Raymond Cataract

[bill bowden]

A friend has asked me to bushwhack Raymond Cataract with me. Any suggestions on whether to approach from above or below. Notable things to avoid, can the old footpath be followed in places? Presumably the best approach would be to take the Lion's head up and then cut over to the Ravine from above, trying to avoid crushing alpine zone plants.

Any comments/suggestions from the community of bushwhackers?

Bill

 

[bill bowden]

We're working on the date but perhaps about august 21. Will keep you in mind. thanks for the tip.

Bill

 

[peakbagger]

Bill, there was an unofficial "trail adopter" up until the national forest started enforcing the no bootleg trails policy. He (or they) intentionally did not leave any trace of a route leaving the trail (which I believe was the the tractor road over to Huntington's). Once the stream was obtained they kept a route open to some of the more interesting spots and let it peter out once it made it through the scrub. So I would expect at least some 10 year old maintenance along the stream.

BTW, a old timer local told me once that the stream bed used to have the reputation of a direct shot for sewage flow from the summit back in the old days before the piping was tightened up on the summit!

 

[RoySwkr]

BTW, a old timer local told me once that the stream bed used to have the reputation of a direct shot for sewage flow from the summit back in the old days before the piping was tightened up on the summit!

This is half an urban legend, I believe that there is a new sewage field that drains towards the Ammo

sorry, did that from top to bottom in winter about 20 years ago. if my memory serves me well, we didn't have any problems at all,otherwise i would most likely remember them.

Me too, in my case I broke a crampon and thought it would be safer than the hard-packed Lion Head Trail. There used to be a description in the White Mtn Guide that said which side to use but it had been removed from the latest edition and not remembering which I decided to do the near (W) side as it avoided the crossing. Well, I made it down and read the old book when I got home and it said to do the E side, the W side was tedious in winter with small cliffs. That guy knew what he was talking about.

BTW, W side comes out on Raymond Path