The Cohos Trail   Coos County Page 1 2 3 "There is a great deal going on. The interest around the 150-mile Cohos Trail is picking up steam. Backpacker magazine (circulation 250,000) will do a full length feature about the trail in the fall. We will open about 65% of the system by mid-summer, we believe. And we are entering a serious fund drive, now, with over $60,000 in grant proposals in the hands of foundations and agencies. We are now planning a system of four or five overnight hostels that we hope can soon be built at the junction of The Cohos Trail and the Coos County state highways -- Route 115 or 116 in Jefferson, Route 110 in Stark, Route 26 in Dixville Notch, and Route 3 in northern Pittsburg about half way between Lake Francis campground and Deer Mt. campground. We also have permission to erect a small covered observation tower on the summit (private land) of Baldhead Mt. in Columbia township. We have assurances that these structures could be built by Coos County students and volunteers attached to several different outdoor education programs and building trades programs in Coos County. Once built they would be managed and operated by vocational trades student programs. The Balsams Hotel has even offered us the use of their extensive reservations system, so that the hotel would managed the reservations for the hostels in a professional and thorough manner. This spring we will have a work day in Coos County, with scores ofvolunteers from Stratford High School and North County Trailmaster helping our association open up 10 miles of new trail, including dramatic new trail near Percy Peaks, the Victor Head cliffs, and the vast high mountain meadows (lots of moose) in Gadwah Notch on the flank of Mt. Muise. Within the month, there will be maps available in a package for $10.00, plus $2,00 shipping and handling. The guidebook will be available on Mac and PC disc within three months, and we have two publishers which are interested in the book once the trail officially opens." To order maps and guidebook disc or to obtain information, people may write us on the net and at the association at: wilshy@top.monad.net The Cohos Trail Association 252 Westmoreland Road Spofford, NH 03462 603-363-8902 previous page | next page Table of Contents return to Guide to NH Trails