Mountain Wandering

PASSACONAWAY CUTOFF & SQUARE LEDGE: 10/27/15

On a chilly late October day I did a fall trail work trip with stalwart helper Dave Stinson on the Passaconaway Cutoff, the adopted trail of the AMC Four Thousand Footer Committee. After finishing the drainage cleaning on the upper part of the trail, I made the roly-poly side trip to the summit of nearby Square Ledge for some crystal-clear views.

It was 19 degrees when we set out on the Oliverian Brook Trail, but by the time we came to this nice hardwood section on the lower half of the Cutoff, it had warmed above freezing.

A colorfully clad Dave strolls through some late understory foliage.

Dave brought along a plastic wedge to help keep our Silky saws from binding.

Dave takes a break after we finished removing this blowdown.

The west branch of Oliverian Brook, where we always stop for a break. This marks the point where the gentler lower section of the Cutoff gives way to the steeper upper section. After a rest here, Dave headed back down to finish clearing the lower waterbars and take out some blowdowns we had passed by both on the Cutoff and the Oliverian Brook Trail, while I continued up to clear the drainages and blowdowns on the upper Cutoff.

Blowdown before.

Blowdown after.

Top o' the trail, at the junction with Square Ledge Trail.

Axe work by the Wonalancet Out Door Club along the Square Ledge Trail.

One of several cliff faces along the Square Ledge Trail. That is some wild country out there.

Mount Passaconaway from the "white ledge" viewpoint near the summit of Square Ledge, reached by an overgrown side path that ends abruptly at the edge of a cliff (caution advised).

From here there is also a good view north to Hancock, Carrigain and Green's Cliff, with South Twin, Guyot and Zealand in the distance.

Mount Paugus to the east, where a group of us had hiked three days earlier.

From a lower perch (reached by a short bushwhack), a vista southeast over Paugus Pass.

Late blueberry color.

The "Wonalancet Hedgehog."

Another angle on Paugus, across the upper Oliverian Brook valley.

Peering down to the Oliverian headwaters.

The "white ledge," one of my favorite spots in the Sandwich Range.

BOLLES TO CHAMPNEY BUSHWHACK: 10/30/15

On a crisp and increasingly sunny fall day I enjoyed an an interesting 7-mile loop from the Champney Falls trailhead using the Bolles Trail and Champney Falls Trail with a mile-and-a-half bushwhack between that featured two great view ledges. Over the years I've found the Chocoura-Paugus area to be one of the most rewarding bushwhacking areas in the Whites, and today was no exception.

There is no longer a bridge over Twin Brook at the start of Champney Falls Trail, so I investigated the detour option using the highway bridge and an old woods road that leads to the trail on the east side of the brook.

Just beyond, I turned right on the Bolles Trail to begin the loop.

The Bolles Trail is named after the naturalist Frank Bolles, who frequented the Chocorua-Paugus area in the late 1800s and, with the help of some local Tamworth residents, reopened this historic route through the valleys between those two peaks in 1891, when he called it the "Lost Trail." A description of this undertaking is one of the chapters in his classic 1892 book, At the North of Bearcamp Water. Today it is a quiet and lovely trail, with only a fraction of the hiker traffic seen on the neighboring Champney Falls Trail.

This is the first of 10 brook crossings (9 of the main brook, one of a tributary) on this end of the Bolles Trail. There is one more double crossing that can be avoided by a herd path along the east bank. In normal water conditions most of these crossings are relatively easy.

One of many nice stream vignettes along the trail.

Some late beech color well up into the Twin Brook valley.

A beechwood corridor leads up to the nameless pass between Chocorua and Paugus.

A short bushwhack to an outcrop on the west side of the pass revealed a fine view of Mount Chocorua and the First and Middle Sisters. The next ledge objective is seen under the summit of Chocorua.

Zoom on Chocorua.

I took a break in the sun on this projecting perch.

Looking northeast down the Twin Brook valley to the Moat Range and Big Attitash Mountain.

A closer look at the Moats.

An over-the-treetops view of the Ossipee Range to the south.

Back down on the trail through the pass, I found the third of three geocaches placed on the north leg of the Bolles Trail. These aren't logged too frequently!

The trail through the pass. When Frank Bolles and friends came through in 1891, they found this broad saddle strewn with "tangled masses of wrecked forest," due to a severe hurricane. Through the pass they battled through the "harricane" damage, in local parlance. So perhaps this major gap in the Sandwich Range could unofficially be called "Harricane Pass."

Just to the east of the trail was this high swamp-meadow.

The bushwhack across the saddle was beset with numerous thickets of hobblebush, or "tangle-foot," as it was called by Bolles' companion, Nathaniel Berry. The photo below shows a welcome respite from the brushy cross-country travel.

I passed by this interesting boulder field.

After an hour I reached "Paugus View Ledge," one of my favorite spots in the mountains. This huge granite slab perched on a hanging spur of Chocorua offers an intimate view of the Paugus Brook valley and Mount Paugus. This was my ninth or tenth time here in the last two decades. On various previous trips I've brought several different friends and my wife, Carol, to this marvelous spot.

A western spur of Chocorua guards the other side of the valley.

Wild cliffs on a northern spur of Mount Paugus.

Mounts Hancock and Carrigain to the north.

Mount Passaconaway peers over to the right of Paugus.

What a ledge! This slab shows erosion channels similar to what our group saw on the Mount Paugus view ledge a week earlier.

On the other side of this spur there's a view into the hidden uppermost basin of Paugus Brook below First Sister and Chocorua.

The rocky dome of First Sister.

Heading up to the next view ledge, on a high NW shoulder of Chocorua, I stayed on the crest for a ways, but dense spruce prompted me to drop down the slope into hardwood forest.

Even the hardwoods were no picnic. I engaged in an extended wrestling match through this hobblebush haven.

Another welcome stretch of open woods. Nice feeling of remoteness back in here.

I caught a glimpse of the spruce-topped bluff where I was headed.

More hobblebush mixed into a birch forest.

A bit of scrubby scrambling lifted me to the flank of the view ledge.

And on to its top.

A jumble of peaks to the north.

As with many Chocorua viewspots, there is a wonderful vista of the wild peaks of the Sandwich Range to the west.

The 4000-footers of the Sandwich Range: Whiteface, Passaconaway and the Tripyramids.

After soaking in the views, I headed back into the woods and whacked along a broad ridge to the Champney Falls Trail at one of its switchbacks. I've traversed this ridge a number of times with deep snowpack, and it seemed a whole lot brushier from ground level.

An opening amidst the hobblebush.

A moose path meanders through fallen ferns.

On the way back down Champney Falls Trail, I took the steep but very scenic side loop past the falls, admiring this rock overhang near the top.

The upper part of Champney Falls.

The lower Champney Falls, in good flow after the previous day's rain.

One last cascade at the bottom, then it was time to hustle out and finish the loop before dark.

BIRCH HILL & CHURCH POND: 11/4/15

I had a late start after morning business on this sunny, warm November day, so I opted for an easy approach hike on the south end of the Sawyer Pond Trail followed by a short bushwhack to 1891-foot Birch Hill, a low eminence north of the Kanc Highway with good views from east-facing cliffs.

The caveat with the Sawyer Pond Trail from the Kanc is that you have to ford the Swift River at the start. With low water flow and warm temperatures, it seemed feasible today.

Looking downstream from the ford. It was not quite to knee level today a bit upstream from where the trail comes to the bank.

Nice gravel bar looking upstream.

The first part of the trail after the river crossing passes under towering white pines.

A big fallen pine, waiting for trail-clearing axeman Chris Garby.

Easy, pleasant walking in the Albany Intervale.

Farther along the woods switch to hardwoods, bathed in low-angle November sun.

From a point on the west slope of Birch Hill, I left the trail and bushwhacked up through mostly open hardwoods. In the 1920s and 1930s Birch Hill was accessible via a trail maintained by the Passaconaway Mountain Club, but I didn't see any trace of it.

I encountered some spruce blowdown along the crest of the low ridge.

The summit of Birch Hill, right behind the cliffs.

East to Bear Mountain.

Owl's Cliff and its long SE ridge; Bartlett Haystack on the right.

From a corner of the cliff, a view north.

Mount Carrigain, Vose Spur, Carrigain Notch, Mount Lowell, and Mount Anderson. In front is the low ridge the Sawyer Pond Trail crosses en route to Sawyer Pond.

Mount Tremont and Owl's Cliff.

Looking across the cliff face.

Mount Chocorua across the Albany Intervale.

Some late oak color behind the ledges.

Oaks overhead.

Beech bronze on the bushwhack down.

Afternoon light on the Sawyer Pond Trail.

I fashioned a loop by following the Nanamocomuck Ski Trail west towards Church Pond. This trail was fine for walking with only a couple of muddy spots. One long section meandered through a fine bottomland hardwood forest.

At 0.3 mile from the Sawyer Pond Trail, the ski trail passed this lovely view up the Swift River to Mount Passaconaway.

Several years ago the eastern half of the Church Pond Trail was closed due to chronic wetness. The west part of the trail still provides access to this scenic pond.

Great new bog bridges - a quarter-mile of them - were placed on the Church Pond Trail in 2013 by the Saco Ranger District trail crew. This is now a very pleasant, easy hike, with the qualifier that the Swift River must be forded at the start.

Cotton grass and Green's Cliff.

The trail ends at "The Knoll," a low hill covered with red pines, overlooking Church Pond.

Mount Tripyramid's North Peak reflects in the water, along with the Fool Killer.

Mount Tremont, Owl's Cliff and Birch Hill from a great sitting rock along the pond's eastern finger.

A closer look at Tremont and Owl's Cliff.

Mount Passaconaway and Potash Mountain. After admiring these twilight views, I hustled back along the trail, forded the river with darkness drawing on, and walked along the Kanc back to the Sawyer Pond trailhead. Along the way I paused to look at the Big Dipper suspended above the dark silhouette of Green's Cliff. There is no light pollution out on the Kanc!

PAUGUS BROOK EXPLORATION: 11/5/15

I took advantage of another glorious November day for a hike into the Paugus Brook valley on the Bolles Trail, and a bushwhack exploration into a ravine on the east side of Mount Paugus. The Paugus Brook valley is one of the most interesting bushwhacking areas in the Whites, with numerous ledges to investigate on both the Chocorua and Paugus sides of the drainage. Over the years I've made perhaps two dozen excursions to various destinations in this area. One of most memorable was a long spring day in 1997 when my friend Creston Ruiter and I visited 12 view ledges in a circuit around both sides at the head of the valley.

One spot stood out among those I had yet to visit: a remarkable overhanging ledge on the headwall of the ravine that opens out to the east and NE of the wooded, trailless true summit of Mt. Paugus. I had peered at this ledge many times from various viewpoints on the flanks of Mt. Chocorua - the photo below was taken from a ledge on the west ridge - and from the summit itself. I knew this would be primarily a hardwood bushwhack, and November, before the snow arrives, is a good time for this type of trip.

Another view of the overhanging ledge, as seen from Chocorua's Farlow Ridge. Prominent above it is a great granite slab fronting a 2800-ft. northern knob of Mt. Paugus.

A stop at the south end of Chocorua Lake is mandatory when driving to trailheads in this area.

The classic view of lake and mountain.

Mts. Whiteface, Passaconaway and Paugus.

There was only one other car at the Brook/Liberty Trail parking area at the end of rough, narrow Paugus Rd. Beyond the gate, I followed the gravel road to the Bolles Trail, soon coming to its major crossing of Paugus Brook. Huge step stones were placed here about 10 years ago by the Wonalancet Out Door Club. They were swept away by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, but were soon replaced in a joint effort by the Chocorua Mountain Club and the Trailwrights.

Beautiful autumn strolling on the Bolles Trail, which is named for the late 19th century naturalist. Frank Bolles.

There was still some late foliage color hanging around.

The southern part of the Bolles Trail is used by snowmobilers in winter, and just north of the junction with Bee Line Cutoff the trail crosses large bridges over a tributary and then the main branch of Paugus Brook.

While searching for a geocache, I stumbled upon these pieces from an old stove (?) from the nearby Mason's logging camp, which was in use during the big Paugus Mill operation in the early 1900s.

New trail signs at the Bee Line Trail junction. I miss the old black-on-yellow Chocorua Mountain Club signs.

A trailside view up Paugus Brook.

The Bolles Trail closely follows the brook in places, making for a scenic stroll up the valley.

At 2.6 miles the trail makes a bridged crossing of the main branch of Paugus Brook, which flows out of a hidden basin on the NW side of Mt. Chocorua's summit.

Just around the bend is one of the neatest spots in the valley, an opening marking the site of Bert Mudgett's logging camp from the Paugus Mill days.

There are many artifacts here, such as this metal hoop through which a good-sized tree has grown.

A number of rusted sled runners can be seen.

Peavey heads.

More artifacts. As always, a reminder that it is illegal to remove any of these from the WMNF. They are part of the Forest's cultural heritage and should be left where found for other history enthusiasts to enjoy.

Part of a wood stove?

This arrow marking a turn through the camp site is being swallowed by a maple.

After a lunch break, I headed westward for my off-trail ramble into the ravine, soon crossing the small branch of Paugus Brook that emanates from the south side of the pass between Chocorua and Paugus.

The first of many interesting large boulders I passed in the course of my exploration.

Open, gentle hardwood forest predominated at the beginning of the whack into the ravine. Naturally, it got steep, brushy and blowdown-infested higher up.

At one point I followed an old sled road from the Paugus Mill days.

A glimpse of the granite face on the 2800-ft. northern knob of Mt. Paugus. I once bushwhacked along the northern ridge and dropped down to the upper edge of that slab, an impressive viewpoint.

More big rocks.

I dropped down to the ledgy stream that flows off the headwall of the ravine

Farther up was a series of cascades and a small gorge. This could be pretty impressive with a good flow of water.

Looking back down the brook to ledges on an eastern spur of Paugus.

Creston and I visited this stair-like formation on our grand ledge tour in 1997.

Climbing on or alongside the open brookbed was easier than pushing through the dense tangle of hobblebush and blowdown in the adjacent woods.

A nice little cascade.

A large wet slab marked the point where I would traverse across the slope to the overhanging ledge.

It didn't take long to reach the edge of the slab below the ledge, and I quickly saw that this was one of the neatest features among many in the White Mountains that I've had the good fortune to visit.

I clambered up to walk under "the roof."

Going in, I didn't know if there would be any kind of accessible view at this spot. As luck would have it, there was a comfortable spot to sit at the edge and take in the fine vista of Chocorua. Nice!

A closer look at the iconic mountain.

An amazing natural rock sculpture!

The steeply sloping slab below the overhang.

After savoring this spot for nearly an hour, I was rebuffed in an attempt to get up to the top of the overhanging ledge by a blowdown tangle and a dangerous-looking sideslope above. The best option here was a strategic retreat.

On the way down, I got a different perspective on the overhang.

And another.

Beeches and boulders on the return bushwhack.

Before heading out, I went another quarter-mile north on the Bolles Trail to snag a geocache and enjoy the open hardwood forest and meandering brook in this remote and expansive upper valley. I hope to return again soon.

MEANDERING ABOVE HOBBITLAND: 11/9/15

I spent a sunny afternoon bushwhacking around the area above Champney and Pitcher Falls and the cliffs called "Hobbitland" by rock climbers. On these northern slopes of Mount Chocorua I found views and some very interesting water and rock features. Late in the morning I set off on the Champney Falls Trail.

A view of Champney Brook along the trail.

Fine rock step work at the junction with the lower end of the falls loop trail, 1.4 miles from the trailhead.

The falls loop passes this nice cascade and pool before reaching Champney Falls.

The lower drop of Champney Falls.

The thin veil of Pitcher Falls plunges into its flume.

After following a climber's path for a short distance, I began bushwhacking above the top of Pitcher Falls, with a look up at the steep slope of Hobbitland.

This rock face borders the brook above Pitcher Falls.

A hint of a rainbow in an upper cascade.

The brook slides over a big slab here.

I climbed steeply up the slope above that cascade.

Rugged terrain in here.

Looking down a waterslide.

A glimpse of the main Hobbitland cliff.

Man and dog, nose-to-nose.

Whacking through scrubby hardwood growth to the crest of the ridge.

I visited a few view spots on the knob above Champney Falls and Hobbitland, including this one with a peek into the upper basin of Champney Brook.

Looking up at the Three Sisters ridge.

This open ledge area was my main objective, and it held some real surprises. From the top was a view out to Mount Carrigain, the Hancocks, and other peaks to the north and west.

I knew there would be views, but what I didn't expect was an amazing complex of huge, frost-riven rocks and deep, shadowy crevices.

This one goes way down.

An airy rock island with its own mini-forest.

The westward view.

Peering down into the largest crevice.

I bushwhacked down and around and walked into the big crevice.

The floor of the crevice.

End of the line for this one.

A little hardwood plateau at the base of the ledges.

Jagged rocks a-plenty.

Heading into another deep cut.

A narrow passageway.

Looking to the sky.

Rock pillars.

I climbed to a higher ledge, with a good view to Passaconaway and Tripyramid.

Looking northeast to Mount Washington.

Northward vista to Mount Tremont and the Nancy Range.

From a ledge on the SE side of the knob, a look at Blue Mountain, another spur of Chocorua, seen across the basin of Steam Mill Brook.

Late light on the Sisters.

On the bushwhack back to the trail, I passed this cascade and pool on the Pitcher Falls brook. It was another interesting day spent exploring the diverse terrain of the Sandwich Range.

ON AND OFF THE PIPER TRAIL: 11/16/15

On one of numerous fine sunny November days, I did some exploring along the Piper Trail on the east side of Mount Chocorua. Though this is reputed to be the most popular route of Chocorua, I saw no other hikers on this trek.

This sign provides a little trail history at the large trailhead parking area off Route 16.

Because I was planning a couple of off-trail side excursions, I did not set my sights on reaching the summit of Chocorua. The days are just too darn short in mid-November.

The walking on the lower Piper Trail was very pleasant in the morning sun.

It's a great time of year in the hardwood forest.

Partway up the valley, ashort bushwhack up to a small gravelly slide revealed an impressive view up to Mount Chocorua.

Middle Sister and Carter Ledge enclose the other side of the valley.

Looking back up the small slide.

After crossing the Chocorua River (a mountain brook at this point), the trail leads through an attractive hemlock forest.

One of the day's objectives was to explore along the southwest fork of the Chocorua River. A fascinating 1940s Chocorua Mountain Club map, compiled by Arthur C. Comey, shows the word "Falls" partway up this branch. (A copy of the map can be seen here, courtesy of the Dartmouth College library.) Though water flow was low, in the course of bushwhacking up this brook for a couple hundred feet of elevation, I came upon several drops that could have been the "Falls" on the map. This was the first.

Just above was a nice waterslide.

This reminded me of Waternomee Falls off the Carr Mountain Trail.

Next up was a big slab with cascades at the top.

I liked this long, twisting cascade best of all.

An upper part of the cascade.

Rock-a-blocks on the steep bushwhack back up to the Piper Trail.

Rugged spruce forest.

Back on the Piper Trail in an area with many well-constructed rock stair cases.

I followed the rather steep side trail to Camp Penacook, which climbs 200 ft. in 0.2 mile.

This shelter, originally built by the Chocorua Mountain Club in 1916, has a premier location at an elevation of 2700 ft.

A view of Ossipee Lake from a ledge in front of the shelter.

Most campers seem to be complying with these guidelines, though some trees have been hacked down behind the shelter.

I found the "Pied Piper" geocache up behind the shelter. There was a familiar pair of names at the bottom.

I returned to the Piper Trail and headed up to the first few view ledges on the spur ridge it ascends.

Ridgelines sweep down from the great southeast ridge of Chocorua.

Late day sun on the granite face of Carter Ledge.

Gazing down the wide Chocorua River valley.

Looking up at Three Sisters Ridge.

The shadow of Chocorua's horn.

The sun disappearing behind Chocorua.

The iconic peak, seen from the huge open ledge along the trail at 2840 ft. Another great day of exploring on this marvelous mountain.

SOUTHEAST RIDGE OF CHOCORUA: 11/18/15

After looking over at the great SE ridge of Mount Chocorua from the Piper Trail on 11/16, I decided to revisit several great off-trail view ledges there while traversing the Hammond Trail, one of my favorite routes on the mountain. As a bonus I could also snag four seldom-logged geocaches.

Along its lower section the Hammond Trail follows the meandering little course of Stony Brook, which has its headwaters at "The Heart of the Mountain," as it was named by 19th century naturalist and author Frank Bolles.

It was another in a series of crisp, sunny November days.

A fluffy ankle-deep leaf carpet made for tricky footing in the hardwoods.

The Hammond Trail climbs steadily through a classic American beech forest.

There are many bear trees in here.

Higher up, the trail switchbacks through a mixed forest of oak and spruce.

Near the top of the spur known as Bald Mountain, this ledge just off the trail offers a nice resting spot and a view of the Ossipee Range.

I soon launched a bushwhack to the eastern ledges of Bald, a favorite spot that I've been to several times in the past. An additional inducement was two off-trail geocaches. This ledge has a nice view south over Chocorua Lake. Note: When wandering through this area, I tread carefully to avoid stepping on the puffy lichens and other fragile growth found in places on the ledges.

The expansive ledges that gave this spur its name.

The eastern ledges offer a unique angle on Mount Chocorua, the Three Sisters and Carter Ledge rising above the Chocorua River valley.

A closer look at Chocorua and the Sisters.

Back on the Hammond Trail.

Spruce blowdowns taken out a few years ago by the Chocorua Mountain Club.

The trail scrambles up this rocky cleft.

East-viewing ledges accessed via a short side path.

A framed vista of Carter Ledge.

Ledgy rambling along the Hammond Trail.

A peek at the peak.

Deep spruce forest is the rule on the long SE ridge.

Glacial erratics.

Chocorua's summit looms ahead.

At the 3 mile mark, the Hammond Trail meets the Liberty Trail, which here ascends easily along the west side of the ridge.

My next stop was an off-trail ledge to the west of the trail, a phenomenal open viewpoint.

The high summits of the Sandwich Range.

An unusual angle looking up at Chocorua's rocky summit.

Quite the peak!

For an hour I felt like the king of the Sandwich Range.

My last short bushwhack took me to ledges on a nameless knob south of Jim Liberty Cabin. More great views here, including this one of Chocorua, Silver and Ossipee Lakes beyond the Hammond Trail ridge.

Far-reaching views to the NE.

A fine angle on Chocorua and the Sisters in late afternoon light.

One last look at the Sandwich Range from yet another ledge.

From the Hammond Trail on Bald Mountain, sunset over Mount Israel. The last mile of descent by headlamp through the deep leaves was slow going.

MOUNT CHOCORUA: 11/24/15

After admiring the rocky summit of Mount Chocorua from several directions recently, it was time to go to the top and look in wonder at the view from that magnificent lofty perch. I decided to use the Liberty Trail for the ascent, as there are six geocaches and a puzzle geocache along the trail, and I hadn't been all the way up this route in a while. The Brook/Liberty or Bolles/Bee Line/Brook/Liberty loop options were appealing, but I figured there could be some dangerous icy sections on the steep upper ledge on the Brook Trail. So Liberty it was, up and back.

The first mile of the trail is mostly through a fine hardwood forest.

Impressive twin oaks beside the trail, the site of the first geocache.

Another big oak.

Good footing on this section.

I rummaged around and found this rusted shovel blade at the site of the old Halfway House by the crossing of Durrell Brook. Perhaps it was used by the stable hands who tended to horses here.

The crossing of Durrell Brook, a relatively small stream.

Mini-cascades farther up along Durrell Brook.

This well-constructed trail was once used as a bridle path to access the Peak House (1892-1915) below the summit.

One of the six geocaches I snagged on the way up.

Rock steps line a mucky stretch.

Higher up, the trail passes through tall Chocorua spruces.

Trail junction on the ridge.

A sunny section along the west side of the ridge.

An impressive look at the cone of Chocorua from ledges up to the right of the trail.

Flurries over the Sandwich Range.

The classic view of Jim Liberty Cabin, located at the site of the Peak House. Photos of the Peak House in the early 1900s show this area - burned in a fire about 1815 - as mostly bare rock. The trees have made a remarkable comeback in the last century.

A brief history of the cabin.

Interior view. There are nine bunks.

The cabin is securely anchored to the ledges. The Peak House, which was much more exposed, was blown off the mountainside in a 1915 storm.

Parts of the Liberty Trail along the upper ledges were blasted out to make the ascent easier for guests of the Peak House.

Ledges, ledges, and more ledges.

Steeply sloping slabs along the trail. The iron bar is probably a remnant of wooden walkways that once aided the ascent for hikers.

Looking down on the south peak, which the Liberty Trail crosses, with Chocorua, Silver and Ossipee Lakes beyond.

Peering down into the valleys of Claybank and Durrell Brooks.

Rugged terrain above the Liberty Trail, which hugs the south side of the cone.

An outstanding view ledge alongside the trail.

A basalt dike that intruded into the predominating granite, at the Liberty/Brook Trail junction.

Where the two major southwestern routes up the mountain meet.

In case you miss the sign...

Sun and clouds on the Sandwich Range.

Heading for the summit.

Steep and rocky, with a few ice flows adding to the fun.

The junction right below the summit.

The gully scramble that leads to the top.

A lone hiker and his friend hunker down under the summit. The breeze from the north was chilly!

The weathered summit benchmark.

Looking north to the Three Sisters, stormy in the distance.

The Chocorua River valley, Cow Rock, the Hammond Trail ridge, and the eastern lakes. Legend holds that the chief Chocorua leapt to his death from Cow Rock.

Carter Ledge and another angle on Cow Rock.

Alien landing #1.

Looking towards Carrigain.

A classic blustery November day.

Alien landing #2.

It's cold, it's late, time to head down!

THANKSGIVING GEOCACHING, 11/26/15

Carol and I spent the morning and early afternoon of Thanksgiving Day visiting some beautiful spots on the southeast side of the mountains while logging 11 geocaches. This brought Carol's total to the milestone of 900 caches found!

Our first stop was the recently opened trail system in the Albany Town Forest, where we found this view of the wide-open Swift River and South Moat Mountain.

This fine spot is only 0.2 mile from the trailhead parking area via the Crossover Trail.

We walked out and back along the western half of the Swift River Trail, enjoying more watery vistas.

New signage at a trail junction.

This map of trails in the town forest is on a kiosk at the trailhead, on the Kancamagus Highway about 0.7 mile west of the Saco Ranger Station.

Our next walk was a short one down a woods road to the shore of mostly undeveloped Whitton Pond in Albany, where we found this geocache.

Whitton Pond.

Our longest and best walk of the day was at the wonderful Frank Bolles Preserve, starting at the Hammond Trail trailhead on the south side of Mount Chocorua.

Nice signage provided by the Nature Conservancy and the Chocorua Lake Conservancy.

Descending off an esker (a narrow ridge deposited by glacial meltwater) en route to Heron Pond.

The lovely Heron Pond, also called Lonely Lake. It was the subject of a chapter in the 1893 book, At the North of Bearcamp Water, by the naturalist Frank Bolles. The low ridge of Bickford Heights can be seen in the back.

The water level in this glacial kettle pond fluctuates dramatically. Today it was very low....

...making it easy to explore along the exposed shoreline.

We used a temporary land bridge to access a geocache uniquely placed on what is usually a small island.

For the last geocache of the day, and Carol's 900th, we headed south along the Heron Pond Trail. These trails provide easy and exceptionally pleasant walking.

We headed down the Lake Trail with a new friend.

The milestone cache was near this giant white pine.

As reported by hiking columnist Ed Parsons in the Conway Daily Sun, this has been measured as the second tallest white pine in New Hampshire, 144 feet tall with a circumference of 165 inches at chest height.

The Lake Trail continues to a spot on the NW side of Chocorua Lake.

Looking south across the water.

On the way back I paid another quick visit to Heron Pond. From this spot I could see the southern spurs of Mount Chocorua; the summit was in the clouds.

Pine tree reflections.

Gnarled oaks along the shore. A special place.

BALD KNOB: 11/30/15

With a late morning start on this chilly gray day, I opted for a bushwhack to 2300-ft. Bald Knob, the westernmost peak on Sandwich Mountain's Acteon Ridge. I had been to this ledgy little peak back in 2006 on a traverse of Acteon Ridge with Keith D'Alessandro, but on that trip we were running late and couldn't spend much time on the summit. It seemed like a good time for a return visit, via a new route.

Bald Knob is prominent in the view below taken from a ledge on Welch Mountain.

I walked part of the Pine Flat Trail on the approach, which offers interesting views of rock walls and a gorge along Smarts Brook.

The main Smarts Brook Gorge.

I was surprised to find a path of sorts along the first part of the bushwhack route, starting from the Yellow Jacket Trail. There was a unique directional marking where it turned away from the direction I was going.

A small brook was my companion as I climbed towards the col on the south side of Bald Knob.

An impressive streamside boulder.

Much of the climb was through a wonderfully open hemlock forest with good footing and virtually no undergrowth.

The climb was amply steep in places.

One of several cliffs lining the col on the south side of Bald Knob. This one had a climbing sling on it, and some later internet research revealed that the flank of Bald Knob has numerous named rock-climbing routes on boulders and cliffs.

A fine open hardwood glade in the col.

When Keith and I descended from Bald Knob in 2006, we were cliffed out partway down and had to backtrack up and across. So today I took a more roundabout route to the top on moderate terrain and eventually reached the summit, marked by a small cairn.

Expanses of ledge adorn much of the summit area. When wandering around checking out the views, I took care to avoid trampling the lichens that cover parts of the bedrock.

Looking towards the Campton Range on the south side of Sandwich Notch.

A neat place to hang out for a while, even on a raw grey day.

A ledge near the summit opens a good view of Welch and Dickey Mountains, with Cone Mountain behind on the left.

Welch and Dickey, zoomed.

A peek at Middle and South Tripyramid.

The high peaks of Sandwich Mountain: Jennings Peak, the main summit, and the higher of the two Black Mountains.

Jennings Peak, perhaps the best of the several viewpoints on Sandwich Mountain.

This bearing tree may mark the westernmost corner of the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

The massive sprawl of the two Black Mountains on Sandwich Mountain's southwest ridge.

Back down to the hardwood col.

The headwaters of the little stream.

Jaws!

A side view of the fanged overhang.

On the way down I made a side trip to a big ledge on the southern spur of Bald Knob. A great area to explore!

BALD KNOB LEDGES: 12/4/15

With just the afternoon available for a hike, I returned to the Smarts Brook area for a 5-mile trail-and-bushwhack loop to three sets of ledges on the south side of Bald Knob. It was typical early December - leaden grey skies and an inch or so of slippery wet snow above 1500 ft.

I approached again along the pleasant Pine Flats and Yellow Jacket Trails. The Pine Flats Trail offers several views of Smarts Brook.

From the Yellow Jacket Trail I bushwhacked up along a small tributary brook, a different stream than the one I followed on a recent trip to Bald Knob itself.

Farther up, the stream shrank to a rivulet as I tracked it through open hardwoods.

The first and lower ledges were broad and gentle. This one bore a rich carpet of lichen and moss. I stepped on bare rock patches to avoid trampling these.

Here I stumbled upon a well-worn bootleg trail, one of several in the lower Smarts Brook area.

The lower of the two Black Mountains on the SW ridge of Sandwich Dome peers over the trees.

This broad expanse reminded me of the Blueberry Ledges on the lower slope of Mount Whiteface. The first time I visited here, with Cath Goodwin in March 1996, this opening was a place of refuge for us from strong winds that had dropped a large yellow birch in the woods on a spot we had just crossed. Here we were safe from any falling trees, until we wisely decided to curtail our bushwhack and head for home.

I headed up a minor ridge towards the next set of ledges, and had my first tussle of the season with snow-laden spruce. As a water park ad says, get set to get wet!

Snow had plastered the hardwoods too, and the footing was slippery.

Arriving at the base of the next ledge.

This one is a long oak-fringed ramp of granite.

Gnarled guardians.

An unusual shape for this poop deposited by a local resident.

Looking towards Sandwich Notch.

The lower Black Mountain and its spur.

The lower and upper Black Mountains; the upper is traversed by the Algonquin Trail.

A glimpse of Sachem Peak up the ridge.

The boulder on this viewless upper ledge can be seen on the latest Google Earth image.

The third ledge area of the day was atop the prominent southern spur of Bald Knob, with a good view of the Campton Range. I had been to this spot earlier in the week on the way down from Bald Knob.

From the back side of the ledge there was a look up at the rough flank of Bald Knob.

Here also was a neat view of Welch & Dickey Mountains beyond the steep nose of Bald Knob.

Twenty years ago another opening offered a lovely view up the Smarts Brook valley all the way to Sandwich Dome. But two decades of tree growth have almost completely obscured this vista. The best I could muster was this peek at the flank of the upper Black Mountain, obtained only by holding a branch down with a ski pole. But there are still views a-plenty to be found in the Bald Knob area.

SLIDE BROOK & SOUTH TRIPYRAMID SLIDES: 12/8/15

I spent a mostly grey, raw day exploring in one of my favorite areas in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. I hiked up the Livermore and Mount Tripyramid Trails, visited some interesting spots on Slide Brook, then climbed the newest of the several South Slides, which fell during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

The easy-walking approach on the Livermore Trail was mostly snow-free.

The trail passes by this cascade and pool on Avalanche Brook.

A path leads down to ledges atop the cascade.

Another cascade just above.

A pleasant walk!

The confluence of Avalanche Brook and Slide Brook.

A new trail sign at the start of the route to the South Slide.

The crossing of Avalanche Brook, usually pretty easy.

Into the Wilderness.

For a short distance the forest remained snow-free.

A small trailside cascade on Slide Brook.

Where the low December sun shines, and where it doesn't.

The crossing of Cold Brook.

Black Cascade, named for its dark gabbro bedrock.

Farther up the valley I left the trail and bushwhacked a ways along Slide Brook, coming first to this tiny step cascade.

And then to this snow-fringed water sluice, which is even prettier when its mossy garb is revealed.

A closer look.

An interesting patchwork of moss and granite.

A small cascade slides into a shapely pool.

Part of a small gorge once known as "the V," first described by Charles E. Fay in an 1876 article in Appalachia. For many years it was a landmark for hikers going to or from the South Slide. Waterville guidebook editor A.L. Goodrich wrote, "It is not an easy place to pass." I first found this spot after several searches in the tangled ravine in 2010.

The south wall of "the V" matches the description written by Charles E. Fay: "rough and irregular, exposing the edges of broken strata." For a short time around 1916 a trail connected "the V" with the old Woodbury Trail (a route from Waterville to Mt. Whiteface), but it was soon destroyed by logging.

Sculpted pool at the base of "the V."

I bushwhacked steeply back to the trail and soon entered a relatively snowless hardwood area where I enjoyed my only sun of the day.

That's a big blowdown!

A cool ent-like tree, big enough, as reader Bob Constantine pointed out, to have its own snow shadow.

The trail passes this gorgeous hardwood glade at 2950 ft. The hardwoods run higher on Tripyramid than on most other peaks.

Nice low-angle light.

Bullwinkle was here, and recently!

A short bushwhack brought me to the runout of the 2011 slide, with torn and tangled trees.

Approaching the open part of the slide.

Looking up the slide, an impressive open swath.

Heading up the ledges, past the only patch of ice I encountered.

Looking down the slide.

Mount Tecumseh, with the Waterville Valley snow guns audible in the distance.

Several of the ledges were striped with thin tannish bands of an intrusive rock. I asked my geologist friend, Thom Davis. His observation:
"I think that the thin tan bands are aplite dikes, thin versions of 'Red Rocks' on the Old Bridle Path, where the aplite has been darkened by organic acids leaching from the soils."

From the edge, a view towards Lost Pass and Sandwich Dome.

Dry granite ledge beckoned for a break.

The upper part of the slide.

View from the top.

Where the slide started.

I bushwhacked a short distance across to an older slide strip and climbed it.

The view from this strip.

A hardy white pine ekes out a living on this old slide swath.

I continued across to the top of the lower open part (3450 ft.) of the 1869 slide, the one the trail follows.

Sandwich Dome and Jennings Peak.

I sat for a while here, savoring one of my favorite views, towards the wild Lost Pass region with Sandwich Dome beyond.

Mount Israel through Lost Pass.

A wider view, showing much of the long spur ridge of East Sleeper leading out to Lost Pass. Surely that remote ridge is seldom traversed. An epic bushwhack challenge would be to follow that ridge from East Sleeper down to Lost Pass, traverse the several peaks of the northern Flat Mountain, and then ascend to the summit of Sandwich Dome.

A rare blaze on the Mount Tripyramid Trail.

Back down through those wonderful hardwoods. Couldn't resist another shot.

A nifty fungus tree.

The layout of the slides on South Tripyramid. Over the years the 1869 and 1885 slides have been largely revegetated. The Mount Tripyramid Trail is on the 1869 slide, following the two prominent strips that are second from the left, and continuing through scrub to the top strip on the left. The top patch on the right, above "1885," is the slide the Kate Sleeper Trail crosses after leaving the Mount Tripyramid Trail. The Irene slide, on the lower right, is the most prominent swath in this 2013 Google Earth image.

WATERVILLE CASCADES & SNOWS MOUNTAIN: 12/11/15

It was the last of several foggy, gloomy days in the Whites, suited to a woods and waterfalls walk on the Cascades Path and Snows Mountain Trail in Waterville Valley. It was amazing that in mid-December, these trails were 100% free of snow and ice.

The Cascade Path starts with a steady climb beside and then across a steep residential road, then follows an old ski trail into the woods.

The approach to the Waterville Cascades is a pleasant woods walk. Along the way you pass this tree with a grip.

One of the few black-on-yellow WVAIA signs left on the trails.

The first of the seven or so cascades along Cascade Brook.

I believe this gaping hole next to the second cascade is the feature named "The Cave" in A.L. Goodrich's 1892 guidebook to the Waterville Valley.

There's a gorgeous pool below.

The plunge of the third cascade. Few trails in the Whites can match the continuous water scenery on the Cascade Path.

A pair of towering white pines form a gateway at the top of the third cascade.

Cascade #4.

The picturesque fifth cascade, which might be my favorite of the group.

The sixth and seventh cascades are at the upper end of the trail. The bridge on a service road/X-C ski trail can be seen in the background.

I followed that X-C trail (Upper Snows Mountain) for half mile to a short connector that led to the Snows Mountain hiking trail.

Mossy rocks line this lightly-used but generally well-blazed trail.

A giant of the mountainside.

Into the fog.

An interesting arrangement of moss and fungi.

Enjoyable ridge walking along the crest of Snows.

The guardian of Snows Mountain, standing tall and proud in a hardwood col.

A mossy corridor, rising out of the col.

The junction of the north and south loops, at 2780 ft.

Doin' the twist.

The side path to the upper outlook, which is located just inside the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

Approaching the outlook.

Nothing but gray air today.

I sat for a while on the slope behind the outlook, taking time to savor the silence of the fogbound forest.

The lower outlook is just a short distance down the south loop.

This is the more open of the two viewpoints, but no hope today.

An old tote road provides a long stretch of good walking as the trail descends along the flank of the mountain. The Waterville Cascades and Snows Mountain loop is about 6 miles with 1450 ft. of elevation gain.

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SANDWICH DOME: 12/16/15

The unusually warm December has allowed for an extended season of bare ground, late fall bushwhacking. On one of the few recent non-gloomy days I headed for a favorite area in the wild, trailless area on the south side of Sandwich Dome. Though a trek up Bennett Street Trail to Sandwich Dome's summit beckoned, I couldn't resist a bushwhack loop that included a variety of woods, some logging history, a bunch of cascades, a large beaver pond and a familiar, unique ledge viewpoint.

On the drive in to the western trailhead for the Flat Mountain Pond Trail, I stopped for a photo of Sandwich Dome from a field along Bennett Street.

Mine was the only car at this remote trailhead, and I saw no other hikers during the day.

This is Wonalancet Out Door Club country. The WODC has been an outstanding steward of the Sandwich Range since 1892.

Climbing up the Flat Mountain Pond Trail in late morning sun. Along here I spotted a flock of a dozen wild turkeys foraging through the woods.

A beautiful morning!

I turned left onto the Guinea Pond Trail.

Easy walking on the Guinea Pond Trail, following the grade of the old Beebe River logging railroad (1917-1942).

The clearing at Camp 7 of the Beebe River logging railroad.

Sled runners and other logging camp "stuff."

Some rusting peavey heads.

There always seem to be at least a couple of old buckets around any logging camp site.

A rusting barrel deep in the woods.

A peaceful section of the Cold River.

The first of several cascades I admired along this scenic backcountry stream.

Another one.

Rugged rock-and-waterfall scenery.

Here the stream is constricted through a narrow flume-like formation.

A cascade dropping into the flume.

Still more cascades father upstream.

Small but attractive.

Another nice one.

And one more.

A bouldery drop.

I followed the east fork of Cold River up to a plateau. Here I left it to bushwhack across to a large beaver pond complex.

For a short distance I followed an old tote road from the Beebe River logging days.

A first peek at the beaver pond.

I crossed the west fork of Cold River, which drains from the beaver pond.

First mountain view from the shore - rugged Black Mountain, whose crest is traversed by the Algonquin Trail.

Typical woods behind the shore. At times I was able to follow well-beaten moose paths.

A good-looking beaver lodge.

The sprawling mass of Sandwich Dome. I first visited this expansive beaver pond back in 2005, and this vista was just as captivating the second time.

From the shore I headed up through brushy hardwoods (shown here) and then spruce woods to the outlook ledge.

Of many destinations I've bushwhacked to in the Whites, this is among my favorites for its seclusion and its unique view of Sandwich Dome. This was my fifth visit here.

This entire wild southern flank of Sandwich Dome is accessible only to bushwhackers.

The ledge also offers a distant view east to Whiteface, Paugus, Chocorua and other Sandwich Range summits.

Mount Whiteface and the southern Flat Mountain.

Mount Chocorua with the Sisters on the left and its elongated southern ridges on the right.

Black Mountain and the Dome.

A tawny beaver meadow, backed by open hardwoods.

After a chilly hour's sojourn on the ledge, I headed over the summit of this knob, where I found a Forest Service post marking the former boundary of the Sandwich Range Wilderness before it was expanded in 2006.

Late afternoon hardwood whacking.

I spotted yet another cascade on the way down.

And this ledgy sluice, capping a highly rewarding loop through the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

FLETCHER'S CASCADES: 12/21/15

On a gray, chilly morning I enjoyed a hike to several ice-draped cascades and an historic dam site in Waterville Valley. I walked up the mellow Drakes Brook Trail, then veered left onto the lightly-traveled Fletcher's Cascade Trail, maintained by the Waterville Valley Athletic & Improvement Association (WVAIA).

Before long the trail enters the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

The only significant brook crossing on this route is the stream that comes down from Fletcher's Cascades. Per usual in December - even a warm one such as this - careful rock-hopping was required due to an icy coating on many step stones.

A massive old hemlock blowdown.

A towering hemlock on the approach to the Cascades.

A hemlock stand and a spur of Flat Mountain.

The lower Fletcher's Cascades, a classic ledge staircase.

A middle cascade.

This drop was mostly frozen thanks to two recent cold nights.

Steep rocky brookbed.

The trail is steep as it ascends to the upper cascades. The dusting of snow and occasional icy patch made for slippery footing. My old Stabilicers performed well here, saving unnecessary wear on my Microspikes.

The southern of the side-by-side upper cascades.

The trail hooks left along the base of this one. A WVAIA arrow shows the way.

The northern of the upper cascades. Didn't look like a record warm December here.

A closer look.

Side view.

These large boulders stand guard on Drakes Brook where the tributary from Fletcher's Cascades comes in. In his early Waterville Valley guidebook, A.L. Goodrich called these "the Bowlders" and the tributary was named "Bowlder Brook."

A fine cascade on Drakes Brook.

Two for the price of one.

A large piece of machinery at the site of a dam on Drakes Brook used as part of log drives on the Mad River by International Paper Co. and Parker Young Co. in the early 1900s. Thanks to Ray Caron for intel on this historic site.

View from the other end.

Weathered timbers from the dam.

Another old timber, with iron spikes.

Looking down Drakes Brook from the dam site.

The Drakes Brook dam site. The log drives down the Mad River ended about 1931 as it became more practical to haul the logs by truck. After that this and several other dams in the Waterville area (on the Mad River, the West Branch, Flume Brook and Avalanche/Slide Brook) fell into disrepair.

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2015 HIKING YEAR: JULY TO DECEMBER

Continuing our retrospective on a great year of hiking...

The tallest of The Pleiades (the Seven Cascades) on Mount Moosilauke's Gorge Brook.

Cascades on Coppermine Brook, above Bridal Veil Falls, seen on a bushwhack down the Coppermine valley from the Kinsman Ridge Trail at Coppermine Col.

Bald Peak and North Kinsman on a fine summer day.

A peaceful scene at Little East Pond, looking across at Scar Ridge.

Stark Falls, on the brook of that name in Kinsman Notch.

My brother Drew in the birches along the Firewarden's Trail on Mount Hale.

The view up the long Little River valley from an off-trail ledge on the west ridge of Mount Hale.

Norcross and Nancy Ponds and the Sandwich Range from a ledge on Mount Nancy.

Ridges sweep down off Scar Ridge in this view from the shoulder of East Osceola.

An amber pool on Whitewall Brook in the wild country above Zealand Falls Hut.

Changeable skies seen from the South Peak of Mount Moosilauke.

A private crag on Mount Flume.

The Pemigewasset Wilderness from Mount Liberty.

The beautiful ridge ramble along the Hancock Loop Trail.

Part of the Sentinel Range seen from the shore of Copperas Pond on the first evening of a short September getaway to the Adirondacks.

The drained pond at Marcy Dam, looking towards Mount Colden.

Lake Colden, Flowed Lands and distant ranges from the spectacular summit of Mount Colden.

Two hikers takes it all in - what a day in the 'dacks! Slide-scarred Wright Peak in the background.

Rhododendron Pond and Dix Mountain, on a bushwhack loop in the lower reaches of the Dix Mountain Wilderness.

Spotted Mountain, Hough Peak and Dix Mountain from one of many open ledgy knobs in this interesting area,

John "1HappyHiker" Compton takes in the panorama from the impressive Kilburn Slide in the Sentinel Range Wilderness.

Whiteface Mountain from a beaver meadow at the base of Kilburn Mountain.

Back in the Whites...a jumble of peaks looking south from South Twin Mountain.

The talus slopes of Zealand Mountain seen from South Twin, beyond the Little River valley.

Chris Whiton gets the shot of a small gorge on Hellgate Brook in the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

Bondcliff dominates the view from the westernmost and widest slide on West Bond.

Chris works his way up the slide (sometimes called the "V-Guitar Slide" for its appearance when seen from Bondcliff) for even wider views.

Fine fall colors along Franconia Brook deep in the Pemi.

A gorgeous maple glade on the lower eastern slope of Owl's Head.

The Bonds viewed from one of several talus slopes on the eastern flank of Owl's Head.

Peering into the Redrock Brook valley from another talus slope.

Mts. Flume and Liberty and the "Owl's Head" from Henry's Ledge.

From Henry's Ledge, a commanding view down the East Branch valley towards Scar Ridge.

Birch Island Brook Falls in its autumn garb.

Foliage and Bondcliff at Black Pond.

Garfield Pond on a gorgeous October day.

There are few vistas in the Whites that can compare with the Pemi view from Mount Garfield.

A local denizen paid a brief surprise visit.

My brother and I had beautiful Thirteen Falls, eight miles into the Pemi, to ourselves on a late October day.

We saw some neat logging artifacts at J.E. Henry's Camp 12.

Thom Davis enjoys the Sandwich Range view from Mount Paugus on the 27th annual White Mountain Cropwalk hike for hunger.

Thom signs in at the true summit of Mount Paugus after a short but thick bushwhack. Roger Doucette and Gary Tompkins look on.

Dave Stinson takes a break after removing a blowdown on the Passaconaway Cutoff.

The impressive cone of Mount Passaconaway seen from an outcrop near the summit of Square Ledge.

A huge granite slab on the west slope of Mount Chocorua overlooks the remote Paugus Brook valley.

Mount Carrigain and Carrigain Notch, looking north from Birch Hill.

Twilight reflections of Mount Passaconaway and Potash Mountain at Church Pond.

The Chocorua Lake vista of Mounts Whiteface, Passaconaway and Paugus.

A bushwhack from the Bolles Trail in the Paugus Brook valley brought me to this remarkable overhanging ledge on the eastern side of Mount Paugus.

The view of Mount Chocorua from below "the roof."

Northwestern view from a complex of ledges and crevices on a knob above Champney Falls, near an area dubbed "Hobbitland" by rock climbers.

Mount Chocorua from an old slide patch in the Chocorua River valley.

One of several cascades found while bushwhacking along a western branch of the Chocorua River.

Bald Mountain's unique view of Mount Chocorua, the Three Sisters and Carter Ledge.

A sweeping view of the Sandwich Range from a western ledge on Chocorua's south ridge.

Late day light on Chocorua's cone, viewed from the mountain's "south peak."

Looking north from Chocorua's summit on a brisk late fall day.

The southern view from Chocorua.

Heron Pond in the Chocorua Conservation Lands, on Thanksgiving Day.

Sandwich Dome and the two Black Mountains from Bald Knob on Acteon Ridge.

Ledge slab and gnarled oaks on the south spur of Bald Knob.

A small gorge on Slide Brook known as "The V" by earlier Waterville Valley trampers.

A fresh slide on South Tripyramid, unleashed by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

One of a half-dozen fine cascades on the Cascades Path in Waterville Valley.

The guardian of Snows Mountain.

One of several fine cascades admired while bushwhacking up the Cold River on the south side of Sandwich Dome.

The Algonquin Trail's Black Mountain rises beyond a remote beaver pond.

The mass of Sandwich Dome seen from a ledge above the beaver pond in the large trailless area on the south side of the mountain.

A couple of cold nights in an unusually warm December formed ice flows on the upper Fletcher's Cascades in Waterville Valley. Happy trails to all in 2016!

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2015 HIKING YEAR: JANUARY TO JUNE

With each New Year it's fun to look back at the varied hiking trips enjoyed through the previous twelve months. In 2015 I was fortunate to visit many beautiful places in the Whites and other Northeastern mountains, and I was grateful for the fine company of my wife Carol and several friends with whom I shared some of these journeys. Here's to another good year of tramping in 2016!

North and South Hancock and "Juno Peak" from "Hancock Bog" off the Cedar Brook Trail.

Cauliflower ice at Birch Island Brook Falls, off the Black Pond Trail.

Late afternoon at Black Pond, with Mount Flume in the distance.

The Tripyramids from a slide on the flank of East Osceola, above Lower Greeley Pond.

Potash Mountain from the lower Downes Brook Slide on Mount Passaconaway.

The cliffs of Agony Ridge (Old Bridle Path) from an old slide patch in Walker Ravine.

Linda Moore descends the slide patch.

Mount Lafayette from a ledge on the ridge north of Lafayette Brook.

Alpenglow on Lafayette from a lower ledge above Lafayette Brook.

Linda Moore enjoys the view of Franconia Ridge from Mud Pond, tucked into the forest behind Mount Pemigewasset.

Beaver Pond and Kinsman Notch from a clifftop.

Linda Moore snowshoes up the Beaver Brook Cascades. During this cold, snowy winter skiers frequently ran the cascades.

This was often the story during the bitter month of February.

Carol admires one of the several frozen cascades along the Cascade Path in Waterville Valley.

Looking down the Waternomee Waterslide on Clough Mine Brook in Kinsman Notch.

The Presidentials from the drifted summit of Mount Jackson.

Late afternoon on Mount Tom, with Mount Field seen beyond a local resident.

Approaching the summit of Mount Moosilauke on the Gorge Brook Trail.

North Kinsman and Kinsman Pond from South Kinsman.

Peering down into Jobildunk Ravine from a drift along the Beaver Brook Trail.

Weaving through a winter wonderland en route to the summit of Mount Blue. With five feet of snow, there was no sign of the summer herd path.

At the east edge of Zeta Pass in the Carter Range, I found a view out over the remote valley of Cypress Brook.

The view east over the Wild River Wilderness from deep snowpack at the summit of Middle Carter.

En route to Mount Cabot on the Kilkenny Ridge Trail, I had a nice visit with Grid hikers the Footes and the Schors.

Hanging out with mismatched snowshoes on the vast talus field on the south slope of Cabot.

The view from the top of the Beaver Brook Cascades in early April.

A beautiful glade at 2800 ft. in Kinsman Notch.

The view north from Dickey Mountain to the wild spurs of Mount Tecumseh.

Various spurs of Carr Mountain seen in the north view from Rattlesnake Mountain.

Neat rock overhangs encountered while bushwhacking from Bald Ledge to Upper Rattlesnake Mountain.

Greetings from a water snake on the shore of Colgate Lake in the Catskills.

Old growth hardwoods high on the slope of Blackhead Mountain, during a bushwhack loop over this Catskill high peak.

Mike Dickerman takes in the Hudson Valley view from a ledge near the summit of Blackhead, where we were briefly on-trail.

The highlight of our bushwhack loop was this viewpoint up on Blackhead's trailless south ridge, with the Devil's Path peaks lining the horizon.

Mike checks out a ledge along the Devil's Path on the Sugarloaf side of the Mink Hollow pass.

Relaxing on Orchard Point, a terrific viewpoint at the NW end of Plateau Mountain.

Delightful ridgetop hardwood walking on the Pine Hill-West Branch Trail, atop Haynes Mountain.

Spring greens on the west slope of Eagle Mountain, where I searched in vain for a once-upon-a-time view.

Back in the Whites, a gorgeous maple forest on Bald Hill, south of Mount Moosilauke.

Tunnel Brook ponds and the South Peak of Mount Moosilauke from a slide on Mount Clough.

A mossy waterslide on a tributary of Sabbaday Brook, visited during a bushwhack ascent of Middle Tripyramid.

Peering down into the Sabbaday Brook valley from Middle Tripyramid.

View of Little Tunnel Ravine from an outlook along the Benton Trail.

Linda Moore points north along the bare crest of Mount Moosilauke.

Alex from the Saco Ranger District trail crew and Gary Tompkins from the AMC 4000-Footer Committee admire their blowdown removal work on the Passaconaway Cutoff on National Trails Day.

The Upper Pond of the Three Ponds seen from a small cliff above the Three Ponds Trail.

The gorgeous pothole pool above Dry River Falls, deep in the Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness.

Evening on Mount Eisenhower.

Taking a snooze on Stowe Pinnacle in Vermont, with Camel's Hump in the distance. (Photo by Carol Smith)

Moss Glen Falls, reached by a short hike not far outside of Stowe.

On a day trip to the Adirondacks from Stowe, Carol logs a geocache at the remote trailhead known as Crow Clearing.

Lost Pond in the Hurricane Mountain Wilderness.

Lost Pond and Hurricane Mountain from Weston Mountain.

More than 30 Adirondack High Peaks could be seen from the many view ledges along the unofficial trail on Nun-da-ga-o Ridge.

Back in the Whites, a mellow ridge meander on the Sandwich Mountain Trail.

Gazing into the Smarts Brook valley from Jennings Peak.

NOON PEAK CLIFFS: 1/5/16

On a beautiful sunny, cold afternoon, I undertook my first snowshoe bushwhack of the season, making my way from the Drakes Brook Trail to some wild cliffs on the flank of Noon Peak in the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

Drakes Brook did not look crossable at the Drakes Brook Trail location, so I followed some tracks 100 yards upstream and crossed here. It was a bit dicey, requiring steps on underwater rocks covered with slushy ice.

I came back to the trail right at the Wilderness boundary.

Even at midday the light of the January sun was low-angle on the Drakes Brook Trail.

A trailside view of Drakes Brook.

The bushwhack to the cliffs began in fairly open woods.

For a while it was thicker.

Then the woods opened up nicely.

This ice-draped cliff was hidden deep in the forest.

The open part of the cliff was too steep to access.

But I did steal a peek at the tips of the Trips.

This random ledge was tucked amidst the spruces.

Laying down my first snowshoe track of the season.

High cliffs loomed ahead.

The impetus for this whack was spotting these wild-looking cliffs on Google Earth.

After carefully negotiating some bouldery terrain, I arrived at their base, peering up at a cool roof-like overhanging ledge.

A closer look.

A giant bicuspid.

I slowly worked my way up to the base of a great rock wall on the right side of the cliff complex. It reminded me of the terrain around Square Ledge near Mount Passaconaway.

It was late in the afternoon, but I wanted to somehow get to the top of this for a view on this spectacular day. A strenuous flanking route out to the right and back did the trick.

Success!

This was an amazing perch on the steep flank of Noon Peak, with a unique side view across the neighboring cliffs to the summit of Sandwich Dome beyond.

The interesting structure of the roof ledge.

Down-look.

I thought this could be another Waterville "Elephant Rock." Facebook viewers also suggested a platypus, an aardvark and an anteater.

The col between Flat Mountain and Sandwich Dome. Many years ago Waterville historian and master trail builder Nathaniel Goodrich wrote of a flume up there.

The snow-caked Tripyramids and West Sleeper dominated the view to the northeast.

Looking north to Mad River Notch and Mount Kancamagus.

A zoom on the notch, with East Osceola on the left and the west knob of Mount Kancamagus, showing its K1 and K2 Cliffs, on the right. Mount Bond, West Huntington and Northwest Hancock are seen through the gap.

Descending through the woods from the cliff. Just below here the combination of steep, tight terrain and slippery sugar snow created enough torque to cause a snowshoe failure, so most of the down-whack was completed with one snowshoe. Good thing the snow wasn't deep!

MOUNT PASSACONAWAY: 1/7/16

This spectacular sunny early winter day called for big views, and the impressive monarch of the Sandwich Range, named for a great Penacook sachem of the 1600s, delivered. From online reports I knew that the Dicey's Mill Trail from the Ferncroft trailhead in Wonalancet was well-packed, and the conditions were ideal for Microspikes.

Before setting off, I paused to peruse this interesting display on the hiking history of the area.

Trail signs with the trademark Wonalancet Out Door Club (WODC) blue color.

It was a beautiful morning at Ferncroft, perhaps the most picturesque trailhead in the Whites, rivaled only by Breezy Point (Moosilauke Carriage Road). Mount Whiteface is seen on the left, Mount Wonalancet on the right.

A different angle also showing Hibbard Mountain and Wonalancet Hedgehog.

The Wonalancet River seen from a bridge that links the Dicey's Mill Trail with the Blueberry Ledge Cutoff.

Just beyond, the trail enters the WMNF and the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

For more than a mile the trail led through sunny hardwoods. In here I had a brief chat with uber-hiker and trail runner Ryan Welts, who was out for a morning loop run over Mount Whiteface. He was gone so fast I didn't get a picture. Ryan holds the winter speed record for the NH 4000-footers.

A glimpse of some cliffs on the eastern flank of Whiteface. I visited these while breaking trail through deep snow up the Tom Wiggin Trail in 2007. For an account of that hike and several other Wonalancet adventures that season, see A Wonalancet Winter.

The trail passes through an especially fine area of mature hardwoods after passing the Tom Wiggin Trail junction. This is within The Bowl Research Natural Area, a glacial cirque notable for the stands of old-growth hardwoods on its broad floor. The area within the cirque proper was never logged. Some of the forest in the valley to the east was cut when Dicey's Mill - located near the trail's crossing of the east branch of the Wonalancet River - was in operation in the late 1800s.

The crossing of the east branch of the Wonalancet River. I used rocks rather than trying to balance across the log in Microspikes.

From here to the junction with the Rollins Trail is a moderate ascent of 1.4 miles along the side of a southern spur of Mount Passaconaway. The lower part has mostly easy grades through hardwoods.

Higher up the woods darken and in places the grade is steeper, though never for very long. This trail was laid out in 1891 by Charles E. Fay, one of the early leaders of the Appalachian Mountain Club, and local farmers.

After passing the Rollins Trail, the Dicey's Mill Trail crosses this small high-elevation brook.

I thought about making a loop up to the summit via the East Loop and Walden Trail, but the East Loop had only some unappealing choppy tracks on it.

Looking a little more like winter.

The Dicey's Mill Trail makes some mellow switchbacks as it ascends the steep cone of Passaconaway.

There is much open fir forest on the cone.

After a sudden 0.3 mile burst of steep climbing, the trail emerges on the NW viewpoint, which offers a sweeping panorama to the standing hiker.

The Tripyramids are especially impressive from this angle. At the middle left is a recent (Tropical Storm Irene) slide on the flank of West Sleeper.

South and Middle Tripyramid with Mount Moosilauke beyond.

East Sleeper, with Killington/Pico, Smarts Mountain and Carr Mountain beyond.

The Franconia Range and Mount Garfield.

The wooded high point of Mount Passaconaway.

On to viewpoint #2, on the east side of the summit plateau. This lofty perch provides especially good looks at the eastern Sandwich Range peaks and down into the upper Oliverian Brook valley.

Mount Chocorua, anchoring the east end of the range.

The Presidentials, Wildcats and Carters line the northeastern horizon.

Mount Washington soars above Mount Tremont/Owl Cliff.

Looking across the Albany Intervale to Bear Mountain (scarred by clearcuts) and the Moat Range.

Peering down to a beaver pond in the Oliverian Brook valley.

A short, steep descent on the Walden Trail dropped me at the sun-struck southern viewpoint, where I was able to sit on my pack and lounge for a while. The Wonalancet Range is in the foreground, with the Ossipee Range beyond.

Mount Whiteface rises from the depths of The Bowl.

Whiteface with Sandwich Dome peering over its shoulder.

How often can one do this at 4000 feet in January?

Going back up the steep pitch on the Walden Trail.

A quick visit to the east viewpoint on the way back.

Back to the NW viewpoint for a parting shot of the Hancocks and Mount Carrigain. There wasn't time to make the 0.6 mile round trip down to the fabulous north viewpoint, but between the other three I logged nearly two hours of viewing time, and spotted all 40 NH 4000-footers and 34 "52 With a View" peaks that are visible from Passaconaway, along with distant peaks such as Mount Mansfield in Vermont, Mount Monadnock in southern NH, and Saddleback Mountain in Maine.

Leaving the NW viewpoint.

A small SW vista at the start of the descent.

This ledge scramble was a bit tricky.

On the way down I made a scrappy little bushwhack to a ledge on the south slope of the summit cone.

It had a little different angle on the south view.

Just above the brook crossing, late afternoon sun lights the top of Mount Wonalancet. It was a day well-spent on one of my favorite mountains.

RAVINE OF AVALANCHES: 1/14/16

After an approach on the Livermore Trail and the Mount Tripyramid Trail, I did some snowshoe bushwhacking up into Avalanche Ravine, the basin north of Tripyramid's North Slide where Avalanche Brook takes its rise. Also called Ravine of Avalanches, its sides and floor were once scarred by several landslides that plunged down the slopes along with the well-known North Slide in 1885. All but the North Slide have now mostly been revegetated, and even the open area of the North Slide is considerably diminished.

In the fall of 2008 I visited three of the old slides in here, but dense fog precluded any views. On this return visit I made it to two of the three old slides. But I ran out of time for the third as the bushwhacking was slow going: dense snow-laden conifers and difficult sidehill snowshoeing with 5-6" of loose powder atop a hard crust.

Though snow depth was low, I wore snowshoes car to car for stability and traction on the oft-choppy trails. Just beyond the end of the groomed section of the Livermore Trail, I dropped down to admire this partly frozen cascade.

Looking downstream at the lower part of the cascade.

Tall trees along the Livermore Trail. Along here I met the only hikers of the day, Alton Dadekian and Nate Weeks and Alton's dog, Cole. They were headed at a fast pace for the North Slide and were soon out of sight .

There were welcome breaks of sun on a chilly morning.

The early 1900s logging camp location known as Avalanche Camp.

A stout old balsam fir at the edge of the camp clearing.

An old apple tree that presumably grew from a core discarded by a resident lumberjack many years ago.

A glimpse of Tripyramid's North Slide from the Livermore Trail.

The sign marking the start of the north end of the Mount Tripyramid Trail

Avalanche Brook, looking upstream from the tricky trail crossing.

Entering the Wilderness.

There's a small cascade down there.

Great old yellow birches tower over the trail.

Shortly after I left the trail and started bushwhacking upstream, I came to this lovely glade on the floor of the ravine.

The North Slide could be seen through the trees.

With binoculars I spotted Alton and Nate near the top of the slide.

One of the old slides comes down to the ravine floor by this neat little meadow. I went partway up this one on my previous visit. Old articles and aerial photos indicate that this is the bottom of the eastern branch of the great 1885 North Slide, which was once as large an opening as the western branch (which the trail climbs) but is now almost fully revegetated. All the other slides in the Ravine of Avalanches came down in the same storm. The ravine must have been something to see when its floor and lower walls were stripped clean.

I followed Avalanche Brook for a short distance, but it looked uninviting ahead so I took to the woods up on the slope.

There was a lot of this, where a good snow-shedding shell jacket is essential.

On my fall visit I was able to come right down the brookbed in places, which was dry at the time. Today it wasn't practical to travel on the brookbed due to many open-water holes, new blowdowns, and slippery side-sloping fringes.

Avalanche Brook, high up in the ravine.

One of the larger 1885 slide areas was on the south side of the ravine, well to the east of the big North Slide. Here there are still a number of open patches (gravel and loose rock when not snow-covered) interspersed with dense conifer scrub.

Looking up at a spur of the Scaur Peak ridge.

I weaved a steep route up through the snowy slide patches to find a view.

Mount Osceola and Breadtray Ridge beyond spur ridges off Scaur Peak.

The sun briefly illuminated the summit.

Looking up at the ravine headwall.

From another slide patch, looking towards Thornton Gap.

Mount Tecumseh on the left with part of Mount Moosilauke visible in the distance.

Looking up the old slide track to the top of the ridge.

On the way back down the ravine, a rare spot of open woods.

Then back into the thick of it.

A warrior tree reaches for the sky.

Late afternoon, the light is getting nice.

Back at the mini-meadow at the base of the eastern branch of the North Slide.

Nice snowshoeing on this gentle terrain.

A full-length peek at the North Slide.

Looking back up the ravine.

Golden hardwoods.

Another tree with character.

Last sun on the Livermore Trail.

Tripyramid through the trees. For a fascinating and detailed contemporary account of the 1885 slides on Tripyramid, on both the South Peak and North Peak, see "The Tripyramid Slides of 1885," by Alford A. Butler, in the March 1886 issue of Appalachia.

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