OUR
COMMENTS - OCTOBER, 1999
The trail building process at First Mountain finally began this summer. Clearing actually started in March when we snowshoed on the property and cut stems in the 20" deep snow and marked possible trail routes with orange flagging. We reviewed our proposed trail layout after the snow melt and realized that the route crossed more downed trees and boulders than we would like. We will finish that route with a few minor modifications, but other trails had a higher priority this summer.
Our first order of business was opening the old skid roads near the front of the property. The primary skid road originates at the log landing where the cottage is being built, and splits into three branches a few hundred feet into the forest interior. The left branch continued northwest several hundred feet, meeting an intermittent stream near our west boundary. The right road led directly east some 500 feet to the stream along our front east boundary. The longer middle road climbs steeply past two high knolls and along the west side of our forested wetland, eventually meeting the spring fed stream below the cliffs. That stream is the major source for the wetland bog's water. The loggers took the road directly up the center of the stream for some fifty feet before climbing straight up a severe slope, which is now severely eroded but protected by water-bars we placed in 1995. We decided that the loggers had already done enough damage to that area and elected to end the skid road at that point, continuing with a narrower footpath into the interior of the forest.
The skid roads had closed in during the past ten years and were nearly indistinguishable, filled with young birch saplings and thick clumps of raspberries. Even though the center skid road was too steep and rock filled to be navigated by anything other than a logging skidder or ATV, we cleared it and the other skid roads to a width of ten to twelve feet, creating a pleasant boulevard through the woods. The work was done entirely by hand and was backbreaking work.
Winter Trail Layout - Summer Clearing of Skid Road- Opened Skid Road
Early Fall Trail Clearing - Late Fall on Cleared East Skid Road - Cleared AMC Trail to Joe's Ledges
Using the skid roads as our anchor, we created a small network of trails at the lower elevations and continued the center skid road as a footpath to the higher elevation east of the cliffs, connecting it to the former old AMC trail on our east boundary. That footpath extension passes through two extensive hemlock slopes, contouring around and through the second, and passes by a panoramic view point off a rocky bald that we call Hidden Ledges. A grand view of the White Mountains can be had from that point. The newly created trail from those ledges, and over most of the old AMC trail, had been blocked by fallen beech branches and trunks from the 1998 ice storm. With financial help from the Farm Services Agency, I was able to hire a crew and reopen that trail in October. We now have nearly two miles of trail cleared, with many more miles identified for clearing and other routes yet to be discovered.
We have also made great progress on our cottage at the landing and will be doing finishing work on the buttoned up shell over the winter. Photographs of the building progression have been posted at another web-site. E-mail us for that address if you are interested.
Larry
RETURN TO HOME
PAGE
Return to Current Owner's
Page