Avoiding high water this weekend

[Tom Rankin]

We're heading up to the Whites this weekend. Which 4Ks are we most likely to avoid high water crossings on?

Some of Laurie's choices are:

Whiteface / Passaconaway

Garfield

Lafayette

Lincoln

Galehead

Hancocks

We're staying in the Woodstock area. Anyone up for a trip to the Woodstock Inn?

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Anyone up for a trip to the Woodstock Inn?

Well, there isn't any high water crossing there! Safety first! And Last!

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I seem to recall Whiteface/Passaconnaway having bridges over the significant water crossings. The ledges may be wet though...

Tim

 

[MichaelJ]

Dicey's Mill Trail off Passaconaway has a good-sized, unbridged crossing.

Virtually every trail from the Kanc to Passaconaway, Whiteface, the Tripyramids, or the Osceolas all have dozens of crossings.

Galehead has a caution-at-high-water crossing since the bridge was never replaced on the Gale River Trail.

Garfield has minor crossings, you might get your feet wet but likely not be at risk.

Hancocks from the Kanc involve numerous crossings, a couple listed as bad mojo at high water.

 

[peakn]

I don't recall any water crossings on the Old Bridal path to Lafayette/Lincoln if going out and back, but there are a couple of ledges that could be slippery. Falling Waters trail has stream crossings.
Water is definitely an issue for Galehead. Wouldn't go there.
Harry

 

[marty]

Dicey's Mill Trail off Passaconaway has a good-sized, unbridged crossing.

You can still do a Whiteface/Passaconaway loop with the Walden Trail instead of Dicey Mills and its dicey stream crossing. Walden is longer, rougher and has some ups and downs though.

Also agree that Lincoln/Lafayette is doable, as long as you avoid Falling Waters.

Regards,
Marty

 

[RoySwkr]

>> Whiteface / Passaconaway

Blueberry Ledge Trail is OK as to brooks, coming down Diceys Mill is one crossing which can be avoided by bushwhacking along brook to Blueberry Ledge if too high

>> Garfield

One serious crossing which can be avoided by using snowmobile bridge as per WMG

>> Lafayette/Lincoln

Old Bridle Path is OK as to brooks, but plan to go back over Lafayette instead of Falling Waters

>> Galehead
>> Hancocks

Best avoided in flood conditions

 

[Hunter]

Whiteface should be okay, no major crossings, but some of the ledges higher up could be a bit slick, Lafayette up Bridal Path across the ridge and back would be a safe bet We're joining the herds up Washington on Saturday (benefit hike or else I would avoid at all costs!)

 

[bikehikeskifish]

This sounds like a good time to inquire about the Twins, Zealand and Hale, and the FWT... which at this point I am pretty sure I am going to postpone

Tim

 

[dug]

>> Whiteface / Passaconaway

Blueberry Ledge Trail is OK as to brooks, coming down Diceys Mill is one crossing which can be avoided by bushwhacking along brook to Blueberry Ledge if too high

>> Garfield

One serious crossing which can be avoided by using snowmobile bridge as per WMG

>> Lafayette/Lincoln

Old Bridle Path is OK as to brooks, but plan to go back over Lafayette instead of Falling Waters

>> Galehead
>> Hancocks

Best avoided in flood conditions

I second Roy's note on this one. I did this one spring, and unfortunately never found the trail again until I got up on the ridge...about 100 yards below the ledges. The bushwack through rotten snow and spruce sucked.

 

[MichaelJ]

This sounds like a good time to inquire about the Twins, Zealand and Hale, and the FWT... which at this point I am pretty sure I am going to postpone

I don't know how the Zealand Trail to the hut is; there's a lot of water along there, but I can only think of one actual "crossing" that isn't bridged that might have a current.

If you can get to the Hut, then Zealand or Hale will be no problem, though you're certain to get your feet wet in several spots on Lend-a-Hand.

The Twins are out. On the N. Twin Trail, the Little River will likely be impassable, and as noted earlier Gale River Trail won't be easy.

 

[dug]

This sounds like a good time to inquire about the Twins, Zealand and Hale, and the FWT... which at this point I am pretty sure I am going to postpone

Tim

Seems like I have horror stories from almost every trip w/ running water...why is that?

After coming out a day early on a backpacking trip in the Pemi, we got to one of the drainage brooks on the way into Zealand. What was normally a rock-hop in ankle deep water was about thigh-high. Twins I bet would be high, especially with the multiple crossings. I don't remember anything troublesome on the Hale Brook Trail.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

...the Little River will likely be impassable, ....

What you're saying, what you're trying to communicate, is the Little River won't be so little?

I pretty much assumed this would be a washout this weekend, and I am really dead set on doing this as a loop, so I will postpone it.

I figured I'd ask though.

Tim

 

[mookie]

just remember into the wild people when crossing these streams and rivers, you may never be able to get back!!!!

 

[BobC]

On the Garfield trail, if the crossings are too high you can take an easy bushwack to your left up to the snowmobile bridges. We did this on a trip to Garfield in March.

 

[sardog1]

Hancocks from the Kanc involve numerous crossings, a couple listed as bad mojo at high water.

Yeah, what he said. You don't want to be on the wrong side, or worse, in the middle.

And on a general note for everywhere this week in the Whites and ADKs:

WATCH WHERE YOU PUT YOUR TENT! Ask the question, "What if . . . ?" And if you don't know the answer to a certainty, look around again -- upstream and uphill. If you can't see well enough to satisfy yourself, you're in the wrong spot.

 

[Klutz]

Humm....we wanted to do an overnighter with the Tripyramids this weekend.....now I wonder what we should really do.....any suggestions???

 

[Zer0-G]

We're heading up to the Whites this weekend. Which 4Ks are we most likely to avoid high water crossings on?

Some of Laurie's choices are:

Whiteface / Passaconaway

Garfield

Lafayette

Lincoln

Galehead

Hancocks

We're staying in the Woodstock area. Anyone up for a trip to the Woodstock Inn?

Hey Tom,

I'm going up to the Whites as well.
What is on your agenda.
On Friday I'll be doing North Twin.
Saturday Carrigain and Possibly the Wildcats.
If I don't get the Wildcats on Saturday, I'll be doing them Sunday morning.

Actually, I was looking to Hook up with some people that might be doing those peaks this weekend. So, if anybody is doing these peaks ...let me know.
I'll start another thread.....

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

East Branch Pemi USGS gauging station

Here is my favorite stream gauging station that I have found to be a fair indicator of water crossing difficulty in the Whites, with cfs for the East Branch greater than +/- 1000 meaning you might find some of the rock-hopping boulders submerged, over 2000 meaning you will likely need to do some wading.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=01074520&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00062,72020

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I have taken to recording this stream gauge on the "notorious crossing" hikes. I seem to find that at 600cfs or less, you can often get just the bottoms of your boots wet (or less). I thought it would be a cool project to pool our efforts and get a larger sample of data... as I myself have only 3 data points. Here they are, FWIW

Owl's Head (BPBW), 11/17/07, for example, was doable wetting the shoe bottoms, at 6.5' gauge height and 650-500 cfs (falling over the 24-hour period during which I hiked it.)

Galehead, 11/11/07 (Gale River Crossings) were doable with dry boots (with long legs anyway) at about 300-350 cfs. I found this crossing more challenging then I thought it should be, although it was in mid-November and there was ice around.

On 3/10/08, the Hancocks were trivial (of course, there were snow bridges) at 6.25 feet and 500-400 cfs (fell during the day)

I grab the images the next day and stash them in with my photos from the trip.

Tim