East Peak Trail Maintenance Day

Ten of us were able to get out for a day of trail work in rainy weather. The high temperature hovered around 40 degrees making it ideal hypothermia conditions....not a good thing. Most of us carried loppers but we also had pruning shears, bow saws, fire rakes and a grub hoe. We focused on brushing  but also built about six makeshift waterbars to take the water off the trail. Performing trail maintenance on a rainy day is a great opportunity to see how water is draining from the trail.

Mt. Osceola Trail has three distinct sections. The first section runs from Tripoli Road to the summit of Mt. Osceola that we worked on last week. This section is a moderate approach to Mt. Osceola and one the easier trails to a 4,000 footer. The other section runs from the Kancamagus Highway over to East Peak. This section has a very steep section to its summit. The third section has a ridge that connects two peaks and known for the ‘Chimney’, a steep rock scramble.

We left the house at 8:15AM and carpooled to the trailhead. We stopped at a tool cache in Lincoln, NH to pick up a fire rake and grub hoe. We arrived in the parking lot around 9:15AM with only 2 vehicles in the lot. On a nice, sunny day, this lot fills up quickly. We geared up and were off on the trail 15 minutes later. During the day we saw only about 4 people; the weather forecast certainly kept everyone indoors.

While it was tempting to start working right away, we had to walk 1.3 miles on the Greeley Ponds Trail until we reached the actual start of our adopted trail, Mt Osceola trail. However the major brook crossing on the Greeley Ponds Trail became a problem with one member of our group unwilling to attempt crossing it. Once we reached our adopted trail, we soon started to work on brushing and clearing water bars. Brushing and clearing water bars seems to be an ongoing process with trail maintenance, but that's that way it goes. Some water bars fill faster than others; vegetation growing back in faster than others. 

We continued up the section of trail below the cliffs and saw all the water running down the trail due to the rainy week. We ended up building some makeshift waterbars to get the water off the trail and when brooks/streams were crossing the trail, clearing debris on the other side so the water would flow faster. Around noon it stopped raining, a breeze was picking up and if felt like the temperature was dropping.

We we getting hungry and needed to refuel so about a half hour later stopped to have lunch right before the steep section. Hands were getting cold due to them being wet; and we started to get chilled from stopping. During lunch we decided to work for about a half hour more afterwards and then start heading back. I think everyone thought that was the best news of the day! There seemed to be a relief from everyone because I think we had reached the point where we had enough. After lunch we were making the steep ascent and knowing that we weren't going to reach the summit of East Peak today, there did not seem much of a point to continue.

On the return, we were just amazed how well our makeshift waterbars worked because there was no longer any water on the trail! And we could clearly see how the brushing we did made the trail wider and more comfortable to hike in! We stopped to enjoy some of the wildflowers on the descent including Hobblebush, Painted Trillium, and Goldthread. We safely crossed the brook on the Greeley Ponds trail and got back to our vehicles around 3PM with our muscle aches.

After trail work we took showers back at the house, relaxed around a fire, entertained Sunshine, enjoyed wine/beer and munched on snacks. Mike and Jeff helped Jon prepare the meal. We had our traditional hungry hiker BBQ feast cooked by Jon that included Harvest Pilaf, Red Bliss Potato Salad, Fresh Garden Salad, Sirloin Veggie Kabobs, and Indian Tandoori Chicken. We were originally going to have dessert but were too full afterwards. After dinner we went up to the loft to see pictures taken during the day and watch 'The Hobbit' movie. The next morning we cooked up pancakes [with maple syrup contributed by Bruce], pan fries, sausage. orange juice, and of course, coffee! 

GayOutdoors provided free lodging and meals for the weekend. Many GO members who helped us out this year earned a free White Mountain National Forest parking pass. GO is listed at all the trailheads as being a trail adopter that provides us with goodwill among the greater hiking community. 

Jon and I are quite proud that 11 members still came to work on our adopted trail on a rainy and cold day! You guys ROCK! THANK YOU!!!

Jon and I will be hosting part 2 of our annual trail maintenance day to GayOutdoors' newly adopted trail, Mt. Osceola. We have two weekends this year because the trail has been neglected in recent years and the Forest Service recommended we host two trail maintenance days for our first year. We are hopeful that GayOutdoors has enough energetic, ambitious members to keep our trail in top condition. The work itself, cleaning out waterbars, clearing small to medium blowdowns, clipping brush and painting blazes, is fairly easy. We are fortunate to be part of a club of gay men that have the opportunity to go hiking regularly in various places to take in the beauty of the White Mountains. We often oooh and awwwwe at some of the things we see. Now we have the opportunity to be a part of doing something to give back to the hiking community, while working on something we love...hiking trails...and helping make them a place where both ourselves and others can enjoy. We are looking forward to fun, hard work, comaraderie, new skills and friendships! 

The Mt. Osceola trail from the Kancamagus Highway is popular because it leads to East Peak and is on the NH four thousand footer list at 4,156'. East Peak summit views is about as lacking as they come but there is an outlook before the summit once we reach the ridge.  

What can we do? We need members to do all sorts of trail maintenance, from cleaning out waterbars, clearing small to medium blowdowns, clipping brush and painting blazes. You don't have to be an expert to help and we can easily train you. All tools are provided. We'll let you in on one of the best kept secrets in the mountains: trail work is fun! Check out last year's pictures. A trail that you have worked on belongs to you in a way that it's difficult to put into words.

This is a rain or shine event, so watch the sky, and bring appropriate clothing. Bring work gloves. If you have loppers, 'large' hedge clippers, or small bow saws at home please bring them. Please dress for all weather conditions. Bring plenty of water, daypack, and lunch. Hiking boots are recommended. 

Let's show everyone that GayOutdoors is serious about giving back to the hiking community, and let's show them what gay men can do! Will you come help us on this day? Feel free to come for the day, or the whole weekend, we are not picky about it, the more hands the better!

We meet at our house at 9AM on Saturday for introductions, choosing tools, and then carpool to the trailhead. It's a full day and we expect to finish around 4pm. Water and snack breaks are taken throughout the day. Lunch will be on the summit [bring your own]. We'll then continue performing trail maintenance a bit further on the ridge up to where we left off the weekend before. Keep in mind the day involves hiking 6 miles, climbing 2,216 feet with a very steep section, and lots of bending up/down to clip brush and strength to remove blowdowns. If it becomes too much for you, you can turn around on your own and perform a 'second trail maintenance sweep' on the way down. That's OK. You can wait for us back at the cars. 

To say THANK YOU for your efforts you are invited back at our house for the FREE kickin' Hungry Hiker BBQ Feast we put on. And we are not talking about a wimpy dinner. It's the sort of meal you'd expect to be fed to a hungry logger. This Hungry Hiker BBQ Feast is the sort of meal you'd expect to get from a high end restaurant and includes salad, entree and one of Jon's famous desserts! Everyone is invited. Please come back and enjoy this feast with your trail maintenance buddies. We hope your plans will allow you to join us for this feast IN YOUR HONOR! You'll also be eligible for a free White Mountain National Forest parking pass after 16 hours of work [we take care of the recordkeeping]. 

When you arrive at the house after trail maintenance, we take turns taking showers [towels are provided; bring a change of clothing] and then hang out on the outdoor deck having cold beers, wine and appetizers while enjoying views of Sandwich Mountain!

Everyone is invited to spend a FREE weekend at our house Friday and/or Saturday night with breakfast each morning. Sunday breakfast is another hiker feast. It's to die for! We only have 8 bunks so the first 8 guys that contact us to reserve will get one; and let us know if its both nights or one of the nights. If we run out of room, you can tent outside; please also let us know if you'll be tenting. 

As part of GayOutdoors' philosophy, we believe in doing our part to give back to the community. We are really excited about seeing many members sign up for this trail maintenance event. It's great to see friends coming together and willing to give of their time/efforts to make a difference. I'm sure that you'd agree how very proud we are of GO and it's members for taking the initiative. Hats off to each of you. We look forward to seeing each of you at the East Peak Trail Maintenance Day. As a team, we can get a lot accomplished. Let's do it! 

Namaste and Happy Trails!
Jon and Mike