6/20/25: Patrol Solitude, Newbury w., & Rim Trails on Mt. Sunapee

Last Friday, we had good enough conditions of dry weather, west winds of 20 mph to keepthat state bird confused, the summit chairlift running.  Therefore, four of us spotted a car in the NE Bowl area, signed waivers for comp tickets, and rode the chair to the top of the mountain by 1100 (Thank you, Mt. Sunapee Resort).

We patrolled with hand tools down Solitude Trail etc, stopping on the White Ledges for lunch. Descending to Jack & June Jct, we went east on Newbury Trail, trimming branches the crew of last year did not quite reach before they had to turn back. We cut 10 blowdowns, including a few leaners. It was a long day, 8 hrs total with 6 hrs work after we reached the summit. We were four,  Jose, Dave, Chuck, TM Craig.

Worth remarking: after 2" rain fell May 31, the Sunapee Scramble race ran on these trails, TWICE, on June 1.  Hundreds of runners on muddy trails left them 2 or 3 times as wide (in places wide enough to pass others) as they were last year. Flat places are still mudholes because ditches we have dug to drain them are collapsed from all the traffic. We'll have to spend more time doing what we can to fix those impacts.

Craig Sanborn,  CHVTC
Trailmaster