I wanted to check in on the two remote, lightly-used Randolph Mountain Club trails that lead out towards the Pond of Safety on the NW side of the Crescent Range: the Underhill Path and the Four Soldiers Path. Combined with an ascent of Mount Crescent and an evening visit to Lookout Ledge, it made for an interesting and rewarding 10-mile loop from the Randolph Community Forest trailhead on Randolph Hill Road. Unfortunately the views from Mount Crescent and Lookout Ledge were severely limited by wildfire smoke, but the woods were beautiful and the pond was supremely serene.
The easiest access to the Mount Crescent Trail from the hiker parking area is via the grassy logging road known as Community Forest Road or Jimtown Road. The road is behind this gate at the east end of the parking area.
The road is somewhat overgrown but has a discernible footway.
As had been reported, the sections of Mount Crescent Trail and Cook Path between Jimtown Road and Randolph Hill Road are permanently closed. Boothman Spring Cutoff remains open only as far as the spring.
After checking out the closures, it was on to Mount Crescent.
The first section of trail above Jimtown Road is quite rocky.
At the junction with Castleview Loop, I made a short side trip to check out Castleview Rock.
This massive chunk of stone has a limited view of Mount Adams from the top, but since the mountain was all but invisible with the haze, I skipped the scramble up.
Better footing on Mount Crescent Trail as it meanders up through a nice hardwood forest.
After a steeper climb, I turned right onto the Crescent Ridge Trail, which provides an alternate route to the summit of Crescent. I hadn't been on this section of trail in decades.
This trail has a wild feel as it traverses the SE side of the mountain.
It gets more rugged as it shoots up towards the summit.
Mossy.
Looking back.
After chatting with a pair of RMC hikers, I headed down to the north outlook, my favorite spot on the Crescent Range.
There's a rustic bench here where you can sit and take in the view.
Sadly, the wonderful view of the Pliny and Pilot Ranges was almost completely obscured by the smoke haze.
At least nearby Black Crescent Mountain, with its cliffs and talus slope (once called the "Crescent Scar"), was fairly well seen. A wild, trailless area out there.
Due to the haze, I didn't bother visiting Crescent's south viewpoint, which looks across at the Northern Presidentials.The Crescent Ridge Trail provides a delightful woods walk as it heads west along the crest.
It doesn't get much better than this.
Thank you, RMC trail crew.
After a 1.2 mile ramble along the ridge, I turned onto the Underhill Path, named for the great mountaineer Miriam Underhill, who with her husband Robert was a longtime resident of Randolph. This trail, along with the Four Soldiers Path, was laid out by RMC in 2002.
This lightly-used trail leads through wild mid-elevation forests. Quiet and solitude prevail here.
In places the forest growth closes in on the trail, requiring attention to navigation.
A riot of hobblebush beside the trail. Would be some tough bushwhacking.
Beautiful woods.
The trail descends by several switchbacks, with helpful arrows at the turns.
Birches!
Farther down, the path wanders through an expansive hardwood forest.
Luxuriant summer growth down on the flats.
Underhill Path pops out on a rough track known as Hunters Pass Road, which provides a 25-yard transfer to Four Soldiers Path.
Look for the "PATH" sign.
More hardwood meandering.
A rougher section through a wet conifer area, where the trail requires care to follow.
An overgrown wetland spot at the very end.
Fields of Joe-Pye-Weed.
A three log bridge over the outlet brook from Pond of Safety, the beginning of the Upper Ammonoosuc River.
The Four Soldiers Path ends on the primitive section of Pond of Safety Road.
To reach the pond, you follow the road for 0.1 mile to the SW.
Here it meets the maintained section of Pond of Safety Road out of Jefferson, which provides access to the pond via high clearance AWD.
I was pleased to see that the parking area was empty.
A few years ago the WMNF and RMC built an accessible path down to the shore.
Heading out to the shore.
All was quiet at the pond, with Pond Hill rising through the haze. The name "Pond of Safety" dates back to the American Revolution, when
four soldiers of the Continental Army who were unjustly accused of
desertion sought refuge at this lonely backwater.
I had this picturesque place to myself for the better part of an hour.
With the exception of a bobbing Spotted Sandpiper.
On the way back up Four Soldiers Path, I made a short bushwhack through ferny open hardwoods...
...to check out a vast meadow bristling with dead snags. A wild and desolate place!
More nice hardwood walking on the gentle ascent to a shoulder of Mount Randolph.
Partway up, the trail passes through a few overgrown areas that were salvage-logged after the devastating 1998 ice storm.
I would not want to hike this trail on a wet day.
A massive yellow birch.
After lumbering in the early 1900s, this spot atop the shoulder provided a
unique vista of Mount Washington's summit just peering over Edmands Col.
There's no view here anymore.
Not far below, though, a side path leads to a partial look at the Northern Peaks.
Not much to see today.
I rejoined Crescent Ridge Trail and dropped down to Lookout Ledge.
The Northern Presidentials were dimly seen.
But there was a nice profile of Mount Madison and Howker Ridge.
Just down the Ledge Trail is a smaller outlook known as The Eyrie.
Pasture Path was my ticket to get back to Randolph Hill Road.
The headlamp came out for the last bit as I took Grassy Lane up to the road and then strolled back to the hiker parking area at the end.
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