Guide to the Cultural and Natural History of the Four Soldiers Path

Building the Four Soldiers Path

The bottom line is a better trail and a protected resource.

Randolph has been home to many famous White Mountain pathmakers— Watson, Cook, Edmands—and others.Most pathmakers of old laid out trail with only aesthetics or challenges in mind. Today, however, we need to be concerned about trail erosion, because of increased use over the years, and use throughout the year.Maps, data, and fieldwork are all employed to steer clear of ecologically sensitive areas, and to avoid following the “fall line”—the route water takes down a hill. On the Four Soldiers Path, the only really steep portion of the path incorporates wide switchbacks. As a result, erosion is minimized and costly trail work is decreased. The bottom line is a better trail and a protected resource.

Bog bridges are an example of resource protection. They aren’t there for the hiker, as opportune as they may be. They are really there to protect a fragile wetland. If that bridge wasn’t there, hikers would create a wide swath trying to avoid the wet area. The result? Damage to fragile plants and soils. Bog bridges keep hikers concentrated on a narrow line across and above delicate plant communities.

Bog bridge components are carried in on foot. The posts and planks are made of native cedar and tamarack, both highly rot resistant. Using such materials, a bridge’s life span can be more than 20 years. Each bridge costs about $25.00 in materials, and takes from a few hours to a full day for two people to pack in, assemble, and install the 140 pounds of wood and nails. The Four Soldiers Path has more than three dozen bog bridges. The cedar and tamarack used for these bridges was harvested in northern Coos County.

Other trail work you will see, if you look carefully:
Step stones – to keep you on the path and off wet fragile areas.
Waterbars and Ditches – to move water off the trail, so it doesn’t erode soil.
Outsloping – to define and narrow the treadway and to drain water gently.
Blazes and Signs – to show you the way. Blazes are up high, so they’re visible in winter. Yellow means you’re on land owned by the Forest Service, while orange means Community Forest or Private land. Two blazes on a single tree mean that a junction or a sharp turn is coming up. “RCF” on the corner of a sign means you’re on Randolph Community Forest land.

One of the goals of good trail work is to protect the resource while minimizing the visual impact. So, good trail work is not always easy to find to the untrained eye. Keep your eyes open. That rock you’re stepping on might just have been placed there on purpose.

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