Camping near South Jacobs Brook, NH (between Firewardens and Hexacuba)?

[Sparkplug]

Hi there,
Just wondering if anyone recalled any good campsites along South Jacobs Brook in NH (between Smarts and Cube)... Snowman and I are thinking of backpacking the section between Lyme-Dorchester Rd and NH25A this coming weekend, and were thinking that river looked like a good mid-way point for tenting out. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
-Sparkplug :)

[Old Hillwalker]

If you are heading north on the AT, you will cross a logging/snowmobile road about a quarter mile before you hit S Jacobs brook. If you turn left down that old road you will shortly come to a place where thru-hikers sometimes camp.

Be advised that the suspension bridge over S Jacobs brook has been removed and the crossing is pretty nasty. Especially right now with the high water levels.

I for one would either camp in the old fire wardens cabin up on Smart's or even better, in the fire tower cab. Sleeps up to four if you are close friends as the cab is only about seven feet square, but all windows and about 70 feet up in the air.

As far as camping along S Jacobs, it's pretty soggy near the brook or steeply banked, and further away is outside the AT boundary and on private land. It's a little early for vehicular traffic on the road that the AT crosses, but in the summer is an active access road for landowners. Some of these landowners may feel that the land for the AT corridor was stolen from them by the govmint.

[Sparkplug]

Hillwalker,
Thanks for the advice. We didn't realize that the bridge had been taken out! Could be an interesting crossing, as you say... hmmm... perhaps we will leave this section for later in the summer! :rolleyes:
Thanks again!
-Sparkplug :)

[Old Hillwalker]

Hey Sparkplug, I,m gonna be cleaning out water bars and drainage ditches in there tomorrow, and crossing S Jacobs. I,ll post my findings tomorrow night. Unless I'm drownded:D

[Sparkplug]

Thanks Hillwalker! Good luck tomorrow. No drowning please :eek:

[Tin Man]

Hey Sparkplug, I,m gonna be cleaning out water bars and drainage ditches in there tomorrow, and crossing S Jacobs. I,ll post my findings tomorrow night. Unless I'm drownded:D

Hey Hillwalker, did you just pick up this section last year? My brother and I met someone on the north side of Smart's Mtn. first week of October, 2006 who was checking out his new maintenance area. We were headed northbound, down the mountain, and he was headed southbound, up the mountain. We stopped and chatted about how wet the conditions were, fresh moose tracks and I believe fresh bear tracks.

[Old Hillwalker]

Hi, Yeah, I remember you guys. Yes, we were discussing all the mud as I recall. Great to hear from you. On this coming sunday I,m heading up to that section with a group of Dartmouth Outing Club kiddos to remove the (reported) large number of blowdowns caused by the wind storm of April 14 and 15th. Gonna be spending lots of time this season clearing the grown in brush off the trailway. Never have met that bear yet, but got chased off the mountain by a bunch of yapping coyotes one evening after dark. They set up a real racket of yips, barks, coos, and other unearthly sounds. I was up there off trail working on the corridor boundary with a supervisor from the Boiling Springs, PA AT office. She had never heard sounds like that before in the woods. Our Eastern Cototes are as large as big dogs, and do run in packs. Dangerous? I don't know and don't care to find out. Man do I ramble on.....

[Tin Man]

Cool! Thanks for keeping the trail clear. Can't say we will be there again anytime soon, we still have 1800 miles to get done!

I know what you mean about coyotes. We have plenty right here in CT. My boys don't like sleeping alone when they are making a ruckus out their window.

[Old Hillwalker]

Hey Sparkplug, the S Jacobs brook is running pretty much at normal levels. Crossed twice today, going and coming. Easy rock hop. Albeit a little icy this morning at 24 degrees.

However, I wished that I had brought snowshoes since the snow starts at about 1800 feet and ranges from bare to four feet in depth. Postholing up to my knees in places. I hate postholing, and those moose who fill the trail with four foot deep Pungie Holes. Next thing you know someone called Charlie will come along and put sharpened stakes in them.

You know if it were'nt for flashbacks I would have no memories at all.

[Sparkplug]

Hillwalker,
Great! Thanks for the update. It's good to know about the water levels and the need for snowshoes...
How did the trail maintenance go? Many blowdowns? We hiked form CT River to the Skiway last Sunday/Monday and there were some major blowdowns in that section. One section after Trescott Road looked like complete devastation... Amazing how many trees were down.
Anyway, thanks again, and also, thanks for your work on the trail!
-Sparkplug :)