Webster Cliff Trail (AT) in NH - Landslide

[peakbagger]

Attached is a link to a thread on Views From the Top regarding a landslide on the Webster Cliff Trail (AT) in the whites. This section of trail is immediately east of the crossing of RT 302 in Crawfords Notch and is just ahead of a really nice section of trail that runs right along the top of the slides on the east side of Crawfords Notch. As you can see by the thread its an ongoing issue and may not be resolved for awhile. The trail has always been tenuous in the area as the soil conditions and slope makes it hard to put in a stable footbed.

If it is temporailly closed, the detour may be to hike up the road through the Notch to the top of the Notch (near the AMC Highland center and access the trail via the east Branch of the Webster Jackson loop. Alternatively this will make the occasionally used Blue Blaze of the A to Z trail from Zealand a possibly more popular option (despite missing a very nice stretch of trail from Zealand along Whitewall Mtn and on to Ethan Pond). Another option would be to take the Willey Range Trail along the opposite side of the notch and drop back down to the Highand Center.


http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29803&referrerid=13

I hope its resolved by the time the Northbounders come through but one never knows.

[Gray Blazer]

Dry River Campground to the east. Dry River Trail to Eisenhower Falls and on up to the AT.

The Willeys, not my direct ancestors as you will see, ran an inn at Crawford Notch in the early 1800s. Mr. Willey observed a landslide in the Webster Cliffs area across from the inn. He built a landslide shelter out of boulders and an old wagon. One night there was a terrific rainstorm and the river began rising. For some reason the Willeys and the hired hands left the house (people figure they were trying to get to the shelter). They were all caught in a landslide and perished. The ironical thing is the house was not touched by the slide

My dad, Leonard Willey , my son Tyson Willey and myself, Jay Willey have hiked together to the summit of Mt. Willey. It's pretty nice up there and there is a good view of Mt Washington.

In Neo's WB gallery there is a good pic of Mt. Willey taken from the Webster Cliffs.

[Darwin again]

That is, or was, a hella steep climb to a great overlook of the valley -- a classic spot on the AT, an amazing place.

It would be a shame if the trail got rerouted to skip the Webster Cliffs but that's rugged terrain.

Pics here: (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=webster%20cliffs&sa=N&tab=wi&um=1)
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=webster%20cliffs&sa=N&tab=wi&um=1