WANT TO WORK ON THE CT?

2008 Volunteer Work Projects

Trail Crew

For a list of trails to adopt, please scroll down...

The 2008 trail work season has not been scheduled yet, but stay tuned. We will post trail work days here in a month or two, and we will definitely have a trail project for National Trails Day in June.

Volunteers usually work a minimum of one day a year. They use hand tools only, such as branch loppers, bow saws and shovels and keep the trails clean and clear. If a big tree has come down, we ask that volunteers create a bypass around the tree until such time as we can get in there and chainsaw it out.

If you think you would like to volunteer to take on a section of the trail, large or small, please contact Pete and Lainie Castine at 603 538-6777 (e-mail at The Cohos Trail Association) or Luke O'Brien at Luke O'Brien. He will handle the trail work crews from Rt 110 in Stark, north to the Dixville Region. If you are looking to volunteer for the southern section (Rt 110 in Stark to the southern terminus) contact Stacy Boone at Stacy Boone Also, contact us and ask us to put your email address into our database to receive free e-newsletters, bulletins and alerts about work days or work weekends.

work crew

If you would like to join a volunteer work crew, watch for our bulletins. If you decide to come out for a day and help, be sure to bring work gloves, a hand tool, wear long sleeves, long pants, bug repellant and a hat, use eye protection, and bring at least two quarts of water and some food and snacks with you.

We work hard and get dirty, but we have fun, too. And there is no time limitation. If you decide you have had enough for the day, you are free to stop work and go home.

The majority of the trails south of Rt 110 in Stark are not listed on this table. These trails are currently maintained by the Randolph Mountain Club, the AMC and the US Forest Service. These are existing trails that we use with the permission of these fine organizations.

So feel free to contact us. We look forward to you joining our effort in keeping the CT open and safe.

The table below lists the trails we currently have and future trails that need maintenance.

Pete and Lainie Castine
Kim Nilsen
The Cohos Trail Association

For a print out of the trail maintenance log click here

TRAIL ADOPTED ? HOW DO I GET THERE?
Slide Brook Trail yes The TCTA is proposing to reopen this section of trail... Stay turned for more details...
Col Whipple Trail yes Trailhead: Whipple Rd entrance to Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge.
Owl's Head Trail N/A The Randolph Mountain Club maintains this trail
Martha's Mile N/A This link trail between Owls Head summit and Mt. Martha's summit has a huge blowdown in it. We don't maintain this at this time...
Starr King Trail N/A Maintained by the Randolph Mountain Club
Kilkenny Ridge Trail N/A Maintained by the Forest Service
Devil's Hopyard Trail N/A Maintained by the Forest Service
Bald Mtn Trail from Percy Rd to Rowell's Link yes Trailhead: Off Percy Rd in Stark on the Bald Mtn Trail. Park just to the east at the chain link fence of the old Stark landfill. Do not block the trail with your car
Rowell's Link yes Trailhead: Access from Christine Lake Parking Lot. Walk 3/4 miles uphill to trail off main trail (left) to the banks of Rowell's Brook.
Jimmy Cole Brook Road not
neces.		 Open. Snowmobile trail and grassy tote road. Needs blazing touched up now and ten...Some blazes painted on rocks on the ground.
Old Summer Club Trail yes Trailhead: Christine Lake and Christine Lake Rd off Percy Rd in Stark
Victor Head Trail yes Trailhead: Christine Lake and Christine Lake Rd off Percy Rd in Stark - Adopted by the Percy Summer Club people
Percy Loop and Percy Loop Camp yes Trailhead: small pull out. Do not block driveway.
Pond Brook Falls no Trailhead: Located at about mile 7 on the Nash Stream Road. (200 foot long trail)
West Side Road (Stratford) not
neces.		 ATV trail...Needs no work. However, the signage at the western gate should be checked (Sugarloaf Arm Trail)
Sugarloaf Arm Trail (Stratford) not
neces.		 Snowmobile Trail Rarely needs work, as the snowmobile club takes care of it.
Sugarloaf Arm Camp not
built		 We should think about the possibility of establishing this camp in 2008 or 2009. It would be much like the Percy Loop Camp six miles away.
Sugarloaf Mountain Trail not
yet		 The State currently maintains this trail. We should think of adopting it...
East Side Trail yes Trailhead: Large bridge over Nash Stream at Mile 8 on Nash Stream Road. Follow trail upriver. Northern trailhead at mile 10 off right side of Nash Stream Road. Park at the entrance where there's a large boulder with a yellow blaze on it.
Headwaters Road to Headwaters Gate not
neces.		 Narrow gravel road to terminus gate. Needs blazing checked and signs checked at the gate
Gadwah Notch Trail (includes Kelsey Notch Trail and Baldhead Mt. Trail) yes Trailhead: Access from old, obscure logging road that parallels Sims Stream eastbound uphill into Baldhead region. Tote way and trail is accessed from Bungy Road in Columbia. Call or email for details.
Gadwah Notch yes Call or email for directions
Baldhead Mountain Trail yes Extention of Gadwah Notch Trail
Baldhead Lean-To yes On Baldhead Mountain
Kelsey Notch Trail yes Trailhead: Tote way and trail is accessed from Bungy Road in Columbia. Call or email for details.
Dixville Peak Trail not
neces.		 Snowmobile and service lane trail to summit. We could use some blazing up in this country and signage at the top of the mountian. Old signage up there has been scoured bare by wind.
Mt Gloriette Link Off Dixville Peak Service Road no Trailhead: Park at Balsam's Wilderness Ski Area, or, with permission, drive up steep service lane up the ski runs to top of the mountain.
Table Rock Link (Mt. Gloriette Ridgeline) no The only real work necessary on this old grassy lane at high elevation is to make the entrance off the alpine ski trails easy to spot. Heavy clipping right at the entrance is necessary. A post with a trail sign and CT sign would be just the thing.
Trails around Dixville Notch no The trailhead can be accessed at the State's Wayside Picnic Area off Rt. 26 in Dixville Notch... See separate page on Trails around Dixville Notch Link... These trails are open to the public and are adopted by the NH Dept. of Parks. If someone was to adopt these trails, we could be sure they were free of blowdowns and debris.
Sanguinary Summit Trail no Trailhead: Park at Balsam's Hotel upper parking lot and walk uphill to dam. Skirt dam on right then walk north on woods trail 600 feet to trailhead on right.
Nathan Pond Trail yes Open on occassion. Bypassed with a short cut.
Haynes Trail no Trail was logged in its southern end, and is not in good condition. Best to send people down the Coleman State Park access road to the Haynes Road a quarter of a mile away. Low priority project that we may turn to in 2009 or 2010. This is a snowmobile trail for a half mile.
Bear Rock Road and McAllester Road road These are traveled rural roads we use as trail. No work is required except to touch up a few blazes spaced very far apart.
Creampoke Road to Old Ferguson Road road Traveled seasonal roads that require no work except touching up blazing. At the turn down the Weirs Tree Farm lane, check the blazing in the tree. This is an important turn, and the angle-blaze there helps hikers get where they are going.
Weir Tree Farm to Ferguson Road no Stewartstown off Old Ferguson Road
Clarksville Pond Road and Shatney Road road These are also existing traveled ways that require no work. There are few blazes, but that is no problem for hikers navigating these lanes. On the Shatney Road, there is a Y in the road with a blaze directing hikers. There are a few other blazes beyond that Y. They need to be touched up.
Ben Young Hill yes Trailhead: Take Ben Young Hill Rd off Rt 145 in Clarksville. Bear right immediately and proceed to log landing(approx. 1 mile on left). From south end, take the Old County Road and take an immediate left onto Clarksville Pond Rd. to Shatney Rd (just before Clarksville Pond) and proceed to log landing (on right)
To Pittsburg road From the top of Ben Young Hill, we use existing roads to get six miles east of Pittsburg on the Cedar Stream Road, where the Lake Francis Trail takes off north. That trail is a snowmobile trail maintained by snowmobile clubs.


The trails listed below are proposed. Some, if not all of these trails, we hope to have completed in 2007 or 2008.

TRAIL ADOPTED ? HOW DO I GET THERE?
Deadwater Trail no We hope to be able to build the new northeastern extension of the Ben Young Hill down to the Deadwater Road in 2008. That will eliminate a lot of road walking and improve the CT experience considerably.
Lake Francis Trail no This proposed section of trail is open now. It is an existing snowmobile trail but not blazed or signed. Once the state gives us the go ahead to blaze and sign, we will do so, probably using yellow-top blaze stakes and signs at critical junctions.
River Road to Young's Store no Open snowmobile trail. Landowners have given permission to use it. Could use a sign or two, perhaps, and blaze stakes
Prospect Mountain Trail yes This is a proposed trail that we are trying to hammer out with landowners. A proposed route only.
Covill Mtn Trail no This is a proposed new trail up and over Covill Mountain to Round Pond. It is written into the state plan. We hope to flag it this summer and create it in 2008
Round Pond Brook Trail no This is a proposed new trail that leaves Round Pond and reaches Route 3, following Round Pond Brook much of the way. This is written into the state plan. We hope to flag it this year and create it in 2008.
First Lake Trail to Magalloway Rd no This is a trail created on existing woods routes. It could be opened in a weekend in 2007 provided we get the go ahead. This is built into the state plan. It needs signage, blaze stakes, minor clipping and some drainage in a few areas. Several spur trails down to First Lake are planned. These would have to be cut.
Moose Alley Trail no This would be a new trail that follows old existing ways for about 80 percent of its route. It is written into the state plan. It could be created in 2007 if we get the go ahead. This needs more work than the First Lake Trail, as there are several sections that don't drain well and there are several areas where short stretches need to be cut through the forest. Signage and blazing are needed. Also, there is a recent log yard at one end, and all the debris in the trail in that yard will have to be removed from the treadway.
Falls in the River Trail no Also a proposed trail, this has to be cut much of the way northeast from Route 3 to the Connecticut River and then north to Second Connecticut Lake. Half of the way is in open spruce-budworm cut clearings. Half of the distance is in woodland. On the northern end, the trail would use an old angler trail that ends at Second Connecticut Lake dam. This trail needs cutting, signage, blaze stakes, and a big bog bridge complex in one place (Dry Brook alder thicket). We need the blessing of TransCanada energy corporation as well as the state. Earliest opening would be 2008.
Second Lake Trail no This would be a completely new trail that must be cut the entire way from Second Connecticut Lake boat landing to East Inlet Road. Almost the entire distance is in forest sandwiched between the lake and Route 3. Open 2008 or 2009. The Second Lake Trail will need signage, blazing, considerable clipping and small growth cutting, a minor amount of drainage, and an outlook over an extensive marsh land that boasts many species of birdlife.
Black Cat Spur Trail no This is an existing way across from East Inlet Road. It is a short snowmobile trail on the flank of Black Cat Spur. Trail needs little or no maintenance. Needs blazing and CT signs.
Route 5 Snowmobile Trail no This is an existing way from Deer Mountain Campground four miles to the Canadian border. Two thirds of the way is a run-down gravel based road in pleasant terrain. The northern third is a dirt lane filled with weeds. This trail needs signage, direction arrows and blazing. It also needs a bog bridge span near Third Connecticut Lake and one very short spur trail to Toothacher Rock. This is a popular snowmobile trail in winter and is quite well maintained.
Deer Mtn Trail no This is the abandoned and largely obliterated old access to the former fire tower on Deer Mt., standing directly above Deer Mountain Campground. We proposed restoring this old firetower access, but it appears the state wants to have a hand in this. Perhaps we can partner with the state to recreate this once terrific way up the mountain to a fabulous viewpoint. It would be great to have this open by 2009.
Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail yes This is owned and maintained by the Nature Conservancy. The trail is open and in quite good condition.
Link to Canada N/A Use the highway into Quebec. From the border, the Sentiers Frontaliers have jurisdiction over their trail system, of course. They are supposed to be building a link trail down to the highway Route 258 (on Pants Breaker Road) about half a mile below the boundary ridge.

 

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