Directions for Success Pond Road

[poison ivy]

Does anyone have good directions for getting to the Carlo Col trailhead? I'm worried some of the recent trail conditions reports say finding Success Pond Road is challenging due to missing signs. Couple that with my tendency to get lost and I think I'll be in trouble.

I have a set of directions from Gorham, but they don't look right when compared with my Delorme map. Any help would be appreciated!

- Ivy

 

[Raymond]

Check my trail conditions report for Carlo and Goose Eye that I posted just this morning. Follow the directions to the log yard. You'll be on Hutchins Street.

There is a landfill on the right side of the road, then a phony-looking hill that is probably the former landfill. (On our initial pass, I noticed the hill, but drove right by it.) There's an unmarked dirt road just past the fence that's in front of this hill; that's Success Pond Road. I believe there was a street sign on the left side of the road that said "Hutchins St. Ext." If you get as far as Bridge Street or Myrtle Street, you've gone too far.

Reset the trip counter on your car's odometer to zero; the Carlo Col Trail head is 8.1 miles along. There are a couple ruts leading up to the right, with spaces for a few cars up there.

Be careful driving along Success Pond Road. There was no activity when we went there a couple Sundays ago, but when we returned on Tuesday we had to wait a couple times while workers made room for us to get by. One particularly frightening machine was picking up trees and jerking them back and forth to strip the branches off them. A big counterweight, or whatever it was, was right over the road, and if I'd tried to sneak by, it probably would have bashed in the roof of my car. I just waited a minute or two until the worker noticed me; he turned his machine and waved me past.

The road is in decent enough shape, but it was still wearying driving it. Tuesday we went to the Speck Pond Trail head—a big open area on the left side of the road, then followed Success Pond Road to York Pond Road and out to Route 26 near the upper end of Grafton Notch.

 

[poison ivy]

Thank you arm & raymond! The landmarks will be very helpful and reassuring.

One last question: does the rough shape of the road mean I'm going to have trouble driving a Honda Civic on it?

Indeed, I'll be hiking Goose Eye, Mahoosuc Notch & Old Speck in a couple of weeks. I've been looking forward to that hike all year long. First I have to do the AT section before it though.

- Ivy

 

[Raymond]

You shouldn't have any trouble. I took a Corolla on it without incident.

We went up Carlo Col to the AT, followed it as far as Goose Eye, then returned to the car. The weather was too lousy to bother going farther, so I still haven't done the Notch yet.

Both Goose Eye and Old Speck have some pretty steep sections. There's a ladder near the spur trail to the top of Goose Eye, and on the climb up to the ladder an AT through-hiker named Rowboat banged his knee on a rock, discovering that he has a "funny bone" there.

There was a ledge going up Old Speck that reminded me of that last ledge on the way up Panther Peak in the Adirondacks.

Should be a great trip. We met a through-hiker ("Ishmael") near Speck Pond who said he'd have to come back some day with his family so he could take them through Mahoosuc Notch. He made it without having to remove his backpack.

 

[poison ivy]

Thanks again, Raymond. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good weather for the trip through the notch. There are a couple of people coming along on the trip, but they aren't sure if they will go through the notch with me or head out after Goose Eye -- it all depends on the weather. Provided I can find the trailhead, it should be a fantastic trip.

- Ivy

 

[MichaelJ]

Watch for the bright pink-painted rocks in the road. Those are the ones that stick up several inches and will happily shred your car's undercarriage. Try to go around, instead of over, them.

Have a FANTASTIC hike - the weather looks to be beautiful and the Mahoosucs are incredible.

 

[Greg]

I drove around for a half hour looking for the road, and everyone I asked for directions said, "You can't miss it!" After the bridge into Berlin, go straight through the first lights and past the Mill. I would guess SP road is a half mile from the lights, and just past a staging area for logging trucks, on the right.
Good luck with the Civic. You should make it okay. Carlo Col trailhead is on your right and you will prolly pass it before realizing its there. There is a small AMC sign next to the grassy lane headed uphill, with several parking spaces. I'm one of the other group who is in hopes of doing Carlo, Goose Eye, and South Fulling Mill on an overnight, but still not sure that I can get away. Hopefully I'll see you up there.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Success Pond Road is indeed on the right off Hutchins Street at a point where you can see smaller mill buildings on your left (the Floc Plant). Mapquest shows the location clearly. 8.1 miles to the trailhead is just about dead on. Heed what MichaelJ says about the pink/orange rocks. Might look benign from one side, but often rutted on the other: muffler heaven.

Goose Eye was my first mountain, and I've returned there many times. You will love it.

 

[arghman]

There's an unmarked dirt road just past the fence that's in front of this hill; that's Success Pond Road. I believe there was a street sign on the left side of the road that said "Hutchins St. Ext."

The road is unmarked but there should be a brown sign that says "OHRV TRAIL" or something. Right after you enter the dirt road, there is a big sign that says "YEILD TO LOGGING TRUCKS" or something like that. I hope they drive better than they spell.

 

[arghman]

The other trick with that road (as with many arterial logging roads) is to not head off on the spur roads, but they tend to be narrower, have fewer tracks, and/or head uphill steeply.

 

[Ann]

The road is unmarked but there should be a brown sign that says "OHRV TRAIL"

We were on Success Pond Road a couple weeks ago and that sign is no longer there. Look for an unsigned road adjacent to a clearing that "resembles the look" of a landfill/log yard. The road is in pretty good shape with some washboard sections. The main road is fairly well defined.

 

[poison ivy]

Thanks everyone for all the help! Hopefully, I won't have any trouble finding it with all the landmarks to look out for.

- Ivy

 

[bill bowden]

Mahoosucs and Success Pond Road

Ivy:

Success Pond road is pretty much a main haul road and is therefore kept in pretty good shape. It is a NH tradition to mark dropoffs and washouts with flagging tape at the road side, so don't investigate with your vehicle. If you want a different route to Goose Eye, the Wright Trail from the south is both beautiful and rugged.

Much of the Mahoosuc ridgeline is high altitude bog, offering great views but little protection from the weather. The trail is remarkable for the steepness of the ups and downs and the amount of steep downhill when going uphill and vice versa.

But the peaks are wonderful and (by memory) mostly open summits. there's a lovely little alpine patch even on Mount Success (ca. 3600 ft) Generally you'll also avoid crowds in the Mahoosucs.

Bill

 

[poison ivy]

Thanks again everyone! We found Success Pond Road without any trouble thanks to the directions here.

The road was in really good shape (at least compared to the dirt road we live on.) We didn't see any bright pink or orange rocks (I had to show my husband this thread, he thought I was making it up.)

Thanks again for the help!

- Ivy

 

[Mad Townie]

The Mahoosuc secret is out!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/10/04/mahoosuc.notch.ap/index.html

BTW, Ivy, it's MUCH easier to find the road if you come in from the North!