Section 1: A Sense of Purpose
Every year thousands of hikers set foot on the vast and varied trail network in the White Mountains. Whether trekking across the airy crest of Franconia Ridge, or wandering past waterfalls on the northern Presidentials, mountain enthusiasts reap the benefits of dedicated work by the trail clubs of the White Mountains. Each of these twenty or so clubs— many still active, others faded into oblivion—was, from its beginning, imbued with a sense of purpose. Two primary missions of the clubs have been to build and maintain trails, and to advocate for the protection and appropriate use of the mountain backcountry.
To view this gigapan, please click here.
Gigapan photograph by Joe Klementovich
Maps produced by Louis Cutter, a Massachusetts native long affiliated with the Appalachian Mountain Club and Randolph Mountain Club, appeared in every edition of AMC’s White Mountain Guide from 1907 to 1998. Courtesy of Edith M. Tucker.
John Rayner Edmands, an early AMC member and master trail-builder, is known for his graded paths, including the namesake Edmands Path on Mount Eisenhower. Courtesy of the Appalachian Mountain Club.
The measuring wheel that cartographer Louis Cutter used to calculate mileages along many White Mountain footpaths. Courtesy of the grandchildren of Louis F. Cutter.
This map drawn by Randolph trailbuilder Charles C. Torrey shows the extent of heavy logging on the Northern Presidentials as of 1905. The destruction of trails by lumbering led to the formation of the Randolph Mountain Club in 1910. Courtesy of the Randolph Mountain Club.
A Dartmouth Outing Club member lays out the route of the new Hurricane Trail on Mount Moosilauke in 1935. Courtesy of Dartmouth Outing Club. Dartmouth Outing Club members blaze the Appalachian Trail between Holts Ledge and Mount Cube in the 1930s. Courtesy of Dartmouth Outing Club.
Dartmouth Outing Club members blaze the Appalachian Trail between Holts Ledge and Mount Cube in the 1930s. Courtesy of Dartmouth Outing Club.
AMC poster. Courtesy of David Govatski.
Wonalancet Out Door Club volunteers, using only hand tools, cleared hurricane blowdowns on the Kate Sleeper Trail in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. Douglas McVicar, photographer.
Hikers can follow the path cleared by Wonalancet Out Door Club volunteers through a massive blowdown on the Kate Sleeper Trail. Douglas McVicar, photographer.
The Off the Beaten Path pro crew, with help from volunteers, constructed this rock staircase along the Wonalancet Out Door Club’s Blueberry Ledge Trail on Mount Whiteface. Steve Smith, photographer
In 2012 the Chocorua Mountain Club and Trailwrights replaced several rocks swept away by Tropical Storm Irene. Steve Smith, photographer
A volunteer crew from the Trailwrights uses a come-along at its full power to move a large rock during an erosion control project on the Mount Pemigewasset Trail in Franconia Notch State Park. Peggy Graham, photographer.
A Dartmouth Outing Club trail crew worker descends wooden steps pinned to a steep ledge on Mount Moosilauke’s Beaver Brook Trail. Steve Smith, photographer.
AMC poster. Courtesy of David Govatski.
Volunteers from the Trailwrights use a winch, cable, and bars to guide a rock step into place on the Mount Kinsman Trail. A crew of four spent a total of 40 hours on this day installing five rock steps near a stream crossing. Bruce Richards, photographer.
Iron rungs constructed by the Appalachian Mountain Club trail crew on the Mahoosuc Trail. Steve Smith, photographer.
The Dartmouth Outing Club trail crew muscles a large step stone into place on the Appalachian Trail near Moose Mountain. Courtesy of Dartmouth Outing Club.
Wooden ladder constructed by the Appalachian Mountain Club trail crew on the Mahoosuc Trail. Steve Smith, photographer.
A simple rock staircase along the Appalachian Trail on Mount Cube. Ben Amsden, photographer .
Cairns built by the Appalachian Mountain Club on Mount Washington’s Alpine Garden Trail. Steve Smith, photographer.
This ladder was built by the Waterville Valley Athletic & Improvement Association on Goodrich Rock, one of New Hampshire’s largest glacial erratics. It was recently replaced with a new volunteer-built ladder. Courtesy of the Waterville Valley Athletic & Improvement Association.
A Dartmouth Outing Club footbridge spans Gorge Brook on Mount Moosilauke. Steve Smith, photographer.
AMC poster. Courtesy of David Govatski.
Plank bridges installed by the Appalachian Mountain Club on Mount Hale’s Lend-a-Hand Trail. Steve Smith, photographer .
Severe erosion on the Asquam-Ridge Trail on Mount Moosilauke, caused by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and a summer cloudburst in 2014. The Dartmouth Outing Club plans to repair this section in 2015. Steve Smith, photographer.
The Dartmouth Outing Club built a unique “two-seater” privy at Great Bear Cabin on the southwest side of Mount Moosilauke. Steve Smith, photographer.
Hikers visiting the Beaver Brook Shelter on Mount Moosilauke are privy to Dartmouth Outing Club outhouse etiquette. Steve Smith, photographer.
This sign from the early 1960s demonstrates how backcountry waste management has evolved over the years. Courtesy of University Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH.
Increased usage of trails and shelters in the mid-twentieth century placed new pressures on the environment. Courtesy of University Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH.
Sights such as this at the Liberty Spring Shelter in 1962 encouraged the development of the “Leave No Trace” movement. Courtesy of University Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH.
Can pits and other trash receptacles were common at shelters until the late 1960s. Courtesy of University Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH.
The New England Trail Conference used brochures to share information on proper trail etiquette and standardized infrastructure techniques. Courtesy of David Govatski.
Volunteers from the Wonalancet Out Door Club and Chocorua Mountain Club teamed up for a work trip on the Whitin Brook Trail in the 1990s. Peter Smart, photographer.
A member of the Randolph Mountain Club composts human waste at a backcountry shelter. Courtesy of the Randolph Mountain Club.
The Chocorua Mountain Club trail crew was featured in a 1923 Boston newspaper. Courtesy of the Chocorua Mountain Club.
Arthur L. “Bud” Coburn packing blankets out of Madison Hut, circa 1918. Museum of the White Mountains Collection: Courtesy of Robert Sagar Coburn.
Appalachian Mountain Club packboard built by construction crew, circa 1980s–1990s. Courtesy of Christopher Thayer.
