Where the Hale is the WF Trail?

We started past 7 Dwarfs and crossed the bridge walked down the long straight trail and crossed the 2nd bridge and were at the summer trail head for the Twins in about 25 minutes. After the first stream crossing, we stayed left and followed a decent herd path till the 2nd crossing. Then we started looking for the FWT. No luck. Got all the way to the 3rd crossing and saw tracks kept going. Also saw old wires. Figured we'd give it a try. After 45 minutes the tracks were still going but we gave up. Came back and looked very carefully all along the way, but saw nothing resembling a trail, herd path, old tracks, you name it. Oh well, a nice 4 hours walk in the rain.

So, did we fail? No, it was better than jail. It was not totally to no avail. We didn't wail, but we have a tale to tell. Bailing was the best course of action. Now, it's time to check my email!

Sent you a pm

Don't feel bad Tom, if it is not broken out and you don't know exactly what to look for then it is a bitch to find. What makes it even more tough is that it starts heading up at an odd angle so that if you are coming at it (as in the direction you came from) it makes it even more tough to find.

Brian

Up the bank on the east midway between the two crossings that are skipped. Usually signs of skiers coming down off the bank there and it is steep depending on where you climb it.

For what it's worth, it's good to know that despite all the use its start is remaining non-obvious. Sorry you couldn't find it while specifically looking for it, though.

You need to have 20/20 hindsight... well to the left and back...

http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/spatialArtifacts.do?event=setCurrentSpatialArtifact&id=1395028

Local knowledge says "stay on the East side of the brook."

Tom Rankin said:

So, did we fail? No, it was better than jail. It was not totally to no avail. We didn't wail, but we have a tale to tell. Bailing was the best course of action. Now, it's time to check my email!

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When looking for this trail, it sounds like it was No Sale. Perhaps this one, will be your Holy Grail. Laurie mentioned that her climbing was getting frail, even though yesterday we lacked a gale. She mentioned her food... has she tried kale?

Paradox said:

When looking for this trail, it sounds like it was No Sale. Perhaps this one, will be your Holy Grail. Laurie mentioned that her climbing was getting frail, even though yesterday we lacked a gale. She mentioned her food... has she tried kale?

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I forgot to mention that we did have some good ale after the hike!

Tom Rankin said:

I forgot to mention that we did have some good ale after the hike!

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How legitimate is it to have a brew if you have failed to get the view

MichaelJ said:

For what it's worth, it's good to know that despite all the use its start is remaining non-obvious. .

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Like.

I was up there recently (first time in 9 yrs) and was trying to remember exactly where it took off from........lucky for me, there were old ski tracks that easily gave it away on this day....... but I don't remember the trail (once you are on it) ever being so WIDE........it was like a super-highway. I guess all those soft ferns in the summer months really flatten down in winter!

One time I couldn't find the start either and ended up bushwhacking to the summit, thinking I would cross it (it wasn't winter, tho!!!). It is pretty open woods and a nice bushwhack anyway, if you're into that sorta thing Now, I have the start marked in my gps....

Tom Rankin said:

Where the Hale is the WF Trail?
...
Also saw old wires.

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Mot,

You need to look backward if you are looking for the WF trail not the FW trail

Why didn't you follow the wires? The first time in winter, we headed uphill from the first crossing and eventually found the wires which of course led to the trail. The second time, we didn't look at the 15' map closely enough and started on the wrong side of the side brook but eventually found the trail. At the 2nd and 3rd crossings of Little River you were way too far up.

Note that the trail originally started at the Twin trail on the W side of the Little River and immediately crossed, so by using the herd path to avoid the double crossing you are not going by the "natural" junction.

At a point roughly 5 minutes past the first crossing, you can see the FWT coming down like the ramp that it is if you look to the left. At a point with a small tree smack in the middle of the trail, it is almost level with the old North Twin Trail, and you basically make a 90-degree left up a short incline, and another nearly 90-degree left onto the ramp.

Or, you can turn left at the cardboard cutout of Geri

Tim

p.s. The Geri reference is kind of an inside joke, but if you go poking around Bob N Geri's web site, you will eventually figure it out.

Becca M said:

One time I couldn't find the start either and ended up bushwhacking to the summit, thinking I would cross it (it wasn't winter, tho!!!). It is pretty open woods and a nice bushwhack anyway, if you're into that sorta thing

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A group of us did the same thing a few Septembers ago, after we went way, way past the FW's start. We also encountered mostly open woods on our 'whack, which was pretty much due east. We hit the Lend-a-Hand Trail about a quarter-mile south of the Hale summit. We descended by the FW Trail, which is much easier to follow from the top.

Becca M said:

One time I couldn't find the start either and ended up bushwhacking to the summit, thinking I would cross it (it wasn't winter, tho!!!). It is pretty open woods and a nice bushwhack anyway, if you're into that sorta thing Now, I have the start marked in my gps....

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What is funny is this is similar to our time on it. We went with someone who HAD been on it, though many years previous. She said not to worry, that she would remember where it was, so I did not bother to do any more research into finding the trailhead. Bottom line we wound up whacking up to the summit and descended down the FWT afterwards (as we learned finding where the trail starts on the summit is much easier than down below. )

Brian

Tom,
When I went on New Year's Day I had researched a bit and one of the best sources of topo and GPS tracks continues to be Rocket21's site. I followed some tracks up the banking where it should have been and they seemed to end in a maze of CC ski tracks. I hiked up to the last crossing in case I was not far enough out on the trail then backtracked to the same spot. Where I went up may have been late along the trail but it was on the path of others and I could have pitched a snowball to Little River from where I hit the actual abandoned Fire Warden's Trail.

Here is a link to Jeremy's site and topo taht is very helpful and all credit for it goes to him and the wealth of good knowledge his site shares!

http://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos/NewHampshire/mthalemapbig-2009-0308.jpg

When I went up we were in an unseasonably warm melt and I postholed with snowshoes. I could see that this would be a very enjoyable trip in better conditions!

NewHampshire said:

What is funny is this is similar to our time on it. We went with someone who HAD been on it, though many years previous. She said not to worry, that she would remember where it was, so I did not bother to do any more research into finding the trailhead. Bottom line we wound up whacking up to the summit and descended down the FWT afterwards (as we learned finding where the trail starts on the summit is much easier than down below. )

Brian

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I also HAD been on it, but forgot where it started!!! It sounds like we've all been through the same woods there - lots of nice little streams and ferns!!!

Since I don't seem to ever get much faster I can often tell where to make a turn by how long I have been on the trail for distance and where it would seem logical for the path to head up a gentle ridge. Certainly helps if you start day dreaming!

Dave Bear said:

Since I don't seem to ever get much faster I can often tell where to make a turn by how long I have been on the trail for distance and where it would seem logical for the path to head up a gentle ridge. Certainly helps if you start day dreaming!

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Heh heh, us slow guys really daydream big, eh!? Slow and steady wins races....right?

Brian