Looking to get my snowshoes out from three weeks worth of cold storage, I headed down to the Smarts Brook area where 9 to 10 inches of snow had been reported from the weekend storm. (We had only 5 to 6 inches at our house in Lincoln.) I spent the afternoon on a snowshoe jaunt up to Bald Knob (2300 ft.), the westernmost and lowest of the peaks on Sandwich Mountain's Acteon Ridge. After an approach on Old Waterville Road and Yellow Jacket Trail (shown below), my route was a combination of unofficial paths and bushwhacking.
A unique marking for an unofficial mountain bike trail named "Fork."
Meandering up through open hardwoods on the SW slope of Bald Knob.
The fluffy powder was a foot deep in these open woods. A good workout!
There is a remarkable assemblage of boulders on this slope.
There are 44 climbing routes listed for the "Yellowjacket Boulders" on the Mountain Project website.
The "Yellowjacket Boulder" itself, the best-known destination in the area, offers another 12 climbing routes.
Bushwhacking up through a vast open forest of hemlock, mixing with spruce higher up.
The snow depth in here was less than in the hardwoods, probably about 8 inches.
Back into deeper snow along an unofficial climber's path.
Bald Knob Cliff, aka Lost World Crag. Another 10 climbing routes here.
Looking wintry.
An open hardwood plateau on the SE side of Bald Knob.
Deep powder - probably 14 to 16 inches - on the upper Bald Knob ledges.
A few white pines are mixed in with the spruces, and some red pines, too.
The Bald Knob high point. It's not on any peakbagging list as its prominence is only 70 feet.
Welch & Dickey Mountains are close by to the NW, across the Mad River valley.
The summit of Sandwich Dome (L) and the higher of the two Black Mountains (R).
A forlorn white pine eking out a livelihood on the ledges.
Sandwich Notch and the Campton Range.
Looking south to the sun.
A distant peek at South Tripyramid and the South Slides.
Winter at its best - blue sky and snowy ledges.
Jennings Peak.
Muted sunset in the hardwoods.
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