38 replies to this topic

[Skip]

rneal55555, on 12 February 2012 - 11:25 PM, said:

No problem we were glad to help wish we could have done more and got you riding. Anybody who hasn't been in the same position just hasn't ridden enough. When they get it sorted out let us know what was wrong with it.

I was thinking of how many coincidences happened out there Saturday Neal!

Our group met your group deep in the WMNF...later on we came upon the abandoned dog sled in the middle of the trail and placed it safely out of the way while we searched for the musher as well...after your group had helped the stranded sledder, we had stopped at an intersection just down trail when I received a phone call from the Canoe King as the sled owner was all the way back at the Store, but had left his truck keys back in his sled. If we hadn't stopped just at that moment and coincidentally only a mile or two from the sled I would have never heard the call!

Shows once again that sledders truly are a community that always chips in when someone else needs help...

[steviep]

The 2nd half of us went up on Sunday. We had a real nice ride even my wife had fun due to very low traffic. The trails were great and the signage was real good. It has been a few years sense the last time I rode up there but I remmember taking a trail that led you to the Kank but I didn't see the trail this time , did I miss it or is it gone. Do you ever think they will ever link white lake to Bear Notch Rd by trail . Now that would be a nice ride.

[Skip]

Its still there Steve...but no way this year with the lack of snow!

Our Club President continues to work with the Forest Service to build a trail all the way out to the Kank...it's his ultimate dream trail. Each year he and his son make the trek out to the Kank on that trail, and shame all of us younger guys! also, if conditions are right, he tries to lead a group up Chocorua to the cabin...nothing stops that guy....

Glad you guys had a great time...good to see your Club visit ours...

[sno-dust]

Skip, on 13 February 2012 - 07:21 PM, said:

Its still there Steve...but no way this year with the lack of snow!

Our Club President continues to work with the Forest Service to build a trail all the way out to the Kank...it's his ultimate dream trail. Each year he and his son make the trek out to the Kank on that trail, and shame all of us younger guys! also, if conditions are right, he tries to lead a group up Chocorua to the cabin...nothing stops that guy....

Glad you guys had a great time...good to see your Club visit ours...

Is that the bowles? trail? How far from the end of bear notch road does it drop onto the kanc? Connecting to bear notch would be big,maybe if that happened we could get bear notch connected with twin mtn or reconnected to conway(probably a better chance of back to back 3 foot snowstorms before this weekend than that happening,doesnt hurt to hope).

[Skip]

You take the trail out to Mudgett's Camp...it is clearly marked on our maps and Dave Bowles always signs the unmaintained trail to the Kank with ample warnings for those wishing to make an attempt. A few years back I went with a group and got 3/4's of the way until we were turned back by a washout...it was pretty late in the season.

Its a trip I'd really like to make sometime when conditons are right!

[Old Thumper]

ckf, on 12 February 2012 - 09:53 AM, said:

Some time when we have better conditions you really should come up and ride our trails Chris. I think you would really enjoy some of the fantastic views here in the lakes region!

John,
You would have to set Chris up with a loaner sled. He doesn't have to trailer sleds back and forth like most of us Flatlanders do.

Edited by Old Thumper, 14 February 2012 - 07:51 AM.

[jhwentworth]

Skip, on 13 February 2012 - 07:59 PM, said:

You take the trail out to Mudgett's Camp...it is clearly marked on our maps and Dave Bowles always signs the unmaintained trail to the Kank with ample warnings for those wishing to make an attempt. A few years back I went with a group and got 3/4's of the way until we were turned back by a washout...it was pretty late in the season.

Its a trip I'd really like to make sometime when conditons are right!

I think that trails terminates at Bowles campground on the Kanc, and from there to Bear Notch Road is several miles of difficult terrain. Looks real expensive to me.

Question for you Skip; who uses the trails at White Lake State Park that are signed "Demo"? We parked there this morning and rode the OVSC trails, and when we returned, the groomer was hitting the Demo trails. They were as flat as a pool table. Be a perfect spot to take a kid, or an inexperienced rider.

[Skip]

jhwentworth, on 14 February 2012 - 04:01 PM, said:

I think that trails terminates at Bowles campground on the Kanc, and from there to Bear Notch Road is several miles of difficult terrain. Looks real expensive to me.

Question for you Skip; who uses the trails at White Lake State Park that are signed "Demo"? We parked there this morning and rode the OVSC trails, and when we returned, the groomer was hitting the Demo trails. They were as flat as a pool table. Be a perfect spot to take a kid, or an inexperienced rider.

I believe the "Demo" signs were left over from this weekend's Groomer Rodeo and demo rides that weaved through the Park. The OVSC along with the BOT groomer stationed there grooms WLSP (including those trail sections) and it normally is a fantastic place for a novice rider or youngster to first ride...

As for connecting the OVSC with Bear Notch you are correct, it would be a very difficult trail to build and obviously a reroute of where it emerges on the Kanc would have to be factored in. That is why it remains but a dream (and a long time one at that) of our Club President.

[steviep]

Well I think the White lake to Bear Notch should be on the agenda for NHSA and all it Members. What can the rest of us do to get it done.

[Oldtimer]

The bowles trail ends in the Champney falls hiking trail parking lot...I thought?

[steviep]

A few years ago I rode that trail and it was groomed beyond where I turned around I remember seeing a trail that said Kangamangus 3 miles then we came to a steep hill and my wife wanted to turn around.

[Bilbo]

Oldtimer, on 14 February 2012 - 07:08 PM, said:

The bowles trail ends in the Champney falls hiking trail parking lot...I thought?

I hiked Chocura last summer from a trail on the Kancamangus.I think it was Champney falls. I know that the trail branched off toward Rt 16 a few miles in at one point.There are several trails when you get close to Chocura. I guess in a normal winter snowfall is plentiful in that area, it certainly would need to be to be for a viable sled trail,pretty rugged terrain and certainly hiked a lot. The view from the top is awesome

[RK-SXViper]

steviep, on 14 February 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

Well I think the White lake to Bear Notch should be on the agenda for NHSA and all it Members. What can the rest of us do to get it done.

The OVSC and the White mountain club should work together to get that trail opened up. Ask the other local clubs in the area to help out as this trail will be used by all the local riders. The White mountain club is cut off so I would think this connector trail would be priority #1 for all the clubs and businesses in the area. Open the trail then find a place in the middle somewhere for each club to groom to. I don't know about the local club politics, but if clubs don't learn to work together they will sink alone.

[Skip]

RK-SXViper, on 15 February 2012 - 08:18 AM, said:

The OVSC and the White mountain club should work together to get that trail opened up. Ask the other local clubs in the area to help out as this trail will be used by all the local riders. The White mountain club is cut off so I would think this connector trail would be priority #1 for all the clubs and businesses in the area. Open the trail then find a place in the middle somewhere for each club to groom to. I don't know about the local club politics, but if clubs don't learn to work together they will sink alone.

Just so there is no misunderstandings here....

This is not a question of "clubs working together". It is a question of logistics and money.

For those familiar with the area, it resides totally in the White Mountain National Forest, with much of it bordering, within feet, of the area's designated Wilderness Zone. Our Club is very familiar with the strict requirements necessary to build and maintain trails within the WMNF. Recently we had to replace two bridges. It cost $60,000 to build those bridges according to Forest Sevic e standards. The route necessary from Mudgett's Camp to the Kanc would require a number of bridges like this. Additionally the trail would need to be re-routed which would probably encompass some of the Wilderness Zone where no mechanized construction is allowed.

In short the path has been walked and it is estimated that such a trail, if it could receive the necessary permits and survive the assured oppostion it would get, would cost upwards of several hundreds of thousands of dollars to construct. For those of you that have made the journey, even partially, you realize the daunting task of construction in the terrain that is covered. This is not a simple path through the woods, but extremely rugged and heavily forested terrain of varying altitude encompassing many streams, gulleys and ditches.

Currently RTP funds are suspended. Registrations so far this season are short about a million dollars. Our club's membership income has been drastically reduced due to this year's weather. Quite frankly as much as everyone in the area would love to see these trail systems connected the reality is that the permissions necessary and the funding required are simply not available. The reality is that with the funding and volunteering that we currently have, we at the OVSC will be doing all we can to survive the rest of this season and wonder how deep we can dig next year just to maintain our current equipment and trails. Sadly many other Clubs are in the same predicament!

[RK-SXViper]

Skip, thanks for the explanation. I didn't realize the extent of the project, but It's good to see it on the clubs wish list.

[Oldtimer]

If anything, Skip understated the scope of the project. It's not that it could never happen....just that it probably never will....unless the State itself decided it needs to be done.

[sno-dust]

Skip, on 15 February 2012 - 11:12 AM, said:

Just so there is no misunderstandings here....

This is not a question of "clubs working together". It is a question of logistics and money.

For those familiar with the area, it resides totally in the White Mountain National Forest, with much of it bordering, within feet, of the area's designated Wilderness Zone. Our Club is very familiar with the strict requirements necessary to build and maintain trails within the WMNF. Recently we had to replace two bridges. It cost $60,000 to build those bridges according to Forest Sevic e standards. The route necessary from Mudgett's Camp to the Kanc would require a number of bridges like this. Additionally the trail would need to be re-routed which would probably encompass some of the Wilderness Zone where no mechanized construction is allowed.

In short the path has been walked and it is estimated that such a trail, if it could receive the necessary permits and survive the assured oppostion it would get, would cost upwards of several hundreds of thousands of dollars to construct. For those of you that have made the journey, even partially, you realize the daunting task of construction in the terrain that is covered. This is not a simple path through the woods, but extremely rugged and heavily forested terrain of varying altitude encompassing many streams, gulleys and ditches.

Currently RTP funds are suspended. Registrations so far this season are short about a million dollars. Our club's membership income has been drastically reduced due to this year's weather. Quite frankly as much as everyone in the area would love to see these trail systems connected the reality is that the permissions necessary and the funding required are simply not available. The reality is that with the funding and volunteering that we currently have, we at the OVSC will be doing all we can to survive the rest of this season and wonder how deep we can dig next year just to maintain our current equipment and trails. Sadly many other Clubs are in the same predicament!

Exactly! This makes the connection of Conway and Twin Mtn via the EXISTING ,STATE OWNED mountian division rail line through Crawford Notch a much more viable option. It would be a mid state east-west connector which would also reconnect Bear Notch road..It has its own set of issues,some political,some practical.Ice slides and avalanches and drifts can sometimes be a hazard,There are many rail bridges that would have to be covered.It would be one of the most scenic rides in the state. The notch is generally a high snow area.Running east-west the sun only hits the tracks a few hours a day in the winter..It would probably need to be maintained and groomed by the bureau of trails ,do you really think that will ever happen?Look closely at google earth sometime,you can see all the cutting that has gone on.And with some existing roads overlaid on top it makes things seem more possible.Looking to the left of the ossipee range it is not a far stretch to connect OVSC at the kanc to to waterville valley via Livermore Pass to Tripoli road.Just imagine where we could go if they would let us.

[Freedom Rider]

sno-dust, on 15 February 2012 - 08:55 PM, said:

Exactly! This makes the connection of Conway and Twin Mtn via the EXISTING ,STATE OWNED mountian division rail line through Crawford Notch a much more viable option. It would be a mid state east-west connector which would also reconnect Bear Notch road..It has its own set of issues,some political,some practical.Ice slides and avalanches and drifts can sometimes be a hazard,There are many rail bridges that would have to be covered.It would be one of the most scenic rides in the state. The notch is generally a high snow area.Running east-west the sun only hits the tracks a few hours a day in the winter..It would probably need to be maintained and groomed by the bureau of trails ,do you really think that will ever happen?Look closely at google earth sometime,you can see all the cutting that has gone on.And with some existing roads overlaid on top it makes things seem more possible.Looking to the left of the ossipee range it is not a far stretch to connect OVSC at the kanc to to waterville valley via Livermore Pass to Tripoli road.Just imagine where we could go if they would let us.

The biggest hurdle will be town politics. This has already been attempted by the local club and Trails Bureau.It was not stopped by a lack of trying.

http://www.conwaydai...ridor-expansion
http://www.conwaydai...rail-corridor-0
http://www.conwaydai...tom-mcalister-1
http://www.conwaydai...oug-ainsworth-0
http://www.conwaydai...y/andrew-s-cook
http://www.conwaydai...nd-lynn-wilczek
http://www.conwaydai...avenue-sidewalk

[steviep]

I know it would take a lot of work but all trails and projects start as a dream but together we can make it happen,If you don't believe this is true just ask Rivercat, The Hero's Bridge started as a dream. And no one thought it was possible. I for one would gladly give up some of my time to help make this trail a reallity.