Redington/South Crocker

[Randalls]

How difficult is it to follow the path from summit to summit? Hoping to hike these Thursday or Friday. Is the trip overall pretty obvious?

 

[MichaelJ]

The last time I was there, it was still somewhat of a real bushwhack. Don't get misled and follow the narrow cut of the AT boundary. It's a herd path in the trees that you want. And it will peter out. You'll need to have a compass heading and aim for the big clearcut. After you cross the clearcut (note where you entered it, and watch your footing on the slash piles), you'll hit a big old logging road. Turn left (uphill) and watch for the next herd path on the right. That will go up as an easy-to-follow trail. It will merge into the trail from the other side of the ridgeline, so note the location for your return trip, and just keep following to the top.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Last July, it was fairly obvious where the herd path went - right up to the clearing, where you go up/left to the height of land to a semi-actual and easily-followed trail to the summit. Note that like many, we took a slight detour on a false herd path and ended up on the AT boundary swath. Heading right (in this case) until you crossed the (very obvious) herd path where you would turn left rectified this error. I.e., the path split into a Y and following the left branch was incorrect. It's probably the more obvious path since many follow it and then follow it back when they discover it dead-ends at the boundary cut.

Trip Report Here

Tim

 

[Randalls]

What is the AT boundry, and how would you know when you hit it. Ive seen people post to watch out for it, but Im not sure if Id know it if Id seen it.

 

[TDawg]

What is the AT boundry, and how would you know when you hit it. Ive seen people post to watch out for it, but Im not sure if Id know it if Id seen it.

Basically, it's about a trail-width boundary cut between federal AT land and private land, blazed in yellow. The AT right-of-way averages 1000 feet in width along the length of the trail. The boundary helps to make sure people don't "F" with it, helping to maintain the (sometimes false) sense of wilderness throughout it's length.

For example, in a couple places on the northern flank of the Mahoosuc range they have logged all the way up to the AT boundary swath and not an inch less.

If you Google "Appalachian Trail Boundary," you'll get some additional information.

 

[yvon]

This is the yellow blaze.

All my photos are here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/yvondaigle/SouthCrockerCrockerRedington12Juin2010#

My TR on VFTT:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=36382&highlight=Crocker

 

[rup]

Yvon / Audrey - what were the scarey 'noises' you heard? ie, what did they sound like?? I'm very interested.

2 yrs ago, drove a bimmer up the CVR, and got a bent heat shield on the cat converter for my effort. 'Flew' over Reddington summit in a T-storm.

 

[yvon]

Yvon / Audrey - what were the scarey 'noises' you heard? ie, what did they sound like?? I'm very interested.

I dont know, I heard noise in the wood, maybe it was a bear or another big animal. But we did not stay there to know what it was. Annie was scare.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

We heard a moose and saw trees moving nearby. Didn't see the animal, the the disturbance was the right size and there were plenty of very fresh droppings in the area (watch your step!)

Tim

 

[Randalls]

We're planning on crashing at the Spaulding Mt Campsite. Every hear of a bushwack from the site to the CVR? From my map, it looks like minimal elevation drop and distance from there, as it seems like one could make a good loop by heading from Spaulding to Redington, than Crockers and back.

 

[MichaelJ]

I can't comment on the 'whack up to Spaulding Mtn Shelter. I know it's done in winter but have no idea about summer.

I've done the full circuit walk of CVR. It's a LONG dirt road walk but very do-able. In that case you'd be approaching Redington not from the Crocker bushwhack, but from the roads directly. Going clockwise around the loop road, you'll have to know where to turn left. Then you go up the road, watch for the cairn and turn left off that. Then you get to a multi-way intersection and follow the route marked with the "TOWE" stone. Then just a few yards before that peters out, you turn right. This will merge into the trail coming from the clearcut side, and then top out at the Redington summit. Coming down, you'd take the other fork which drops you onto the road, go down to the clearcut, take a bearing, and try to find the herd path on the far side of the clearcut. I strongly suggest some time with Google Earth (or Google Maps satellite view), which shows the roads nicely. See my route.

Note that unless you need Spaulding, you might find it easier to camp at Crocker Cirque tentsite.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Some discussion of this very topic is here. Includes a map or two.

Tim

 

[Randalls]

Tim, your map that you posted as a potential route is really tempting to try. I only wish that I had access to trusting technology that I could use to help navigate through the maze of dirt roads. I zoomed into your map, and man that looks confusing as hell. Who knows where Id end up. I have the GPS points for the road junctions when heading from the AT crossing on the CVR, so I may try to head up from there, and than possibly to the Crockers; or vice versa. Still have two days to decide. After this trip, we have two hikes in Maine, and VT, than its time to work on the NH111.
Thanks for all the info. Hopefully, Saturday evening Ill be posting a trip report with six bagged peaks.