Trip report
Trail Maintenance Weekend
Volunteering DATE: 06/04/2016 - 06/04/2016
Trip/Event Location: Waterville Valley, NH
US
Trip Leader(s): Gandalf , JDNnh
Max # People: 15
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Come join us for our annual Trail Maintenance on our adopted trail...it’s the all-boys sleep-away weekend you wished your parents had sent you to! GayOutdoors Trail Maintenance Weekend is a
...If you are spending Friday night with us, we cannot let you in until 7pm since we both work. Otherwise, on Saturday, meet at our house for 8:00 am so we can make introductions, distribute tools, and arrange carpooling to the trailhead. We are meeting at our house: 676 Upper Mad River Road, Thornton, NH.
Take I-93 and use Exit 28. At the end of the ramp take right onto Rte 49 East for 3.5 miles and take a left on Burbank Hill Road.
During this 3.5 miles, you'll pass a traffic light where there is a dam on your right, then pass a White Mountain National Forest campground and then see a former restaurant for sale on your left. About a mile after the restaurant, you'll see Burbank Hill Road on the left (Goose Hollow Campground sign). If you cross the Mad River on the bridge, you just missed the left turn.
Take a left onto steep Burbank Hill Road and you’ll quickly reach the top of the hill where you take your first right onto Upper Mad River Road (Hiking Sign). The road will soon turn into gravel, you'll pass two apartments on your right and then a house. Our property begins right after this house and after about 200 yards you’ll see a mailbox with "676" which is our house. The house is not very visible from the road.
We now have parking for a number of cars in a gravel lot at the end of the driveway to the right. Be mindful when you park that we are trying to fit a lot of cars so be considerate of other members. If the lot is full when you arrive, please unload your gear and drive back up to the upper parking lot.
Trip Report/Photos
Eight of us worked to get our adopted trail in shape for the hiking season!
We performed trail work on our adopted trail [Mt. Osceola Trail] from Tripoli Road. This is a very popular trail so it requires a lot of attention to protect them from all that loving they get :-)
With an agreement made with the Forest Service, GayOutdoors adopted Mt. Osceola Trail; it's 5.7 miles long, it has two 4,000 footers [Mt. Osceola at 4,340 ft. and East Osceola at 4,156 ft.] and can be reached either from Tripoli Road or the Kancamagus Highway. GayOutdoors has purchased tools for trail maintenance over the years just because we think it's the right thing to do and happy to share them with all the GO members that help us out each year. You can learn a lot about trail maintenance by working with us!
Friday, the travel day to the GO Center, we gathered on the deck under our lit Tiki Torches and got caught up with each other’s activities.
On Saturday after breakfast we discussed the basics of trail maintenance, the work that had to be done, and make arrangements for carpooling. We started from the Tripoli Road trailhead to the summit of Mt. Osceola cleaning all the waterbars, cutting back encroaching vegetation and removed two overhanging trees.
We encountered many people who thanked us for our work as they made their way to the summit. We had partly cloudy days with temperatures in the high 70s. We arrived on the summit at 1:40 for our lunch break and headed back down around 2:30pm.
After trail work we took showers back at the house, relaxed outside on the deck with wine/beer and appetizers. Then we had our traditional hungry hiker BBQ feast cooked by Jon that included baked salmon and lemon, grilled chicken, skirt steak, turkey sausage, grilled peppers, garden salad, pesto pasta, and bread. For dessert we had a homemade expresso chocolate cake covered with raspberries and whipped cream!
After dinner we sat around a roaring bonfire followed by fireworks. The next morning we had pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, grilled mushrooms, sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh fruit, toast and 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 recognized as being a trail adopter that provides us with goodwill among the greater hiking community.
Quite a productive day on our adopted trail! What a great crew! THANK YOU!!!
Trip Report by Mike
Trip Pictures by Mike and Jon
There are 74 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)
What Members Are Saying About This Trip/Event
- You guys rock! Your kindness, strength and friendship make this world a better place. Osceola never looked better! - JDNnh
- It warms the heart giving back to the trail community and being thanked for it by fellow hikers. Thanks Mike and Jon for hosting and all the delicious food. More than anyone could ask for! - wildcat
- Correction & Addendum "Doubling" a wishful thought, how about extending to the 2nd. Osceola summit? And yes, fine fellow participants. A special tribute to Hiker 38. Chapeau! - Scorpione
- The work was fun. Mike and Jon surpassed themselves in stewardship, "charme et haute cuisine". How about doubling the adopted miles with more volunteers next time? Luciano - Scorpione
- I’ve gotten to know many people through GO and certainly have enjoyed a lot of hiking and camaraderie. I’m no stranger to physical work and this by far was the most rewarding and best GO event ever!! The kindness and generosity of spirit was in fine form and I’m grateful to have been part of giving back to the mountains. Thanks gentlemen for a brilliant weekend of fun, forest, work and food!! - Robert.L
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JDNnh
Jun 6, 2016 at 5:29 PM
Comment: You guys rock! Your kindness, strength and friendship make this world a better place. Osceola never looked better! 
wildcat
Jun 6, 2016 at 8:54 AM
Comment: It warms the heart giving back to the trail community and being thanked for it by fellow hikers. Thanks Mike and Jon for hosting and all the delicious food. More than anyone could ask for! 
Scorpione
Jun 6, 2016 at 7:42 AM
Comment: Correction & Addendum "Doubling" a wishful thought, how about extending to the 2nd. Osceola summit? And yes, fine fellow participants. A special tribute to Hiker 38. Chapeau!
Scorpione
Jun 5, 2016 at 6:54 PM
Comment: The work was fun. Mike and Jon surpassed themselves in stewardship, "charme et haute cuisine". How about doubling the adopted miles with more volunteers next time? Luciano 
Robert.L
Jun 5, 2016 at 6:35 PM
Comment: I’ve gotten to know many people through GO and certainly have enjoyed a lot of hiking and camaraderie. I’m no stranger to physical work and this by far was the most rewarding and best GO event ever!! The kindness and generosity of spirit was in fine form and I’m grateful to have been part of giving back to the mountains. Thanks gentlemen for a brilliant weekend of fun, forest, work and food!! |
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