Resolution Shelter, Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness – The Resolution shelter site is located off of the 14-mile long Davis Path in the federally designated Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness in the New Hampshire White Mountains. Designated by the 1975 Eastern Wilderness Act, then expanded in 1984 by the New Hampshire Wilderness Act, this 29,000-acre wilderness area is governed under the National Wilderness Preservation System and the Wilderness Act. Both have strict guidelines when it comes to man-made structures in designated wilderness areas, and permanent improvements are not allowed within these areas.
Completed in 1845 by Nathaniel Davis, son-in-law of Abel and Hannah Crawford, Davis Path was the third and longest bridle path built to the summit of Mount Washington. The path was in use until 1853-1854, and then it was neglected and became unusable. In 1910, the Appalachian Mountain Club’s legendary Trail-builder Warren W. Hart (AMC’s councilor of improvements from 1908-1910), with the help of volunteers, re-opened it as a footpath. Two shelters, Camp Resolution and Camp Isolation, were built along Davis Path in 1912.
Built of logs, the original Resolution shelter, "Camp Resolution”, was an open shelter that slept seven people. By the late 1920s, it was in poor condition, and it was rebuilt by the early 1930s (probably 1932). The new shelter slept ten people. This all took place prior to the area becoming a designated wilderness area.
Unfortunately, the second shelter also fell into disrepair, and because of safety concerns, it was closed in 2009. It was beyond repairing and would need to be rebuilt. But because the shelter site is now within a designated wilderness area, where man-made structures are generally not allowed or replaced, the decision was made to remove it.
Honoring the values of the Wilderness Act, which governs the federally designated Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness, Forest Service made the decision in November 2011 to remove the shelter. It was dismantled in December 2011; the debris that wouldn't rot was removed from the wilderness, and the shelter logs were scattered around the area. The above photo shows how the shelter site looked in July 2012, while the work was still in progress.
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Bibliography:
“H.R. 3921 — 98th Congress: New Hampshire Wilderness Act of 1984.” www.GovTrack.us. 1983. February 28, 2022.
“Reports of the Councilors for the Year 1912 Improvements by Harry W. Tyler.” Appalachia Journal, Volume XIII, No. 1, May 1913, p. 90.
“Resolution Shelter Removal and Site Plan Project Decision Memo Prepared by the Saco Ranger District”, Forest Service, November 2011.
“S. 3433 — 93rd Congress: Eastern Wilderness Areas Act.” www.GovTrack.us 1974. February 28, 2022.
Sweetser, Moses Foster, and Nelson, John. A Guide to the White Mountains. Boston, MA, and New York, NH: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1918.
“The Davis Path Reopened by William W. Hart.” Appalachia, Volume XII, No. 3, July 1911, p. 262.
Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC
Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.