I finally found the so-new-it-isn’t-opened Olallie Trail.
As I suspected, the bush-whacking path to the trail, which is clearly still under construction, intersects Iron Horse farther east than where I stopped looking last weekend.
The trail currently ends just a little bit west of where I hit it. I followed it west for a few hundred yards, where it ended. I could see the pink ribbons ahead. Based on the map I found of the projected trail, they don’t have much farther to go to extend it to IHT. However, they may be waiting to open it up until they have finished grooming it.
They are still at it – I found some of their tools along the trail:
The trees they have felled to make the trail are piled up at all angles:
The part of the trail I hiked Saturday is all in the woods, which has its splendid moments:
But I am looking forward to going back and following it to at least Mt. Washington. I have no doubt this trail was built from east-to-west and I am pretty sure I know where it joins the Mt. Washington main trail.
Getting to the end of this trail is definitely on my ‘to do’ list.