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| Rock Steps |
PICTURES
Final work days last Wednesday and this past Friday to get Phoebes Nable Loop trail completed (to a passable state) was done. This trail has been a year-and-a-half in the making! It was first laid out and cut under the direction of Nate Preisendorfer of North Star Trails in September 2013. 500+ back-breaking work hours with 2 dozen volunteers later we are near completion! We fixed some sections along the treadway and opened up the trailhead and top of the trail. Roots, rocks and stumps had to be removed along with some more duff layer on the treadway. We also got a rock work project done Friday placing 3 large steps on the upper portion of the trail.
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| Our Trail Opening hikers |
Saturday July 4th, 2015 we had our trail opening hike. Our friends Joann and Tony who abbutt theproperty were in attendance as well as my brother Jeremy and his girlfriend Cate and fellow land steward Kate W. After meeting at the parking lot we headed out 10:15am up Burrows Farm trail. It is a gentle woods road walk past Hall Spring and along the Burrows Brook which you cross over a couple times (bridges). We entered the Burrows Field where once the 1800's farm sat and entered the woods to the trailhead for the new trail.
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| Tony paints first blaze (by: Joann Coskie) |
Tony had the honors of putting up the first trail blaze (blue). It was this day in 2011 we put up our first blaze on this property so it was fitting to open this trail on the same day 4 years later! The new trail replaces the more direct trail to the summit of Phoebes Nable Mt. The old trail is severely washed out and not a pleasant hike especially for kids or elderly.
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| Stone Staircase |
The new Phoebes Nable Loop trail is a sustainable trail approximately 1/2 mile long, with gentle grades, good footing, stone steps and long gentle switchbacks. Along the way enjoy rock erratics, ledges, a pine grove and an impressive stone staircase built by volunteers. In winter partial views are seen to the North side of the property.
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| Phoebes Nable Summit |
We blazed the trail all the way up to the summit where we took a break for lunch. It was such a beautiful day! Mt. Agamenticus was visible in York, ME as was the nearby Blue Hills Range of Blue Job, Hussey and Parker to name the trailed peeks. Also many marshes were visible in this, the largest non-developed forest in South Eastern NH which is also the main watershed for the Salmon Falls River.
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| Trail Section along ledge |
After lunch we blazed our way back down the way we came (a loop can be done from the summit using the Phoebes Nable Mt. trail - which is steep - that follows woods roads directly to the parking lot). I believe it was 1:30 when we arrived back to the parking lot. The trail is now open (temporary signs in place) and the old trail section is brushed-in at the junction points with the new trail. There is still some work to be done so watch out for the occasional stump, root or hole in the trail! We plan on getting it to 100% this summer and host another hike for a Grand Opening in September :) Look for this and other trail descriptions for Moose Mountains Reservation in this years 4th Edition AMC Southern NH Trail Guide Book!
awesome pictures of middle town
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