Also on this trip

Trails Used

Pine Bend Brook, Mt Tripyramid, Kate Sleeper, Bushwhack, Rollins, Dicey's Mill, Walden, Square Ledge, Passaconaway Cutoff, Oliverian Brook

Trail Conditions

Notes

Scott needed the Tripyramids to grid out August. I needed Passaconaway and Whiteface. So why not do them together!? Overall a delightful day since we were able to car spot. The less traveled trails (south Tri to Whiteface, Passaconaway Cutoff, Oliverian Brook) are in very good shape with some stretches having a great sponginess to them that was a nice break from more northern roots and rocks. The only bad thing was a fun hiker who said my blue and yellow get up made me look like "Sunshine and Sky", which my knucklehead younger brother decided would be my new name. So that's just great. Do this hike with a friend. Spot a car. It's a big day but totally worth it.

Parking

Plenty of parking at 7am, and still spots open in the afternoon.

Water Crossings

All were running low and easy to cross.

Wildlife

Only a few, but for the second time this week, one hit my tonsils.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Livermore Trail, Mount Tripyramid Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail, East Sleeper Spur, Rollins Trail, Downes Brook Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Livermore trail was mostly very gradual, especially once we hit the road section. There was some deep mud but it was avoidable. Mount Tripyramid trail was nice and dry, and climbing the north slide was just as beautiful as when I did it in May. It was very dry so we could pretty much just march right up the middle of it. Kate Sleeper trail was well maintained and easy to follow. Near South Tripyramid, you descend a similar slide to that on Mount Tripyramid trail, which is loose and gravelly. East Sleeper spur is a little tight but easy to follow, and there is a small summit sign on the wooded summit of East Sleeper. Downes Brook trail is a bit overgrown up top, but it widens in the lower forest and is very wide and smooth. The brook crossings (which there are at least seven of) could be tricky in higher water, but that was not an issue at all and all crossings were easy to rock hop. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and felt like fall! Cool, crisp air with a nice breeze too. I could not have asked for a better day.

Parking

Livermore trail only has roadside parking, and we were the second car there at 8:30. Downes Brook trail has a big parking lot that can probably hold around 15-20 cars.

Water Crossings

There are many crossings on Downes Brook trail, all of which were easy to rock hop, but would be much more challenging in higher water. There is a section of Downes Brook trail where the trail seems to go down a section of the brook, and this section and at a couple of the other crossings it was hard to relocate the trail after crossing. There was also one easy rock hop at the start of Mount Tripyramid trail.

Wildlife

Very few, and no bites.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Downes Brook Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail, Mt. Tripyramid Trail, Sabbaday Brook Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

My route was up Downes Brook Trail and over to Mt. Whiteface, then over the Sleepers and two of the Tripyramids. From there, I went down Sabbaday Brook Trail. That's roughly 15 miles. I saw only two other hikers in the first 9 miles. Kate Sleeper Trail, in particular, feels very remote. I met lots of hikers doing the Tripyramid loop. Then nobody for most of Sabbaday Brook Trail. Of course, there were tons of people enjoying Sabbaday Falls near the end of my hike. There aren't a lot of views on this hike. Probably the best view is looking at Sandwich Dome, Jennings, Welch and Dickey from the South Tri slide. On the other hand, this is a very rugged part of the Sandwich Range. Downes and Sabbaday brooks drain some very steep valleys. I particularly enjoyed the company of Downes Brook on the ascent. Even if you only get glimpses of the landscape here and there, you feel it in your bones. It's a very rewarding hike.

Parking

Parked at the Downes Brook trailhead. Although Downes Brook Trail is not very popular, it shares a parking lot with Hedgehog and Potash. I'm sure the lot is busy on a weekend.

Water Crossings

Downes Brook Trail crosses the brook at least 10 times. Sabbaday Brook Trail crosses its namesake at least 4 times. These crossings can be difficult in spring or after a heavy rain. All crossings were easy on my hike.

Wildlife

Almost none.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Downes Brook Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Nice overnight doing a few bird survey routes for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Sadly, bird counts continue to dwindle thanks to man-made climate change...but a NSWO at the summit of West Sleeper was a nice surprise.

Water Crossings

All crossings of Downes Brook were (barely) rock hoppable. A few folks we ran into were not as confident in their skills in that regard and forded the brook at ankle depth.

Wildlife

Black Flies were horrendous at the camp sites near Kate Sleeper. Roaming bands of 50 or so bothered us every second out of our tents.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Pine Bend Brook Trail, Mt. Tripyramid Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey's Mill Trail, Walden Trail, Square Ledge Trail, Passaconaway Cutoff, Oliverian Brook Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Sandwich Traverse...started at Oliverian Brook TH, road a bike the 3 miles along the Kanc to Pind Bend Brook TH and locked it to a tree. Bareboots up farther than I should have...you'll want to put spikes on at the Scaur Trail junction. The monorail is consistent and solid, and gets icy near the top so might as well put them on there...it will help you stay on the monorail. Wore the spikes over to S. Try and down the steep part until it emerges onto the slide where there is no snow/ice. Went bare boots down the slide and across Kate Sleeper which has everything from bare ground to 2' deep monorail, but supportive and not icy so bare boots were fine. Microspikes up to the lookout ledges on WF as it is icy in spots, then all the way across the Rollins trail and up Dicey's Mill to Passaconaway. You could have bare booted from the 2nd half of Rollins trail coming from wf to the WF summit, but there is also ice so I chose to keep the spikes on even on the bare sections. A hiker who had come up Walden Trail (back side of Passaconaway) told me he had bare booted it and that the Dicey's Mill trail had much more ice, so I took the spikes off at the lookout ledge on the backside of Passaconaway and barebooted down Walden as well. There is still some ice requiring creative route planning, but I never regretted not having the spikes on. Bare boots the rest of the way down to Oliverian Brook TH. Any monorail/snow was pretty grippy. Grids out the Tris for me and #11 on WF/Passaconaway. Will have to find an excuse to do Kate Sleeper again, one of my favorite trails.

Parking

Parked at Oliverian Brook Lot. It is huge (could probably hold 30 cars parked poorly). There were 2 today. We parked well.

Water Crossings

Had to go ankle deep to cross Downes Brook about 2 miles from Oliverian Lot on the way out. All others rock-hoppable.