York Pond Road Gate being Locked!

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skiguy

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After communicating with a Gentleman whom is a hiker and lives on York Pond Road he informed me that the gate before the fish hatchery is now being locked at 4PM. There has been a logging operation going on and the road itself was closed and has now reopened. According to the same source since the reopening there has been an after hours party crowd using the area thence the lockdown.
 
We used to be able to lift the gate end off the hinges to access the parking. We were told by hatchery personnel to do it that way.
 
At one point a resident on the road near the gate had a key to the lock. This was quite sometime ago. Guess it might be time for a bike.
 
This opens up a issue that was not as much of one in the past. The trails from York Pond used to be rarely used, the FS was actually planning to close York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail and possibly Unknown Pond and Mill Brook trail at one point when the Kilkenny Ridge trail was opened. Both York Pond and Bunnell Notch stopped being maintained. This was to be done to make the KRT into multiday backpacking trip. About the same time the Mt Cabot trail became an issue that eventually culminated in its being abandoned. Therefore the trail network from York Pond now became more important and the trails were upgraded. Bunnell Notch trail got a major relocation. One of the goals of the cutting last winter was to clear up the lower Unknown Pond trail and build a new hiker parking lot.

So now that the FS has spent time and money to turn the York Pond side of the Kilkenny's into a hiking center, the state operating on leased federal land is going to limit access?. I expect in the short term the fed will let the state keep the gate closed but expect there could be a long term issue if its kept closed.

There still of course is the Mill Brook access from the north and the unsigned and not currently maintained, but frequently used Mt Cabot trail from the west that are legal accesses that skip the gate.
 
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This opens up a issue that was not as much of one in the past. The trails from York Pond used to be rarely used, the FS was actually planning to close York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail and possibly Unknown Pond and Mill Brook trail at one point when the Kilkenny Ridge trail was opened. Both York Pond and Bunnell Notch stopped being maintained. This was to be done to make the KRT into multiday backpacking trip. About the same time the Mt Cabot trail became an issue that eventually culminated in its being abandoned. Therefore the trail network from York Pond now became more important and the trails were upgraded. Bunnell Notch trail got a major relocation. One of the goals of the cutting last winter was to clear up the lower Unknown Pond trail and build a new hiker parking lot.

So now that the FS has spent time and money to turn the York Pond side of the Kilkenny's into a hiking center, the state operating on leased federal land is going to limit access?. I expect in the short term the fed will let the state keep the gate closed but expect there could be a long term issue if its kept closed.

There still of course is the Mill Brook access from the north and the unsigned and not currently maintained, but frequently used Mt Cabot trail from the west that are legal accesses that skip the gate.

Now that Roger's Ledge has been added to the 52 w/a View, there is bound to be more interest.
 
Now that Roger's Ledge has been added to the 52 w/a View, there is bound to be more interest.

I'm not convinced that it will. It's already a NH200 highest, so surely it receives hordes of people already. Will it's status as a 52WAV really create a noticeable increase?

;)
 
I'm not convinced that it will. It's already a NH200 highest, so surely it receives hordes of people already. Will it's status as a 52WAV really create a noticeable increase?

;)

I see the wink but will offer that I am more likely to go there now than I was before... I'm was thinking about doing a big loop to get Cabot, The Horn, The Bulge and Roger's Ledge, which might take longer than the gate being open would allow for... I guess it remains to be seen if they will really lock cars in, or if they will close it but not lock it. I know for certain I went there early on a Thursday in November and it was physically locked, and there were cars at Unknown Pond's TH having spent the night at the Unknown Pond camp site.

Tim
 
I see the wink but will offer that I am more likely to go there now than I was before... I'm was thinking about doing a big loop to get Cabot, The Horn, The Bulge and Roger's Ledge, which might take longer than the gate being open would allow for... I guess it remains to be seen if they will really lock cars in, or if they will close it but not lock it. I know for certain I went there early on a Thursday in November and it was physically locked, and there were cars at Unknown Pond's TH having spent the night at the Unknown Pond camp site.

Tim

It's been awhile since I've been York Pond Road. Is their ample room to park on the side of the road before the gate and is it legal. Seems like the loop your describing could manifest your screen name. Bike....Hike ….Fish!
 
It's been awhile since I've been York Pond Road. Is their ample room to park on the side of the road before the gate and is it legal. Seems like the loop your describing could manifest your screen name. Bike....Hike ….Fish!

That was not lost on me ;) I think there are enough spots to pull off, especially if I'm gonna ride it anyway... Not sure whether the gate technically means the road is closed and I cannot use a bicycle...

Tim
 
That was not lost on me ;) I think there are enough spots to pull off, especially if I'm gonna ride it anyway... Not sure whether the gate technically means the road is closed and I cannot use a bicycle...

Tim
I let the AMC rule technicians decipher that.
 
I've only been up in that area twice. Once to do the standard Cabot, Bulge, Horn loop and a few years later to do the loop over Terrace. If I go back, it will be to return to The Horn from the north via Mill Brook Rd or to hike in to Roger's Ledge from the north on the KRT. Therefore no reason for me to worry about the gate being locked. ;)I think I decided to pass on the long traverse of the Weeks after reading an uninspiring TR that might have been written by Salty.
 
You are missing out on a usually quiet nice traverse. Its a PITA for a car spot but the terrain from just north of Waumbek over to South Weeks is quite rare for the whites. Its a fairly broad ridge with thinly dispersed softwood cover unlike any other area in the whites. The views are open on occasion. I must admit the traverse is far less interesting once heading into the woods off the South Weeks summit. The summit of North Weeks is also somewhat open softwoods. I cant say the same for the Terraces which is similar to many north country traverses.
 
You are missing out on a usually quiet nice traverse. Its a PITA for a car spot but the terrain from just north of Waumbek over to South Weeks is quite rare for the whites. Its a fairly broad ridge with thinly dispersed softwood cover unlike any other area in the whites. The views are open on occasion. I must admit the traverse is far less interesting once heading into the woods off the South Weeks summit. The summit of North Weeks is also somewhat open softwoods. I cant say the same for the Terraces which is similar to many north country traverses.
I would concur with this. I really like the Weeks. As mentioned quite unique.
 
You are missing out on a usually quiet nice traverse. Its a PITA for a car spot but the terrain from just north of Waumbek over to South Weeks is quite rare for the whites. Its a fairly broad ridge with thinly dispersed softwood cover unlike any other area in the whites. The views are open on occasion. I must admit the traverse is far less interesting once heading into the woods off the South Weeks summit. The summit of North Weeks is also somewhat open softwoods. I cant say the same for the Terraces which is similar to many north country traverses.

Thanks for giving me a reason to put some version of this hike back into consideration. Logistical problems still make the full traverse unlikely since a car spot is mandatory and I'd be on my own since my buddy won't bite on 3 viewless peaks. Looks like the full traverse is about 14.5 miles with 3700-3900 feet of elevation gain depending on direction. That's a long, hard day for me but I can still do that, I just can't do it alone. The more likely scenario is an out and back to South Weeks from the south, thus passing through the area you describe. I have that as just over 12 miles and 3400 feet. And I wouldn't mind passing through that section between Starr King and Waumbek again. That it is a pretty mile long ridge walk. North Weeks, the highest peak in NH that I haven't climbed, looks relatively easy as an out and back via York Pond Trail and the KRT. Just 7.6 miles and 2300 feet. That's certainly possible although I found the lower part of York Pond Trail to be pretty overgrown when I did Terrace and did not enjoy that passage. I have no shortage of candidates for the 4 or 5 hikes I usually cram in to my week in the Whites. Right now I'm just hoping I get to NH to do any hikes. It would break a run of 25 straight years if I'm not able to make it. I've already canceled a trip to Mass next week due to C-19.
 
hike in to Roger's Ledge from the north on the KRT. Therefore no reason for me to worry about the gate being locked. ;)

Don't discount the Mill Brook Trail from the hatchery. It's probably my favorite trail that isn't in a Wilderness area in the Whites.
 
Don't discount the Mill Brook Trail from the hatchery. It's probably my favorite trail that isn't in a Wilderness area in the Whites.


Sssshhhhhhh.....

j/k

It's the sad reality of a hidden gem, eventually it loses that moniker. I have family nearby there, and at one point I would do the Mill Brook up to Roger's a dozen times a year and would go years without seeing anyone the entire time. I always viewed it as my own trail! My dog knew the way and we'd hike it together and I'd never have to say a word to her, she even knew which way to go at the trail intersections.
 
Both Mill Brook, Unknown Pond trail south and the KRT from the Horn east to Rogers ledge ran through large mature white birch glades. The ice storm of 1998 hammered the glades. The result was an understory that went wild and lots of big dead birches. It opened up the views but in many areas the understory blocked out new regeneration of trees.
 
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