Hi Team,
Please join me for a ski outing on the Jackrabbit Trail Saturday!
Provided it doesn't rain, that is!
I plan to leave from my house (134 Deerwood Trail) about 9am weather permitting. That will entail a .4 mile walk to the end of Quail Lane where it meets Birdsong Lane (that's the dirt road that the Jackrabbit follows up from the red barn to where the JR turns onto the trail toward Craig Wood). Or you can park at Quail and Birdsong where there's a circle (and no one lives there).
Down Birdsong Lane, out the JR to Craig Wood, across the golf course, out the trail, new last year, to Rt. 73 near Mountain Rd., up the new easement trail (really nice) to the top of the first hill on Mountain Rd., probably a mile or more of hiking the road after that to get to where Mt. Rd. turns into a trail again, then through the beautiful valley behind Pitchoff Mt. and down towards Keene (nice long descent!). We can go as far as folks want to go. If all the way it's 18 miles round trip.
An option is to spot a car (or multiple cars) at the trailhead in Keene ahead of time and ski one way (so 9 miles) and drive back.
Second option if there's enough of us, split the group, one group starts here and one in Keene, swap car keys when we meet.
Third option if that's a bit much, follow the route I described to 73, then ski around the old Jackrabbit through Cascade and back to Craig Wood and back the way we came, I think that's about 8 miles.
Pack some food, water, raingear (!), ten essentials, extra layers (I think more for if we get wet than cold). Metal-edged skis recommended unless you are good without edges.
Hope to see a good group, hope the weather cooperates!
Best,
Jim