Various pictures from Harriman Dam to Mountain mills that didn't fit in the slideshow and were taken out of sequence. These were all but the last taken on my hike north to mountain mills (the slide show is from the return hike). Keep your eyes peeled for rail tie snow. IE where the snow doesn't melt on the area where the rail ties used to sit. I don't know if this occurs because the ground is more packed from the ties, or if the ties are buried (I didn't dig). This whole section is a good 7 or 8 miles long. There are plenty of rewarding sights along the way so I would suggest hiking (or skiing, as this is part of the catamount ski trail) the trail. This section was abandoned after a massive spring flood on March 18 1936 wiped out several sections including 2 crucial fills (both shown) and the trestle over the reservoir.

    This section was installed in 1923 when the Harriman reservoir was built thus flooding the original grade (which is under water). I suspect the ties found in the woods here came from the old grade which means they could very well be over 100 years old (1891). Either that or they are from 1923 when the section was installed. When this section was destroyed the rail was ripped out and sold as scrap. The money was reinvested in the remaining 11 miles which ran from Hoosac Tunnel to Readsboro (only to be damaged severely in the Hurricane of Sept 21 1938).

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View of the lake from the dam   75.58 KB	View of Valley from dam. You can see the rail grade  on the hillside 123.68 KB	Rail grade heading  down mountain   133.19 KB	Close up, you can see one  of the switch back lines above the grade crossing to the middle from the left 115.75 KB
You can see all 3 sections of the switch back crossing the power line cut if you look closely! 132.44 KB	View of that whole area, the  entire Z is in this picture if you have a keen eye 146.20 KB	North onto the grade     206.17 KB	The first cut, conveniently close to the dam   277.55 KB
A small wooden water  conduit 130.78 KB	Double stone wall indicating an old road 248.32 KB	Old road again 245.86 KB	Old road sinking into the reservoir 248.72 KB
A neat natural (so far as I can tell) rock formation 252.00 KB	A view looking north at the southernmost washout 256.25 KB	Standing on the  edge looking south 197.14 KB	Stepping back looking  north 148.02 KB
The trail was rerouted around  the washout, here  I am on the trail looking  at one of the remaining  banks. 259.23 KB	The water conduit was spared being destroyed, it is way above the river, no wonder this fill washed out. 217.80 KB	Inside the very neat  conduit.     154.89 KB	Notice the neat ice  formation.     141.65 KB
On the north part  looking south.     173.82 KB	On the other end, I have no idea why there  is stacked cut wood i n here. It was a strange find 143.52 KB	Looking north, this area  was "let go" and is  tree filled!   230.85 KB	A nifty relic! I found a spike over here too     225.58 KB
This is where I started seeing rail ties, perhaps  they never ripped them out because this area is in  between 2 large washouts         242.39 KB	More ties.                   244.67 KB	This is an interesting  phenomenon. The lines you see are where the wooden ties used to be.  Either it freezes because the ground is more packed, or because the ties are buried underneath. I didn't dig so I'm not sure. This  isn't the only place I have seen this phenomena. 102.14 KB	More very fascinating  tie marks.                 190.79 KB
And more!   145.66 KB	Double stone wall from  a dead road leading  ultimately to the lake. 200.49 KB	Looking west. A ski  trail coming in. 203.73 KB	A rail tie.   175.18 KB
Ski trail signage. 142.59 KB	More exposed ties. 179.54 KB	A spike in a tie! 150.39 KB	Looking over the edge at the monster washout. 216.69 KB
Looks like the remains of an old car. 136.22 KB	Part of the fill that was washed out. I think this  one is 40-60 feet high. 219.06 KB	Footbridge on the path  around the washout. 204.81 KB	View of the grade  approaching the washout  from the trail. 240.85 KB
View of the giant cut.     175.64 KB	Entering giant cut.     168.96 KB	Giant cut walls.     202.51 KB	One of the most interesting sights. In the big cut there are almost all the old rail ties exposed. 172.97 KB
More ties. What makes this so cool is these ties  have been abandoned  for 80years, and this cut is about 4 miles from the nearest road. 198.26 KB	First view of the Reservoir for a while.       184.70 KB	The giant U curve. This was not washed out.       168.36 KB	View of river from U  curve. Its 20 - 40 feet high al all fill.     246.30 KB
Vehicle worthy, also notice  the rail tie snow lines. 169.94 KB	Ruins of an old building. This shows up on the 1950 topographic map. 206.77 KB	Newer more alive structure.   218.03 KB	Abutments for giant  fill/trestle over lake (at mountain mills) 234.35 KB
Back at the Dam.  Nicest picture all day! 82.65 KB

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Copyright 1/21/2006 Marc Howes.