Eliza Brook Shelter
Where: Eliza Brook Shelter
When: 1/26/91
With: Chip
After a one-year layoff, Chip and I decided to go "winter" camping again. There had been a snow drought this year, so we were wary of the conditions. We decided to try another destination this time, on the other side of 93. I'd seen it on the map and always considered a ski in to be possible. The route I'd imagined wasn't the way we went though. I'd thought of skiing in from the south on a power line, figuring the route would be skiable. We decided to try to come in on a trail from the west, the Reel Brook trail.
We left 93 at the Kancamagus Highway, but went west into Woodstock and on toward Kinsman Notch. We continued west and north, turning on to 116, where we started to look for the trail. There was plenty of snow, but not much sign of a trailhead. We followed one road down to its end and parked by some barking dogs. I got out my skis and headed down into the woods on the unplowed rest of the road. Down into a valley and back up I went and found...the other end of the road. Obviously we were in the wrong place. I skied back to the car and Chip and I conferred. Just then, some men came out of a nearby house and we asked directions. They'd never heard of a trail in the area.
We headed back out the road and started backtracking a bit. The guidebook said the road was plowed in winter, so we looked for that, but without luck. Then I noticed a road sign for Reel Brook Road. The "road" itself was completely snowed over. We turned around and parked on the shoulder of the highway. After taking a few pictures, we headed in.
The road made for easy skiing and soon we were at the true trailhead. The trail turned into a narrow path through the woods, but was still pretty flat, so we made good time. Soon we saw a clearing ahead and the trail crossed under a power line. We picked up snowmobile tracks and followed them up the hill on the other side of the power line. The trail was pretty steep and we did a lot of walking. Near the top, we came back out onto the power line and decided to follow it to the other side of the ridge. The snow cover was pretty thin, but skiable. The wind made things hard. It was blowing strong and cold.
Finally, we came to the end of the ridge, where the power line plunged over a precipice. Beyond was a sweeping view across a broad marsh to the Pemigewasset Wilderness and lower White Mountains. We paused a while, taking pictures and admiring the view, until the cold got to be too much.
We found the trail and followed it into the woods, where it quickly descended the ridge. Our skis quickly came off and we made it down the hill on our feet, following snowmobile tracks. At the bottom, we put the skis back on and started off. The trail wasn't well marked, so we just followed the tracks we were on. When we came out on the power lines again, I knew we were wrong, but we continued a bit before stopping. Chip wasn't sure, but I was convinced we'd gone the wrong way.
We debated bushwhacking in to Eliza Brook and following it back up to the shelter, but I thought we could find the trail if we went back up the trail. Back we went, without luck at first, then Chip found a faint trail and marker leading back into the woods. The path was untouched and we had a tough time breaking trail through the deep snow. Finally we spied the shelter and hauled ourselves in.
I went for water at the stream while Chip started the search for wood. I managed to break a hole in the ice and filled a couple of pots with water before heading back to join Chip. It was getting dark fast, and we struggled through the snow to gather some wood, but we managed to get a small supply and got a fire going. The sky was clear and the moon was full, making for an interesting night scene, full of light.
I fell asleep quickly that night, but Chip was cold and had trouble. I was woken at one point by the sound of Chip jogging in place to get warm. Morning didn't come soon enough for him, but it did come and we both survived.
After breakfast, we broke camp and headed out. The climb up the ridge was our only climbing for the trip out, and that was short and quickly over. We skied back the way we'd come, along the power line at first and then into the woods. All the uphill we'd hiked the previous day turned into some exciting downhill this time and we tried to ski as much as we could. Chip soon discovered an interesting technique. He sat down on the backs of his skis and used his hands for steering and braking. I tried it and discovered I could control my speed by pressing my backpack down onto the skis. It was great!
We went a good distance using this technique and threw in some traditional skiing when we could, usually ending in a spectacular crash. Finally at the bottom, we crossed the power line back into the woods and soon were back at the road. We skied side-by-side back out to the car.
More photos
When: 1/26/91
With: Chip
We left 93 at the Kancamagus Highway, but went west into Woodstock and on toward Kinsman Notch. We continued west and north, turning on to 116, where we started to look for the trail. There was plenty of snow, but not much sign of a trailhead. We followed one road down to its end and parked by some barking dogs. I got out my skis and headed down into the woods on the unplowed rest of the road. Down into a valley and back up I went and found...the other end of the road. Obviously we were in the wrong place. I skied back to the car and Chip and I conferred. Just then, some men came out of a nearby house and we asked directions. They'd never heard of a trail in the area.
We headed back out the road and started backtracking a bit. The guidebook said the road was plowed in winter, so we looked for that, but without luck. Then I noticed a road sign for Reel Brook Road. The "road" itself was completely snowed over. We turned around and parked on the shoulder of the highway. After taking a few pictures, we headed in.
The road made for easy skiing and soon we were at the true trailhead. The trail turned into a narrow path through the woods, but was still pretty flat, so we made good time. Soon we saw a clearing ahead and the trail crossed under a power line. We picked up snowmobile tracks and followed them up the hill on the other side of the power line. The trail was pretty steep and we did a lot of walking. Near the top, we came back out onto the power line and decided to follow it to the other side of the ridge. The snow cover was pretty thin, but skiable. The wind made things hard. It was blowing strong and cold.
Finally, we came to the end of the ridge, where the power line plunged over a precipice. Beyond was a sweeping view across a broad marsh to the Pemigewasset Wilderness and lower White Mountains. We paused a while, taking pictures and admiring the view, until the cold got to be too much.
We found the trail and followed it into the woods, where it quickly descended the ridge. Our skis quickly came off and we made it down the hill on our feet, following snowmobile tracks. At the bottom, we put the skis back on and started off. The trail wasn't well marked, so we just followed the tracks we were on. When we came out on the power lines again, I knew we were wrong, but we continued a bit before stopping. Chip wasn't sure, but I was convinced we'd gone the wrong way.
We debated bushwhacking in to Eliza Brook and following it back up to the shelter, but I thought we could find the trail if we went back up the trail. Back we went, without luck at first, then Chip found a faint trail and marker leading back into the woods. The path was untouched and we had a tough time breaking trail through the deep snow. Finally we spied the shelter and hauled ourselves in.
I went for water at the stream while Chip started the search for wood. I managed to break a hole in the ice and filled a couple of pots with water before heading back to join Chip. It was getting dark fast, and we struggled through the snow to gather some wood, but we managed to get a small supply and got a fire going. The sky was clear and the moon was full, making for an interesting night scene, full of light.
I fell asleep quickly that night, but Chip was cold and had trouble. I was woken at one point by the sound of Chip jogging in place to get warm. Morning didn't come soon enough for him, but it did come and we both survived.
After breakfast, we broke camp and headed out. The climb up the ridge was our only climbing for the trip out, and that was short and quickly over. We skied back the way we'd come, along the power line at first and then into the woods. All the uphill we'd hiked the previous day turned into some exciting downhill this time and we tried to ski as much as we could. Chip soon discovered an interesting technique. He sat down on the backs of his skis and used his hands for steering and braking. I tried it and discovered I could control my speed by pressing my backpack down onto the skis. It was great!
We went a good distance using this technique and threw in some traditional skiing when we could, usually ending in a spectacular crash. Finally at the bottom, we crossed the power line back into the woods and soon were back at the road. We skied side-by-side back out to the car.
More photos
