Twins question

[pedxing]

A fellow hiker hopes to finish his 48 on North Twin and I plan to join him to try to get at least two of my Winter 48 this Saturday as this backpacker continues to drift into the world of peak bagging. While I loved doing the loop up the Fire Warden's trail to take in Hale, Zealand and the Twins - I don't think I want to push to go that far (but if anyone can help me build a sales pitch, I might try to sell my friend on being open to coming back that way).

From hiking through the area in other seasons and researching - it seems like there are three basic routes to North Twin trail in winter - bushwhack along Little River, follow the cross country ski trail and follow the snow mobile trail.

I hear mixed reports on the appropriateness of the Little River bushwhack. Is there a property owner who would prefer people take other routes? Are there skiers who object to snowshoe tracks on the cross country ski trail?

I gather the owner of 7 dwarves is looking for dollars a car now, but that doesn't seem unreasonable and I'm fine with setting out from there.

As an aside is Mountain Bean right near Little River road or is if miles north on Rt. 3?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

You can park at the end of Little River Road now, you don't have to park at the 7Ds. Or at least this was the case last year. Then you cross over the river on a bridge right there and follow along the right-hand bank along the old North Twin Trail to the summer trail head, and from there you simply follow the normal trail, possibly skipping the first two crossings and staying on the left bank of the river until crossing #3.

Jeremy wrote up this thread on how to get there from 7Ds a few years back, and it's mostly still relevant, except the bridge you cross is obvious at the end of LR Road. Here is my trip report from Jan 2009.

Tim

 

[GlennS]

The last time I hiked the route (January 2011), we parked at the end of Little River Road. There was parking for about 6 cars. There is a bridge close to the end of the road. Take a sharp left after crossing the bridge. That is the old trail that Tim described. That route will take you to the summer trailhead. Following the old rail bed, it does not come close to being a bushwhack. The route is almost impossible to miss as it is broken out by skiers that ski the glades on Mt Hale. The bridge mentioned in Rocket 21's report is another bridge that is closer to the 7 Dwarfs.

The other route is... as you cross the bridge at the end of Little River Road, stay straight on the snow mobile trails. Bear left (Southerly) on the Snow Mobile trails to Haystack Road. Then take a left on Haystack road to the summer trail head. I don't recommend that route as you may be dodging snow machines and the road may not be broken out.

I'm not familar with the cross country ski route that you refer to.

The Mountain Bean is at the intersection of Rte 3 and Little River Road.

 

[mtnpa]

If you park on Little River Rd be sure to leave room at end for town plow to turn around.