Snowshoe Outing

[cajunman]

Saturday was the Outdoor Enthusiast Outing from Adair's Wilderness Lodge to Pigeon. Nice sunny day, the trail is marked from Adairs to the Shepody Rd, hoewever the rest of the trail is not always visble, best to do this section in the winter with your local club , or someone who is familiar . Switched to modern snowshoes from traditional . Certainly advantageous on hilly terrain or crusty snow. 14 paticipants     

[Tetagoucher]

Have hike the section from Adair's Wilderness lodge to the Shepody road this past summer and enjoyed it very much. The best part was about half way through where you come across a section that resembles a Tundra. It kind of reminds me of the vegetation that grows up on the Chic-Choc mountains.  Also enjoyed coming along side some lake that I'm unfamiliar with the name of. There is a damn of some sorts were you can spend some time watching fish swim by in the clear water. Unfortunately the path does come to logging road at N 45 35.267 W065 17.981.

The trail does continues up past here where the loggers who cut the westerly side kindly left a few markings so that one can distinguish where the trail goes.  However, on the eastern side they cut right over the trail and it is no longer visible.

I think this section can be salvaged now that it has been replanted. I would suggest that the trail be continue up following the blazed property line. At a certain point you could cut off at 90 degrees to the trail on the other side of the cut. the trees are planted in this direction and after several years would be a nice walk amongst the rows of trees. It's funny but now that it has been cut there is a nice view from the top of the hill.

In the mean time I would suggest that one follows the logging road from the previous coordinates to the Shepody and then east to N 45 34.853 W 065 17.553 where it connects back to the trail.

Not to sure about the trail that goes north from Wallace falls but the loggers there have left a 30 meter buffer from the trail for the most part. I will be doing this stretch as soon as the roads are drivable. Not sure if it's even the same trail since a sign would have me believe it's another Dobson trail. It will be fun to see if I can manage to find my way to the Shepody with so much logging in the area over the years.

One way or another It would be nice to see this trail connected with the Sussex Bluff Trail. Would also be great if it stayed up on the Bluffs across from Poley mountain to Cedar camp. Would be an incredible Trail with great views.

[Tetagoucher]

Just got back from doing another section. left from the Shepody Rd  past the sugary to about half way to wallace falls.

Leaving from the Shepody road you go down to a brook and up the other side where it connects to an old road. Turn to the west and continue till you get to a clearcut and a new logging road. Take this road in an westerly direction.  The road will turn south... continue following this road till you see the trail going east just before a turn around. The old trail can be followed but its very wet and hard to see. Following the new road is the best bet. When you reconnect with the trail it will take you to the sugary. There is a strip cut on the other side but you can still find blazes. Soon after you will be on an atv trail then off an on again till you reach a river. Cross the river then a brook the trail is not very visible and many overhanging branches from here. Don't take the trail that follows the brook it goes to the middle of a lake. A little way up hill the trail widens and travels through a jack pine plantation. Good going from here...

I didn't get much further due to time. Hope to continue from the clear cut on the other side once the roads are passable. 

[wanderer17]

I agree Tetagoucher the Catamount would be an incredible trail if we could somehow link it to the Bluff Trail.  Maybe we should form a trail committee to see about this.  You interested?

I would also love to see a spur trail across Walker Settlement into Parlee Brook and into Hidden Valley and then over into Mill Brook and back to Sussex Corner.  We could call it the Trout Creek Watershed Trail?

Whose with me?!!

[Tetagoucher]

Hope no one minds that I hijacked this thread...

Just got back from hiking another section of trail. I was able to find where I left off earlier this year and continued walking among the Jackpines. The trail then takes you in a mixed forest stand and then you emerge on the edge of a clearcut and on an end of a road. Found the best way to travel is to take this logging road.  Travel till you reach the T then go right. Then travel this road to a Y and stay left. After that take the next right and travel to the start of another clearcut near the top of a knoll. The trail can be found just before on the right.

However, you will miss out on the adventure of following the trail in what is possibly the worst section of trail. Logging has hurt this section pretty good. The trail just kisses the corner of the cut and enters back into the woods. Shortly down the trail a strip cut of sorts bites into the trail and blazes are difficult to find. Stay to the left for the most part and the trail will work its way around till you cross over this cut. The trail then goes back into the wood and pass a tree stand and then to an old cut. keep a straight line for the most part and follow the moose who seems to be the only one using the trail these days. If by chance you make it to the other end you will be in a hard wood stand and shortly after you will come to a road crosing at N45 34.758 W065 15.083.

Cross the road and you will soon meet head on with another strip cut out of a hardwood stand. The trail goes from one side to the other. Best to keep the clear cut to you right close since the trail follows the edge about 40m away. The trail then goes into a section of uncut forest then back into another section of these strips. The trail eventual comes out where a pipe and ditch water more or less is directed down the trail at N45 35.036 W065 14.484. Climb onto the road and follow it a few meeter to the branch road u can see on the other side. Right where these roads meet the trail enters back into the woods at N45 35.016 W065 14.415. The trail is good going till you come to an old road. Turn right and follow it till it takes you prety much all the way back to where u started. Cross the road at N45 34.904 W065 14.369 and go back into the wood.

At this point you are more or less in a jakepine plantation with a clearcut on either sides. There is a buffer of trees left to protect the trail. The trail then get soggy and will eventual meet up with an Atv trail. Turn right and follow the Atv trail till u reach a road at N45 34.112 W065 14.158.

From here turn left and follow the road down to the section from Wallace falls to the Fundy Footpath...

[Tetagoucher]

Wanderer17... You have some good ideas. As for a committee I would never be able to take the time unless I made a life change.  However, It would be nice to find out more on the Catamount trail... wonder if there was any maps printed or someone who is looking after it?

[Tetagoucher]

Finally got back to finish the trail from Wallace falls to the fundy footpath. This is one of the better sections of the trail. I got to see some very impressive waterfalls further down river. Thanks to the individuals who marked out the path with orange flagging tape. The blazes for the most part are easy to follow. Clear cutting bit a few sections of the trail but it wasn't to much of a problem like in other sections.  There was some resent maintenance done witch was nice to see that someone is keeping up this section of trail.   

[D.Feack]

Julz got me thinking about night hiking, and I started to think that it might be fun to do a full moon snowshoe expedition.  I dont know if any of you have ever night hiked by the light of a full moon - its a very peaceful experience.  And the light that the moon gives off reflected by white snow is spectacular

We could snowshoe around Mirror Lake, it should be pretty awesome on top with the exposed lake.  Anyone interested?  Maybe the night of Februray 22 or 23?

[Tetagoucher]

Got out on the trail again to look for another section of trail. I can't get over how fun it can be to get so frustrated looking for blazes.

This time I started at Adair's wilderness lodge and went the other way. The first part of the trail is in good condition and was a very enjoyable hike even if it was only a few hundred meters. The trail goes to a newly constructed logging road. Turn right and follow this road a short distance till you see the trail again on the other side. This can be confusing and could be fixed by having the trail join up directly across the road.

The trail from here looks like an atv trail but there are no tracks to be seen. The trail will Y and you must stay to the right. A short ways down the path you will need to hop over a fallen tree. (I would have removed it but i wanted to keep the atvs out)...  the trail is great going till you reach a rock with a 24 on it. Im assuming its a distance marker from one end or the other?

From here the path swings right but the blue blazes take you to the left and into some young hardwood. I would guess it is an old clear cut? From here you horseshoe up and around a ridge with some nice views. Im thinking this is why they chose to take the trail this way. Once on the other end you continue down till you come to what looks like an old logging road. turn left and follow this road. Soon after that the blazes go into the woods to the right and disappear. It looks like there was and old clear cut that took out the trail because you are now in some even aged spruce trees.

Work your way to Larry's look off at N45 37.066 W065 18.795 where the trail reveals its self again. This section could be connected again very easily assuming that it is lost and that i just could not find it.  From here its a nice walk amongst some maple tees with great view or the hills and walton lake I belive?.

A ways along the trail the blazes send you down an old red blazed property line. at this point im not too sure if you are to follow it or not? I did and found two blue bands of blue with a unreadable number on a birch tree. If this is the trail it should be moved to the Left from this point since you drop down a steep bank and the at the bottom over a brook.

After getting your boots wet you work your way up hill following red blazes till you come a trail used by Atvs. directly across the red and now blue blazes continue up the hill. I'm sure i must have lost the right trail but it all work out. N45 37.526 W065 18.663 is where I found the blue blazes again.

A short ways up the line and you now turn right where the blue blazes send you in to the deep woods. Blazes can be hard to find at times but they are there. Traveling in this mixed tree stand can get dark at times with large spruce blocking the sun. Continuing along the trail it will climb a hill and exit in the middle of a newly harvested area.

The trail is found again directly across the cut. From here it enters into another maple stand where I ended my journey for the day.

Does anyone know where I might find the end/start to this trail.?

[cajunman]

The Eastern Section of Catamount trail , from your description,continues after the cut , easterly , a small side trails brings you too  a large moss coverd boulder, returning to the trail, it continues easterly for about 500 meters ,and ends . The original intent was to proceed past Cedar Camp, go on th opposite bluff by way of Waterford , and then onto the Sussex Bluff to exit at Sussex Corner. The Trail Master Edwin Melanson, negociator par excellence , had met most of the landowners and discussed right of way . the Catamount would have extended from Sussex Corner to the Fundy Footpath !

[Tetagoucher]

It just ends in the middle of nowhere?

On another note and to bring this topic back to where it started... I was snowshoeing the part from Adair's wilderness lodge to were the sugary has their trees taped. Trail is great and well packed till you get to that lake about half way.

Just wondering what way you go from where the sugary property starts?.. there seems to be two options. One goes to the sugary and the other more to the left. Do the owners mind us walking by? I stopped at the lines and turned back but i would have like to have made a circle using their road but was unsure...