MarkL
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2003
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 31
Approaching the fish hatchery, there was a sign saying 'Gete 1/2 mile ahead. Closed 4PM-8AM. When I got to the gate, it was obviously snowed open, pretty well stuck in the snowbank. A year or two back I thought I'd read that in winter you have to park by the hatchery. I talked to a worker at the hatchery and he said they leave the gate open all winter, and the road is kept plowed to the end. So I was able to drive right to the York Pond T/H where there was room for 2-3 cars to park. There were a few icy spots on the road, but it was otherwise a very good road, even when it became dirt.
York Pond Tr. was somewhat barebootable for the 0.2 miles to the Bunnell Tr. junction. Starting at 11:30AM, it was already somewhat soft, and I was leaving tracks an inch deep with one posthole(which I filled in). At the sign for the Bunnell Trail I put on 30" snowshoes. Very soon afterwards I found that even with the shoes, stepping a bit to the side of the trail meant postholing. The moose before me found the same to be true. I don't think the moose tracks were recent, and the only scat deposit was appearing from under melted snow. Nevertheless, having encountered the Ethan Pond Trail moose on Tuesday, I kept an eye out.
There were a few water crossings, none of which required more than an easy to moderate jump (for someone 6'4"
) Where the trail turned left, the real altitude gain began. Again, and for most of the way to the summit, stepping off trail, even slightly off center of the beaten path (again, w/ 30" snowshoes) meant postholing, sometimes deeply. Approaching the cabin near the false summit the off-trail snow was more supportive.
The trail was well tramped down, with a distinct depression higher up which I tried to butt slide on the way down. Though the surface was slick, underneath it was soft and getting slightly off-center meant ploughing in. I eventually gave up on the idea, but not before losing my car key on a faded red carabiner. Realized that later. Guess when.
It was my first time on these trails, but from looking at the map, I think the old Mt. Cabot Tr. fromt he west side had been used. I also saw tracks continuing past the summit on the Kilkenny Ridge Tr., but didn't see how far they went. On the way up I saw 1 set of tracks turning left onto the Kilkenny Tr., but they may have stopped after ~30'.
York Pond Tr. was somewhat barebootable for the 0.2 miles to the Bunnell Tr. junction. Starting at 11:30AM, it was already somewhat soft, and I was leaving tracks an inch deep with one posthole(which I filled in). At the sign for the Bunnell Trail I put on 30" snowshoes. Very soon afterwards I found that even with the shoes, stepping a bit to the side of the trail meant postholing. The moose before me found the same to be true. I don't think the moose tracks were recent, and the only scat deposit was appearing from under melted snow. Nevertheless, having encountered the Ethan Pond Trail moose on Tuesday, I kept an eye out.
There were a few water crossings, none of which required more than an easy to moderate jump (for someone 6'4"
) Where the trail turned left, the real altitude gain began. Again, and for most of the way to the summit, stepping off trail, even slightly off center of the beaten path (again, w/ 30" snowshoes) meant postholing, sometimes deeply. Approaching the cabin near the false summit the off-trail snow was more supportive. The trail was well tramped down, with a distinct depression higher up which I tried to butt slide on the way down. Though the surface was slick, underneath it was soft and getting slightly off-center meant ploughing in. I eventually gave up on the idea, but not before losing my car key on a faded red carabiner. Realized that later. Guess when.
It was my first time on these trails, but from looking at the map, I think the old Mt. Cabot Tr. fromt he west side had been used. I also saw tracks continuing past the summit on the Kilkenny Ridge Tr., but didn't see how far they went. On the way up I saw 1 set of tracks turning left onto the Kilkenny Tr., but they may have stopped after ~30'.
