destroyed by the Forest Service, there would be safer/backup options!!!

I would not hesitate in a heartbeat to "bushwhack" around the area as would most others. I've crossed the river 3 miles up from the Ranger Station (near the Wilderness boundary) and do NOT consider it a viable/safe option for most ordinary people including myself.

Becca M said:

Seriously, if the old suspension bridge were actually maintained rather than destroyed by the Forest Service, there would be safer/backup options!!!

I would not hesitate in a heartbeat to "bushwhack" around the area as would most others. I've crossed the river 3 miles up from the Ranger Station (near the Wilderness boundary) and do NOT consider it a viable/safe option for most ordinary people including myself.

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I was just about to pose the question about the BW possibilities, say staying roughly on contour at 1400-1500 feet interval to hit the Osseo Trail. The Lincoln Woods trail will be closed west of the bridge suggesting that one can cross to the west side of the river. Hardwood forest. 1.4 mile section. Trail is closed but my assumption is that the forest is not. Might be a fun start to Franconia Ridge. Not so much for a Pemi loop I imagine.

Edit: from the response to B+G to highlight: "but we will not encourage anyone to ford the river or travel off trail. If they choose to do so it is of their own volition"

The easiest "bushwhack" option when there are no workers on-site will be to pull down the flagging and gingerly ease on by, which is what most people will do... the other option is go back to the Kanc Highway, cross that highway bridge, and go into the woods around the site, check when past site, and then cut in. Maybe you have to go up on the ridge a little but should be no problem.

RoySwkr said:

I have also done that ford in the past, at one time the FS had arranged some large rocks to make this easy but I heard a rumor they were disturbed by Irene so the crossing may be harder than it was in the past.

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I was there June 16-17 last summer and took some pics - Irene tore a pretty good swath through there. I camped overnight at Franconia Brook and wanted to ford to go check out Franconia Falls and maybe Black Pond, but I found the river daunting to cross barefoot. Didn't have crocs or the like and didn't want to wet the shoes. I did see some hikers make the ford while I was there. Anyhow, here are some pics I took of the area from the south part of the riverbed. The water was fairly low then but still a significant ford, first looking northeasterly, upstream, then working downstream, left to right:









Also, Panoramio does a nice "Look Around" stitch-together of adjacent photos and puts them in Google Earth. Here's a link to the one for the above and neighboring photos, some of which show some Irene damage (these and other photos can also be found in G.E. at the place where they were taken): http://www.panoramio.com/lookaround/74054946

Here's a photo of the main washout area on the LW trail, looking upstream, from December 9, when Sunshine Chris and I passed it en route to Flume and back:





And here's a link to the Pano "Look Around" of the area:

http://www.panoramio.com/lookaround/83270423

Well hmmmm - I have pretty firm plans to do this hike: http://caltopo.com/map?id=7L4M with four friends from Aug 8-11 - I guess it depends when "early/mid" means! When they say that the east side trail will be open - I guess that means you could hike in on the east side and then ford the river where the osseo trail splits off? And just do the same on the way back down? I don't mind crossing a shallow river or doing a little bushwhack especially in summer - but we've never been to the Whites before... Any suggestions?

The Pemi can be a dangerous river to cross. With all the rain this year, it is running above average -- we weren't tempted to swim in it on Sunday, for example. It forms 1/2 or more of the Merrimack River (the rest being the Winnipesaukee River). I'm not sure you can cross near the Osseo. The crossings being discussed my many are at the Bondcliff Trail Jct., and at the location of the old bridge from the East Side Trail. I have never crossed it myself, although I've read it can be only knee deep above Franconia Brook.

If you are going to do it over 3-4 days, you do not need to start at Lincoln Woods. You can get on/off the loop somewhere else, like Liberty Springs, or Skookumchuck or Gale River...

Tim

Agree with many prior posts about crossing. It is very unsafe in the lower areas of the trail, especially this year with the rain. Not sure how far up the photos by Driver8 were taken but the lower portions of the river were way higher than that when I was there last (and I did both hikes after fairly dry stretches). I've been up this trail a few times for Owl's Head and the Bonds in past month or so and the water was running swift and deep. It didn't look doable to me without considerable risk. If you are going to consider wading across I would try well up the trail near the Bondcliff junction as bikehikeskifish has suggested, and only after several consecutive dry days.

Would also suggest if anyone takes a crack at wading across that they post GPS coordinates for where they did it so others can choose a similar route and increase their chances of a safe crossing.

While I disagree w/the timing of this closure, I choose to respect it. At the end of a daylong Pemi Loop, I can't see the logic in groping around a river crossing or bushwhack in the dark. The reply from FS seems reasonable (they ARE exploring the option of opening the trail on weekends) and checking w/the office in advance would be advisable. Besides, perhaps they won't necessarily be getting started on schedule.

I suspect the FS plan for trail relocation is far more extensive than folks expect. The current hydraulic profile of the river has shifted the channel and resultant water force directly at the banking and even previously it was eroding every year. Eventually another storm event will let loose enough debris that they hopefully collect in this spot and straightens out the channel but just as likely this banking just keeps getting cut back. I expect the trail will be shifted well inland from the river at a higher elevation up slope or possibly on top of the slope. Given the heavy use of the trail I would expect they would try to avoid side hilling the route as they would have to make it quite wide which requires upslope and downslope stabilization.

If they do head upslope I expect it will be a unwelcome last little bump prior to the end of a long hike.

Well, this is certainly useful information to have since I will be in NH for a week in mid-August, looking to hike Bondcliff and/or Owl's Head. Thank you Jeff List for the link to the flow data. If the LW Trail is closed and the flow is reasonable, I think we'll probably take the Pemi East Side Trail out to the Franconia Brook Camp Site and try to cross there. Bushwhacking around the construction site sounds like a good back up plan if the water is still running high.

For those choosing to cross, keep in mind NH has had a considerable number of drownings in rivers this summer due to increased volume and flow rates. The warning may be redundant, but "typical" conditions have not been applicable this year so far. I would be wary of relying too heavily on past years' conditions.

Grey J said:

Bushwhacking around the construction site sounds like a good back up plan if the water is still running high.

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Depending on how the closure notice is written, you could receive a $75 citation for hiking on any part of the closed trail beyond the bridge

bobandgeri said:

Seriously - your going to close the most utilized trail in Whites? Ruin vacation plans for hundreds if not thousands that visit just to take the kids out to Franconia Falls?

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Many years ago when the Wilderness plan first identified the suspension bridge as a non-conforming structure, the suggestion was made that it be moved to the Franconia Falls area outside the Wilderness [not sure how much of the actual structure they thought could be reused]. Of course the EarthFirst ranger just turned an ugly bridge into an ugly pile of junk without bothering to remove it or plan to build the replacement structure.

If this replacement bridge had been built, the closure would have had little effect on hiking destinations just as the existence of the Lion Head Trail made it easy to close the headwall of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail for repairs [of course it's closed about half the year for avalanches anyway]. A crossing at Franconia Falls would also provide an easy hike/bike/ski loop. Perhaps Bob should get this plan revived.

If they relocate the trail to much higher ground and/or make it narrower, it will lose a lot of the attraction for skiing. Of course, without "the bridge", it's already lost some interest with skiers. It's clear to me that the project is much bigger than what is alluded to. Still, the hint about dump trucks, tractors and bulldozers suggests they will shore up the old location, at least somewhat.

Tim

$75 fine - Hah! Bet the signage is more along the lines of what they had up for the Dry River Bridge which I suspect was really more about liability as many many people crossed it.

I'm not very impressed with the bureaucratese response from the Forest Service.

No way can this repair/relocation compare to Tuckerman Ravine for the hazards and possible detours. To use that as a precedent or comparison is absurd.

Anyone remember Sawyer Pond Road washouts? Never lost a beat in access, though it added 4 miles to Carrigain. Somehow hikers managed to safely skirt an unstable gravel bank washout ... preferable to a dangerous stream crossing. Bet people could come up with other practical comparisons.

The timing couldn't be worse. Meanwhile, hikers are diverted to a hazardous crossing as we wait while government design, procurement and construction process grinds itself out.

They might be nice to hikers/walkers and work something out ... notice the hesitation to commit.

Wonder why they can't 1) mark off dangerous washouts and idle construction machinery with sawhorses and yellow tape 2) brush out and flag short bushwhack detours around washouts and active construction (it'll grow back, guaranteed), and 3) post appropriate warnings? They're not working on the whole 1 1/2 mi stretch at once so it might require multiple short term detours.

Are we dealing with Forest Service people strong on political agenda and weak on backwoods sensibilities?

Stan said:

Are we dealing with Forest Service people strong on political agenda and weak on backwoods sensibilities?

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Regardless of your thoughts on the timing of this issue, I can assure you that Justin P. is not "weak on backwoods sensibilities"

I really don't see what the big deal is, we have over 1400 miles of trails in the Whites.

I am keeping my plans to do a Pemi Loop hike during the 2nd week of August. I will pass by the reconstruction site at around 5:00am and return through the area sometime in early evening and I do not expect any one to be around when I do so. I will leave no trace and I expect to be able to pass through safely. With no heavy equipment running, the risk is nil and certainly less than doing the loop itself.

The decision memo with some project details is posted here:
http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/1155...i.com/11558/www/nepa/89542_FSPLT3_1447462.pdf

The letter reads in part:

Add gravel to the surface of the trail to restore gravel washed away during Tropical
Storm Irene and to cover and protect historic railroad ties in the trail bed. Gravel will be
added to approximately one mile of trail from the junction with the suspension bridge to
the vicinity of the south side of the slump.

Reroute approximately 500 feet of trail away from the river where high water eroded the
bank and caused the trail to slump into the river. The reroute will involve creating a
bench using fill with a constructed rock sidewall. The fill and rock will be trucked in on
the trail and staged at a turnout created using fill on the west side of the trail as close as
possible to the project site. Also, a more permanent split rail fence will be constructed
around the slump diverting foot traffic onto the rerouted section.

Repair a failing stone culvert located approximately 1,100 feet beyond the area of the
slump. Create a shallow relief channel across the trail on the south side of the stone
culvert to provide additional flood capacity for the area.

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