Cardigan Highlanders Volunteer Trail Crew

Most current project on the top.

Sun 10/13: Andrew Brook Trail, Mt. Sunapee

About a mile uphill from Mountain Road in Newbury, just uphill of 3rd crossing of brook finish rock drain begun 7/14, if time redefine/add rock steps on nearby slope. Last worked by AMC-NH Vol. Trail Crew in 1983, repairs are needed. Several steps still in place, but need others to join them into a better-defined path that zigzags up the steep slope. TL Bob is in charge of this job.

LINKS:     Andrew Brook Trailhead on Google Maps          Mount Sunapee Hiking Trail Map

Meet at the trailhead on Mountain Road @ 08:30 AM. Join us for a fun day of putting rocks together. Usual attire long pants, good boots, gloves, shovel and pick if you have them, lunch and water. If you would like to pitch in with us, please email me at [email protected] to sign up or ask questions.

Thu 10/10 & Fri 10/11: West Ridge Trail, Mount Cardigan

We hope to rearrange rocks into a stair to guide hikers up the slope, dig better ditches, and add mineral soil where it will make a more inviting treadway. If done, we move on down to where jobs are smaller.

LINKS:   Cardigan SP trailhead on Google Maps      Mount Cardigan Trail Map PDF

Meet trailhead 0900, days are Thu 10/10 and Fri 10/11. BYO food, water, electrolytes. If you woul like to lend a hand, please email me at [email protected] to sign up or ask questions.

Sat 10/5 Return to Winslow Trail: 0900 @Winslow State Park, Mt. Kearsarge

We will clean up the remains of a large blow-down that was cut out by DNCR sawyers and finish up the work started on our previous workday.

BYO food, 2 qt water, gloves (or we issue a pair) Leather boots & long pants advised. Please wear your CHVTC tartan.

Please email me at [email protected] to sign up or ask questions. I look forward to greeting you.

LINKS:      Winslow State Park on Google Maps                 Kearsarge Trail Map PDF

Craig Sanborn, CHVTC Trailmaster.

Sat 9/21 Winslow Trail: 0900 @Winslow State Park, Mt. Kearsarge

Our 3rd Saturday series has us on Winslow Trail this Saturday September 21. We have two jobs:

1) Building team level 2: revetting, steps, waterbars etc. Picks, shovels, loppers, loops of webbing, 4' 10-lb bars, gloves etc. Work below 1/2 way rock. Minimum team 3 people.

2) Barricade team level 1: work is above 1/2 way rock. Safety certified sawyer necessary. Minimum
team 4 people: sawyer, tender, 2 swampers. Gloves recommended when handling trees.

Forecast is dry, temp 70F. BYO food, 2 qt water, gloves (or we issue a pair) Leather boots & long pants advised. Please wear your CHVTC tartan.

Please email me at [email protected] to sign up or ask questions. I look forward to greeting you.

LINKS:      Winslow State Park on Google Maps                 Kearsarge Trail Map PDF

Craig Sanborn, CHVTC Trailmaster.

Sunday, Sep. 8: Mount Cardigan, East End of Skyland Trail. Alexandria 4 Corns to Orange Mtn. 3.3 mi. one-way.

Long-range patrol team, led by TL Bob. Meet 0830 @ Alexandria 4 Corners (map link below). Patrol west to Orange Mtn clearing blowdowns w/ hand tools. Views of Cardigan range and Shem Valley. Retrace steps trimming back the brush as they return easterly. Our brushers trim even with ground or tree trunk, we leave no punjis for hikers to impale themselves on.

Brushing team, led by TM Craig. Hike to col between Grafton Knob and Crane Mtn., ~1.5 mi. Brush easterly w/ hand tools through old clearcuts now growing back. Our brushers trim even with ground or tree trunk, we leave no punjis for hikers to impale themselves on.

Cooler of cold drinks at cars. Tartans awarded to those who earned them by working three days with us.

Usual gear for day hike in dry weather. Forecast is 70. Long pants highly recommended. BYO gloves or we issue a pair.
Bring 2 qt. water, electrolytes, food.

LINKS:   Alexandria 4 Corners on Google Maps           Mount Cardigan Trail Map PDF

If you would like to lend a hand, email me at [email protected]. Any other questions cheerfully answered.Hope to see you Sunday.

Craig Sanborn, CHVTC Trailmaster

Thurs.-Sat., Aug. 22-24: Mount Cardigan

This week has dry enough weather to allow trailwork Thu-Fri-Sat. Meet at Jake's Market on Rte 118 Canaan NH 0900. One day to brush Mowglis Trail and lash blaze poles to trees from Cardigan to Firescrew. Two days to fix problem sites on West Ridge Trail, working from Cliff's Bridge downhill.

Gear as for dayhike. BYO gloves or we issue a pair. We'll meet many hikers, please wear your tartan. If you would like to lend a hand on one or more days, email me at [email protected]. Any other questions cheerfully answered. Refreshments at Jake's after work.

LINKS:   Jake's Market on Google Maps          Mount Cardigan Trail Map PDF

Thank you. All the Best, Craig

Fri 7/26 & Sun 7/28: Newbury Trail, Mt Sunapee

What with summer weather plus volunteers' time commitments, we have found these days. For each day, usual gear; long pants, sturdy boots, BYO gloves or we issue them, BYO food, water, electrolytes. PLEASE wear your tartan! For the photos, you know.

If you would like to join us either, or both of these days, email me at [email protected]. Any other questions cheerfully answered.

Friday July 26: Meet Mt Sunapee ski area 0900. Drive up to NE Bowl. Hike up Rim Trail to jct w/Newbury Trail. We follow inventory of 7/19. Leave digging tools at flagged site for rock steps 0.1 mi. up Newbury Trail. Trim brush jct. to north view. Descend and build rock steps and rock waterbars. Descend to cars, re-blaze Rim Trail in YELLOW, trim brush, if time. Refreshments after work.
Mount Sunapee Hiking Trail Map          Meeting spot on Googlr Maps

Sunday 7/28: Meet 0800 by red caboose on Rte 103 at Newbury Harbor (Google Maps link HERE). Spot a car in NE Bowl. Work up Newbury Trail. Trim back brush if needed, but main jobs are:

1) raking leaves from drains. We built all these drains, they are wide enough to rake smoothly. Shovels are for piles of wet leaves and sticks too heavy to move by rakes. These drains were last raked April '23, there is but one season of leaves in them. There are 24 such drains on this trail.

2) Clearing blowdowns with hand tools, several blowdowns are on this trail.

When at jct w/ Rim Tr, if you want to descend it to your car in NE Bowl, there are 5 stepovers on this trail. Drains were raked 7/19. Refreshments after work.

We hope for more signups, many hands make for fun work .

All the Best,
Craig Sanborn, CHVTC Trailmaster

Sat, 7/20: Mt Sunapee Ski Area. Ride summit chairlift, hike to Newbury Tr, trim & blaze down to Rim Tr.

It being a 3rd Saturday, we are off playing in the woods somewhere. This time we meet 0900 at the ski area parking lot (map link below), spot cars at Newbury Harbor and at Mountain Road, and enjoy a free ride up the Summit chairlift at 1000. We hike over to White Ledges for a break, then work our way from Jack & June Jct easterly down Newbury Trail, stopping at the north view.

Descending to Rim Trail, we go down that or down Newbury Trail depending on the time. Our cars await to take us back to the ski area. Cold drinks after work of course.

If you would like to lend a hand, email me at [email protected]. Any other questions cheerfully answered. BYO food, water, electrolytes. BYO gloves, though we have some to issue. Wear sturdy boots.

Mount Sunapee Hiking Trail Map          Meeting spot on Googlr Maps

Craig Sanborn, CHVTC Trailmaster

Sun 7/14: Mount Sunapee Andrew Brook Trail, Build with Rock 1 Mile Uphill. Other Work if Enough Volunteers.

Meet time 08:00 at trailhead on Mountain Road (map link below), by request of Team Leader for the job, Bob Humphrey. Earlier start is to lug 2 bars, pick, shovel, webbing, our rope winch etc. up to jobsite.

If enough signups, another team will do other building work, a bit closer to the road.

If you would like to lend a hand, email me at [email protected]. Any other questions cheerfully answered. BYO food, water, electrolytes. BYO gloves, though we have some to issue. Wear sturdy boots.

Andrew Brook Trailhead on Google Maps          Mount Sunapee Hiking Trail Map

BYO food, water, electrolytes. Temps to be 80, but in shade of leaf canopy it feels cooler. BYO gloves, though we have some to issue. Wear sturdy leather boots and long pants on the jobsite. Hardhats lent on request. Cold drinks after work

All for now. Thank you. Craig Sanborn, CHVTCTrailmaster

We seem to have made it through this would-be winter with not much snow but five mud seasons. Snow's about melted, we can start patrolling trails. This note is just to say that we'll start soon, but conditions are not quite ready.

Gates are still across roads at Cardigan and at Kearsarge. Brooks are high at all our trails on Sunapee. I am patrolling Cole Pond Trail because it is reachable.

One job we may do soon is to build a 14' bridge by Forest Service design on existing abutments at the Enfield Shaker Museum.
They order lumber and provide a place to store materials. We laminate 3 2x12x14' stringers, and cut some other pieces. The site is on an old road, and they move materials to site. One session salvaging the site, then one to assemble the bridge. Likely in the next two weeks.

There are also patrols of Enfield trails at Bicknell Brook and at Harris Brook reservoir. Interested volunteers please email us at  [email protected].

Happy Spring! All the best, Craig