Trail Building Camp

[percy peaks]

Here's something to bat around (or not).

What do you think of the idea of a teen trail-building camp associated with the Cohos Trail? Such a thing would be a tuition-supported community service (trail and trail structure building) summer camp program, maybe a week or two long. There could be four or more sessions per summer.

It would operate something like a small, specifically oriented summer camp/outdoor adventure program for teenager (and there could even be an adult version of it).

Say we had ten kids and two skilled trail maintenance counselors out on the Cohos Trail doing trail work some of each day and playing in the backcountry a bit each day. They might have specific projects, like building a single trail, buildling a long puncheon bridge span, maintaining a troublesome section of trail, restoring a builidng, or building a new structure.

This would be a community service-oriented program that provides service credits or meets service requirements for college enrollment, perhaps.

Cost would be reasonable, say $100 per day (far less than typical summer camp programs). The money would be used to support the young people on the trail and support Cohos Trail development in general, including underwriting salaries.

Any thoughts on that out there in the wilderness?

percy peaks

[MtnMagic]

They could tent for some of the nights. Use some of the existing shelters/lean-to? Then have a few nights of the week at a large c.g. so they can shower.

The White Mtn School has tremendous outdoor programs for their students. We could do it too to improve the trail. Create say 7 shelter/platforms, just to start, and built the CT into a popular destination trail.

With grants & donations, we could run some 2" x 2" ads next spring in several of the major hiking magazines with different weeks for the young & old. Yes, I could see this as a reality. The other outdoor org's have been doing this for years. Now is the time for the CT!

[MtnMagic]

Just to clarify why 7 shelters? Knowing that the next night's stay is in a dry camp with a roof overhead.

After a few to many days of rain, like we had this season, it would be such a delight to get out of a tent into a shelter and dry out what needs to dry.

Much more is planned and in the works. Stayed tuned readers. She's comin' through. Make way for the Cohos Trail!

[percy peaks]

Why seven camps?

Initially there could be seven or eight. Ten would be optimum, put it would take considerable time to put all ten together.

If you include the Mt. Cabot Cabin in the mix, then the initial number could be something like eight.

The Mt. Cabot Cabin would be a long day's hike away from the Percy Peaks Camp (possibly set up off the Bell Hill Road in Stark). That camp would be a long day's hike away from Kamp Kirk north of Sugarloaf Mt. trailhead. A modest day's hike would be needed to get to Baldhead lean-to and perhaps a second structure up there (a platform wall tent building). From Baldhead, a camp atop Mt. Gloriette (Balsams Wilderness Ski Area) would be a modest day's hike with a lot of vertical in the mix. From Mt. Gloriette to Coleman State Park would by a day's hike. From Coleman to Clarksville Pond would be an easy pull. And from Clarksville Pond to Mt. Bungalow would be a modest day's hike.

So all these camps could be reached in one day's hike, some longer than others, of course, and a few a full day apart.

If these camps could be built, they could be augmented later by several others. A camp near Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, across from the Owls Head trailhead on Route 115, would be an ideal location for a camp. And there should be a second Pittsburg camp at the edge of the Connecticut Lakes State Park, about half way between Mt. Bungalow and Deer Mt. Campground.

The only thing missing (if all those were in place) would be a structure on Mt. Starr King, a mid-point between Pondicherry and Mt. Cabot cabin. There was once a fine cabin atop Starr King. It would be nice to think that the Forest Service would permit the recreation of the old Starr King camp, but that is highly unlikely.

percy peaks

[percy peaks]

A number of trail organizations schedule what are called trail work vacations. They charge a fee to organize the weekend or week of work, provide food and shelter, and get things done.

The Cohos Trail Association could do such a thing, perhaps, following the example of other groups such as the AMC and several west coast associations.

percy peaks