First, I could not find an official name for the "unmarked hunter's path leading from the stone bridge, along route 73 over the North Fork Boquet River, to Grace". Yeah, that's a mouthful. So I invented a name for it in OpenStreetMap (OSM) because it's bad practice to create nameless (major) roads and trails. I chose "Boquet Forks" because the trail follows along two forks of the Boquet River, the North Fork and the South Fork. Two forks of the Boquet; Boquet Forks; short and simple.
Here it is from end to end: Boquet Forks Trail
In this comment, tcd said:
I have not explored every nook and cranny ( Hello mastergrasshopper ) but I do know the location of several trail-junctions along the main path and (mildly) familiar with the south side of the North Fork Boquet.
The attached (very dark) image shows Strava's 2017 Heatmap for the eastern end of the Boquet Forks Trail.
Here's the area in Strava (tip: enable satellite view).
Magnified view.
Here's what I feel I can comfortably add to OpenStreetMap but I need assistance from the experts:
Boquet Forks Trail - High Water Route
This is the short path along the north side of the North Fork Boquet. I just added it to OSM and it'll take some time to appear at all zoom levels.
Trail to Lillypad Pond
A no-brainer; add to OSM. (Done.)
Trail along the North Fork Boquet
This is the trail at junction #4. How far does the obvious portion of this trail go before it peters out? Only as far as the densest line shown in Strava's Heatmap?
Trail between #2 and #3 on high-ground. ("High Ground Route")
I've walked along this stretch and can vouch for its inclusion in OSM. I would also include the portion leading to Rhodendron Pond.
Trail between #2 and #3 along the river bank. ("River Bank Route")
I hesitate to depict this stretch shown in the Heatmap. Unless I'm mistaken, it's not really a trail but just tracks of people following the river bank. It's a steep bank and most of the time you're rock-hopping along the river's edge (or at least that's what we did in winter).
Trail between #3 and #5 and beyond.
Again, not really a trail but a bushwhack route along the river's south bank. Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I would not depict this path in OSM nor junction #5 and the spur leading southeast towards Rhodendron Pond. I think these are hunter's tracks and not necessarily following distinct trails (maybe game trails).
Here it is from end to end: Boquet Forks Trail
In this comment, tcd said:
The area around the N Fork off the Boquet has an extensive and complex network of paths. There is a need for a good, thorough map of that path network. Many first-time visitors mistakenly believe that there is simply a one track path from the car to the bottom of the Grace slide...
- Basically, the main trail runs east to west, initially following the North Fork, crossing it, then farther west it follows the South Fork, then swings south to ascend Grace.
- It serves as the main artery to Grace and the Great Slide from route 73. Trails branch off from it to access nearby ponds (notably Rhododendron and Lillypad) or to follow the North Fork Boquet where it turns north.
- There's a pulloff for parking, on the east side of route 73, just north of the stone bridge. It has room for about 6 cars (not yet depicted in OSM).
- The most popular start is along the south side of the North Fork Boquet.
- There's a short and very rough road, paralleling route 73, that leads to the southside start of the trail (not yet depicted in OSM). The road ends at a clearing. However, the clearing is only ~100 feet from the road so, to avoid the rough road, many hikers just cut in from the highway (at the southern end of the stone bridge).
- There's a less frequented start along the north side of the North Fork Boquet that avoids a major river-crossing ("High Water Route").
- There are no signs or markers along the trail nor at its start or end.
- There are obvious indications (saw cuts on blowdown) that it receives some unofficial light maintenance.
- The treadway/trail-bed is generally obvious in many spots but subject to obfuscation by fallen leaves and fresh snow.
- There are, I believe, 2 designated campsites close to route 73 (not depicted in OSM) and one farther west about 2/3 of the way to Grace.
- There's a waterfall and swimming hole at Shoebox Falls.
- Some junctions are identified by birch logs lying on the ground... but this is unofficial and ad hoc.
- The trail beyond the westernmost campsite gets a bit sketchy in spots because it often goes directly in the South Fork Boquet.
The attached (very dark) image shows Strava's 2017 Heatmap for the eastern end of the Boquet Forks Trail.
Here's the area in Strava (tip: enable satellite view).
Magnified view.
- Junction #1 where the (hard to see) 'High Water Route' joins the main trail.
- Just tiny bit south of the major water-crossing of the North Fork Boquet (#2). If you miss the crossing, you will either follow along the river's bank, or head up a steep slope to higher, flatter ground and follow a faint path southwest. If you follow the bank, you will be rock-hopping along the river's edge because the bank is steep and tall.
- I'm not familiar with this junction (#3). I've seen the trail leading southeast to Rhododendron Pond but never followed it.
- I've seen junction #4 but never followed it. I know it follows the North Fork Boquet (through a narrow valley) and it eventually becomes indistinct but I don't know where exactly.
- If #5 is a real junction, I haven't noticed it. I've passed this spot in November and February so it may have been subtle and I missed it.
- This junction (#6) is obvious and the spur-trail leads to Lillypad Pond and an unofficial campsite.
Here's what I feel I can comfortably add to OpenStreetMap but I need assistance from the experts:
Boquet Forks Trail - High Water Route
This is the short path along the north side of the North Fork Boquet. I just added it to OSM and it'll take some time to appear at all zoom levels.
Trail to Lillypad Pond
A no-brainer; add to OSM. (Done.)
Trail along the North Fork Boquet
This is the trail at junction #4. How far does the obvious portion of this trail go before it peters out? Only as far as the densest line shown in Strava's Heatmap?
Trail between #2 and #3 on high-ground. ("High Ground Route")
I've walked along this stretch and can vouch for its inclusion in OSM. I would also include the portion leading to Rhodendron Pond.
Trail between #2 and #3 along the river bank. ("River Bank Route")
I hesitate to depict this stretch shown in the Heatmap. Unless I'm mistaken, it's not really a trail but just tracks of people following the river bank. It's a steep bank and most of the time you're rock-hopping along the river's edge (or at least that's what we did in winter).
Trail between #3 and #5 and beyond.
Again, not really a trail but a bushwhack route along the river's south bank. Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I would not depict this path in OSM nor junction #5 and the spur leading southeast towards Rhodendron Pond. I think these are hunter's tracks and not necessarily following distinct trails (maybe game trails).
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