Time to get rid of the NEHH

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IMO, the original intent of the 48 list and other lists was to get people to spread their impact from a few popular mountains and hikes to more locations. When I was in high school in the seventies all the hikers, I knew all hiked the same routes over and over again. It took a while for the 48 list to get popular and then more lists appeared due to demand. All these lists and new ones are still doing the original intent of spreading out the impact. The 100 highest by the 4K committee was generally represented as a much higher hurdle, and the completion numbers showed early on as the concept of bushwhacking required new skills, although many AMC folks just “followed the leader” on the many AMC group hikes particularly to the “4 pack” (now six pack) along the border in Western Maine. Due to landowner access issues, the AMC encouraged folks to check them off on the Labor Day events. The two times I did the Labor Day events, the group size was in the 30 to 40 range and most were following the leader. I did Dorset and Mendon with an AMC group on a drizzly day and its size was in the 20s, Dorset had a well-defined path and Mendon had the fire road with only about 45 minutes of bushwhacking. When I think back, Elephant, Vose Spur, PATN, Scar Ridge and Middle Abraham (no longer on the list) were the only true significant bushwhacks. Reddington started out as bushwhack but 1/3 of the way in became a herd path when we hit the ATV route built to support the wind testing the prior winter. Some may argue about Fort but with a bit of work there was a distinct herd path most of the way. This was prior to the public internet so to most, the only real info was Gene’s routes to the 100 highest and Gene tended to take delight in hyping the difficulty of bushwhacks in many of his public writings.
I do agree that GPS tech has removed a large amount of the skills required especially when it became easy to locate and load tracks. The advantage was it got rid of the temptation to have to go with a large group to avoid map and compass as anyone with a GPS had an “expert in a box” so maybe it did initially disperse large groups? With increasing popularity maybe GPS use saved a few folks from having to spend a night or two out in the woods when navigation went wrong (Gene D was known to on occasion end up on the wrong side of mountains miles from his car on group hikes) The trade off as we all know is the ability to grab tracks has led to serious hardening of the herd paths. I know of more than a few skilled folks who tried to access Scar Ridge peak from Loon a couple of times in the past that were turned back by near impenetrable woods, this was 30 years ago so maybe the combination of a couple of decades of growth along with GPS is to blame for the new herd path. I do know when I did the Little East Pond approach was it was a bushwhack through gnarly woods from the pond to the top and down again.
I do remember doing the Traveler loop about a year after the route became official. When I talked with the ranger about the hike, he told me that he was the one that had blazed it as he was sick of having to go out at night looking for folks that got lost. From a S&R perspective, my guess is they would rather have a herd path and possibly reduce calls about lost hikers and if there is need for carryout, a herd path is better than nothing unless a helicopter with a penetrator is available.
It comes down to that the lists are still doing what they were intended to do which is disperse ever increasing use. The reality is the outdoors has become popular again and a large number of people are able to access the woods so even with dispersed use, herd paths are going to form. There still are the NH 100 highest bushwhacks to satisfy most bushwhack hedonists :rolleyes:(as long as they don’t mind spending a lot of time driving north of RT 2).

Excellent post and agree with all. My SAR team was involved with the PATN nighttime recovery of the person who used to post here and did not know about the herd path. Apparently maneuvering the litter down the steep bushwhack was epic.
 
I agree. The capacity of da Flea hut is 48, so times 4.5 months of full service and 1.0 month of self service yields about 7920 hikers, assuming full capacity, which has not been even close to that the past three years because of the pandemic. Whatever the total, it is probably less than 10% of the number of day hikers doing the loop or an up and down to Lafayette.
With all due respect I appreciate your input, but you are only surmising off the top of your head and also even disclaiming your view it is subjective as is mine is also. As I have mentioned before, much of the AMC's take on the management of what they are doing is dated. I am and have been in touch with many of the younger crowd that has worked at the Huts and most of them agree among themselves that the mindset of the elders within the AMC is antiquated at best. Franconia Ridge is a place that needs a higher level of scrutiny by The Forest Service and The AMC with real numbers to understand what is going on rather than us all thinking hypothetically off the top of our heads. The huts have impact what ever the numbers are and trying to down play those numbers as not being significant is not a hook that I am going to swallow. As I have mentioned before many times in other threads the AMC needs to downscale their huts operation. Again taking the money that they earn with the Huts and then going and spending it elsewhere rather than pouring back into the WMNF is just not right either.
 
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I know of more than a few skilled folks who tried to access Scar Ridge peak from Loon a couple of times in the past that were turned back by near impenetrable woods, this was 30 years ago so maybe the combination of a couple of decades of growth along with GPS is to blame for the new herd path. I do know when I did the Little East Pond approach when it was a bushwhack through gnarly woods from the pond to the top and down again.

When we did it 13 years ago from the Loon side, we got lucky and had decent woods except for a very short section before the top of young fir, and then went around in good woods to get to the eastern peak as well. However, after fighting nastiness all the way to the Middle Scar col before summiting, we abandoned all hope of the full traverse.

Yes, there's other lists for the actual bushwhackers. I did the NH3k simply because it involved a lot of peaks north of Rt 26 as well as Rt 2 :) , and I did it for myself (I've actually never even mentioned it before). It's also the last list I'll ever actively pursue other than a personal list of neat places and revisits.


Flagging, actual maintenance of these paths, etc. is what irks me the most, I guess, as it is illegal (in the sense of it violates the woods as a public entity, not a place where you can make trails anywhere you like) and more importantly, a gross insult to LNT.

I was especially grumpy (I'm getting curmudgeonly as I near 60) when I wrote the OP. I know nothing will change (at least not for the better), guess I needed to blow off some steam. :cool:
 
First - SO damned refreshing to see an intelligent conversation with regard to our beloved hills.

Second - can't help but chuckle that the beast that created the hordes on the herds is the one in which this discussion is occurring (though I don't consider this - or any other true forum - 'social media' but you get the drift).

Third - I agree with Salty that the list is no longer true to the original intent and the honor system rules have been watered down. As has been stated the old school ways of do your research, talk to the experienced, make your plan and follow the rules in the spirit in which they were written is just that...old school. The new school (and this population in my mind is not defined by age but rather time in the woods or hours on trail) doesn't seek out the elders/experienced, they don't know what research is and I've decided it's better they're in the woods and seeing what's at stake if/when things are mis-managed and these areas are ruined or lost. I can't directly speak to the NEHH or the 52, 48, or 46. I have completed some of those lists and hiked an extensive amount on others and have followed the rules made by the creators when I was figuring things out and hiking for a patch.

Covid killed the woods. They're here. They'll keep coming. Unless we shut down all social media sites they'll keep posting. I've been working with teens to educate them on the importance of preserving the 'wild' places and being good stewards. A very tiny impact, but a positive one.

I don't have answers, but wanted to chime in and be part of a normal discussion. For that, I thank you.
 
I have to say having visited the Hitchcock's over the years, they seem to have resisted attempts at civilizing them;) JE Henrys footprints from 80 years ago are a lot deeper than anything hikers have done to date.

Of course, Scar Ridge resisted taming for a long time, and it sounds like it finally succumbed.
 
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Is there a well beaten path to "The Captain" Deception, Fool Killer, Mt. Kanc? I don't think they appear on any list, is Kanc a NH 100?
 
I have to say having visited the Hitchcock's over the years, they seem to have resisted attempts at civilizing them;) JE Henrys footprints rrom 80 years ago are a lot deeper than anything hikers have done to date.

Of course, Scar Ridge resisted taming for a long time, and it sounds like it finally succumbed.
That's for sure, well, except for the helipad. :LOL: But they're not on the NEHH, soooo..... Speaking of which, I did come across a pail from the logging days high up on the side on the main peak, well away from any camp. I love coming across those random artifacts.

"John, where's the **** bucket???"
"Dunno Frank, I... I... don't know! I just had it, I swear!"
"Argh!"
"Yeah, it'd probably take a hundred years to find the **** thing..."
 
Didn't see any path on the Captain once the old road and climbers path ended, that's not to say a path doesn't exist and my trip there was over a decade ago. The others were winter trips for me so I can't say if they had paths. A side note, since Kanc is higher than Dorset ... why is it not on the AMC list instead of Dorset? Actually, I am glad it's not on the AMC list for all the reasons mentioned above - I just wonder why the list is not accurate ...
 
Depending on your bushwhacking experience, the captain has a pretty distinct path up to the col on the eastern side then it comes and goes to the canister. The western col is a bit more wild but there are some old flags in there. The western route doesn't seem to get the attention of the eastern one, which is too bad because it's a lot more interesting.
 
I think the prior poster brings up a radical comment, just because there is GPS track or herd path, hikers do not need to use them. When I did the Captain long ago we head up with no real beta, just a topo map, we ran into the climbers route that continued on pass the end of the road and skidder track but then elected to go another route that was quite "interesting" we came in from the east side and then headed up towards the summit with a view of the pond at one point then wandered around the summit long enough to decide the cannister was missing. Other folks have come up from the Desolation Shelter area.

I had a similar trip for the PATN, we headed out on the 4 K recomended route up an old fire road to come out at Haystack and then went up the ridge. No real herd path or ribbons to speak of. We were planning on taking an alternative route down and had decided to head down the logical route to the west that turned out to be the dreaded double bubble nubble route.
 
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The Captain as approached from the south ... our first time we had a group with a few inexperienced people (what was I thinking?) and we headed for the slide to the east of the peak. It was a blast but our group had to turn around due to time. Then that same November, I went back with just one trusted person south approach. We didn't do the east slide due to ice concerns, so we went to the west side. Interesting for sure and we even found and left an old abandoned 2-person tent! LOL. I do some day want to do the Desolation approach, I am willing to bet it's amazing from looking at sat images.
 
The Captain as approached from the south ... our first time we had a group with a few inexperienced people (what was I thinking?) and we headed for the slide to the east of the peak. It was a blast but our group had to turn around due to time. Then that same November, I went back with just one trusted person south approach. We didn't do the east slide due to ice concerns, so we went to the west side. Interesting for sure and we even found and left an old abandoned 2-person tent! LOL. I do some day want to do the Desolation approach, I am willing to bet it's amazing from looking at sat images.
I've hit that slide on a couple occasions. Getting over to the east col from there is no picnic. The herd path approaching the eastern col splits at the stream crossing where one branch heads for the col and the other heads towards the slide and what I assume people mean by the climbers camp.
 
.... There still are the NH 100 highest bushwhacks to satisfy most bushwhack hedonists :rolleyes:(as long as they don’t mind spending a lot of time driving north of RT 2).
And for a real challenge the NH100 highest in winter. It's an acquired taste. Like garlic
 
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