Alternative Hiking Suggestions
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On the Trails: Let There Be Rock! ..................................................1 Off the Beaten Track; Alternative Hiking Suggestions .......................1 On the Trails: Let There Be Rock! Upcoming AMC Events ..............3 A Personal Perspective; BY RICHIE HOLSTEIN Introducing Young People to the Outdoors ...............................4 In the last issue of Mountain Passages this column NH Wild Day.........................................5 discussed rock work in general terms. Now we present a more detailed description of a real proj- Fall Hiking Week ..............................5 ect to give a better idea of what’s involved. September 28 - October 5 The New Hampshire Chapter runs three weekend schools a year at Cardigan Lodge, two in the win- Winter Rescue in the Adirondacks .......................................6 ter and one in the spring. Spring school features an Intro to Trail Work workshop, and this year Winter is never far; Sign up for we used the workshop to install a rock waterbar the 2018/2019 Winter to correct a long-standing problem: barely a Workin’ on a Dip. Photo credit Heather Wyman. Hiking Series .......................................7 minute’s walk from the lodge, the Holt-Manning choosing the dip, we considered location, shape, AMC-NH CHAPTER’S ANNUAL Trail regularly gets flooded by runoff from the dispersal, and convenience. Dips are easy to con- MEETING 2018 ..................................8 Back 80 Trail. struct and usually easy to clean. Unfortunately, Because the workshop is instructional and Speak Up for Land and Water dips also fill with debris and can be trampled Conservation Fund .......................8 includes people who have never done trail work down by hikers, and just don’t last without a lot Now Until Sept. 30 before, we first created a simple earthen dip to of maintenance. direct one small flow away from the trail. In ON THE TRAILS, TO PAGE 2 OUR MISSION Off the Beaten Track; The Appalachian Mountain Club is the nation’s oldest outdoor recreation Alternative Hiking Suggestions and conservation organization, and hiking alternatives for those times when you are BY WANDA RICE AND BOB MCLAUGHLIN promotes the protection, enjoyment, looking for a quieter hike. This article provides and understanding of the moun- We all have hiked popular trails where we are a list and brief description of the trails, but you tains, forests, waters and trails of the seldom out of sight or hearing of other hikers. should always carefully review detailed infor- Appalachian region. AMC has more The cars parked along I-93 in Franconia Notch mation about any trail you are considering, be than 100,000 members, 16,000 vol- on summer weekends pay silent testimony to the prepared and carry your 10 Essentials. unteers, 450 full-time and seasonal Alternative hikes in in the Mt. Cardigan area staff. The New Hampshire Chapter is number of hikers climbing the Franconia Ridge the second largest of the 12 Chapters via Falling Waters or Old Bridle Path. Some- Great views can be had with not a lot of other within the Club. times, hiking a trail with others is fine and even people on Orange Mountain. This is 5.6 miles enjoyable, and other times we all would prefer round trip with 1600’ of elevation gain. From Cardigan Lodge, take the Holt, Cathedral Forest, VOLUME 44, NUMBER 4 solitude in the wilderness. In this, the first of a planned series, we suggest OFF THE BEATEN TRACK, TO PAGE 3 JULY-AUGUST 2018 ON THE TRAILS, FROM PAGE 1 occasional pick-mattock for Holt-Manning. Rock water bars can last almost each rock. Sometimes we were All the rain, flooding from run- indefinitely but are hard work able to use the bars to just push off, and pounding by six pairs of to construct. About 20 yards a rock to the water bar. Other boots left the treadway around below the dip, a second stream times we used a couple of bars the new water bar a muddy, enters the Back 80 with a lot as rails over which we pushed mucky mess by the end of the more water. An old earthen dip the rock. And when we were weekend. (So were we!) But at this location had been tram- lucky, we could just rock ‘n roll even with that, we could see real pled into obscurity. When it to get a rock where we needed improvement downhill in the functioned at all, it just moved it! now-dry Holt-Manning Trail. water a few feet further down. But nearby doesn’t count by Would you like to learn more Combined, the two failures led itself. A hole is dug so that the about keeping our trails in great to the flooding. rock is not too high above the shape? Get in touch with us We were fortunate that Cardi- treadway, a flat side becomes via [email protected] to gan is the site of an old farm, the area where people walk, that learn what’s involved and to get and the farmer had courte- flat side is level, another flat side involved! Rocks on Rails. Photo credit Heather Wyman. ously left us many rocks from channels the water, and the rock the fields right at our site. We is angled to overlap a bit of the planned where we would place rock just downstream. Some- the rocks, how we would shape times the rock doesn’t quite the water bar, where the water cooperate, and it takes a lot of would disperse once it was off pushing, twisting, shoving, and the trail, and how trail users the occasional sledge hammer to would pass over the rocks. get it where we need it. To move the rocks, we used up With the water off the trail, we to six 18 lb. rock bars and the dug a simple ditch to channel it to an existing water bar on Getting It Just Right. Photo credit Heather Blease. MOUNTAIN PASSAGES Volume 44, No. 4 July/August 2018 Mountain Passages is published six times a 372-1758; outdoors.org/membercenter year by the New Hampshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Please note: Member address updates Muddy People, Dry Trail. Photo credit Heather Blease. Submissions. Members may submit cannot be handled by AMC-NH officers, articles or photos (hi-res jpegs) to newslet- committee chairs, or the newsletter editor. Advertise Here to Reach 10,000 [email protected]. Articles may be edited at Mountain Passages Online. If you’re the discretion of the editor to meet space receiving Mountain Passages through the Environmentally Active Outdoor Enthusiasts and style requirements. Publication is on mail, please consider signing up to get the a space-available basis. While Mountain electronic version instead. ISSUE DEADLINE AD SIZE PRICE (per issue) Passages does not pay for submissions; You’ll get added resources not available Jan/Feb December 1 1/8 page 3.5”w x 2.5”h $100 a byline or photo credit is given. Contact to print subscribers: direct links to emails, Mar/Apr February 1 1/4 page 3.5”w x 5”h $160 Mountain Passages for reprint permission. forms and online information, color photos, May/Jun April 1 1/2 page 7.5”w x 5”h $250 Advertising. The AMC NH Chapter online registration forms. July/Aug June 1 20% Discount for advertising in six members enjoy the outdoors year-round To sign up, go to www.outdoors.org/ Sep/Oct August 1 consecutive issues, with prepayment by hiking, paddling, skiing, backpacking, membercenter and set your AMC-NH Nov/Dec October1 climbing and biking and more. Chapter newsletter preference to online. For information and the Ad Rate Sheet, For questions, or to submit ad: [email protected] send an email to [email protected]. Please send ads as color PDF or jpeg high-resolution files, at correct size. Ads will appear in color in on-line version and black and white in We reserve the right to refuse any submis- Editor: Robert S. McLaughlin print version. sion, photo or advertising that is not newsletternh(at)amc-nh.org consistent with the mission of the AMC. Mail check for advertising to: Appalachian Mountain Club Address Changes. Address changes or Graphic Design: Jessica Clifford, c/o Ron Janowitz, 88 W Haven Rd., Manchester, NH 03104 other changes to your membership must Graphic Designer, Artist & be made through AMC Member Services Photographer. We reserve the right to refuse ads that are not related to the mission of AMC. We at 10 City Square. Boston, MA 02129; 800- do not provide proofs and accept no liability for errors beyond the cost of the ad. jess.amcnews(at)gmail.com 2 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK, with a little over 2000’ of eleva- parking problems? Check out https://forestsociety.org/chal- FROM PAGE 1 tion gain. the Greenleaf Trail. Parking lenge. Vistamont and Skyland Trails. Flat Mountain Pond for this trail is near the Can- Sam reports his favorite spot so A great way to experience Mt. Flat Mountain Pond is a gem non Mountain Tram and the far has been the Madame Sherri Cardigan is to take the Man- in the Sandwich Range Wilder- trailhead is next to the on ramp Forest and Mount Wantasti- ning Trail rather than the more ness. There are a couple ways for the Tram exit off I-93. A quet in West Chesterfield, NH. popular, shorter Holt-Clark to get there. One is via the lovely hike with few people, it Madam Sherri was a renowned Cutoff to the Clark Trail. Loop Flat Mountain Pond Trail from is 2.7 miles to Greenleaf Hut costume designer in New York up Manning and down the Whiteface Intervale Road (off with 2300’ elevation gain and in the early 1900’s.