A sign for the Tuckerman Ravine Trail on Mount Washington. (Rich Moffitt/Flickr Photo)
Five years later, and Tropical Storm Irene’s impact is still being felt in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
The U.S. Forest Service has announced that beginning today a half-mile section of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail on Mount Washington will be closed and rerouted for bridge construction. The existing bridge was significantly damaged during the 2011 storm and needed to be replaced.
The popular Tuckerman Ravine Trail is used by thousands of hikers each year to climb Mount Washington. During the bridge construction, the trail will be rerouted using sections of the Huntington Ravine Trail and Raymond Path. Visitors can get information about alternate routes at the Androscoggin Ranger District, Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and at the Mount Washington State Park information desk.
Tropical Storm Irene caused roughly $10 million in damage to the White Mountain National Forest. Several other bridges on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail were also damaged and will be replaced as funds become available.
While these bridges are important to hikers, they are also used by Forest Service Snow Rangers to shuttle personnel and supplies to Hermit Lake in the winter and spring months. This motorized access is critical to the avalanche forecasts produced by the snow rangers and the search and rescue incidents that they manage.