Square Ledge: 12/17/25

On a warm day when the snow turned a bit wet by afternoon, I enjoyed a snowshoe trek out to Square Ledge, a remote spur in the Sandwich Range Wilderness that was formerly on the New Hampshire "52 With a View" list. In addition to visiting one of my favorite places in the Sandwich Range, I wanted to do a recon on the Passaconaway Cutoff, which I work on as an adopter through the AMC Four Thousand Footer Committee. I did not get out there for a fall maintenance trip due to the government shutdown followed by early snow. I wanted to at least see if there were any major blowdown issues on the trail. Thanks go to Beth Zimmer's group of five, who had broken out a beautiful snowshoe track to Square Ledge over the weekend, via the Oliverian Brook Trail, Passaconaway Cutoff and Square Ledge Trail.

The first 0.7 mile of Oliverian Brook Trail was groomed by snowmobile, which I don't recall seeing here in the past.

I believe the grooming was incidental to a mission to remove the boards from a small bridge next to a beaver pond that was dismantled in the fall. It did seem like that bridge was getting a little spongy.

Cruising along the half-mile section that follows the bed of the early 1900s Swift River Railroad.

A peek at Oliverian Brook.

Into the Wilderness.

The crossing of this side-sloping tributary was pretty well frozen.

Onto the Cutoff.

This hemlock glade I call the "cathedral forest."

The crossing of the West Branch of Oliverian Brook was not frozen, but was easy enough using small rocks.

My favorite section of Passaconaway Cutoff is this open hardwood stroll.

This was the only new blowdown of significance that I encountered. But I had inadvertently left my saw in the car in my rush to get on the trail. At least it's only a minor hindrance.

A view up the West Branch from a spot near where the trail turns left and begins to climb rather steeply.

A steady climb through spruces.

This large spruce blowdown was present on my spring trip. Not one I want to tackle solo, it will take some teamwork in the spring. For now it is easy to either duck under or scoot around on the right.

One of several interesting boulders along the trail.

A bear had recently come onto the trail.

The bear's tracks coming up the slope to the trail.

A long steady climb up the western flank of Square Ledge. The NW winds from two days earlier had drifted some snow in here.

 

Mount Passaconaway is a huge looming presence along this climb, though its summit was engulfed in cloud.

 

In winter Passaconaway's East Slide is prominent. It fell during the September 1938 hurricane and obliterated part of the Passaconaway Cutoff. As a result the trail was closed and was not reopened until 1965.

This slide offers some good views. A fairly long bushwhack is required to reach it.

A nice snow ramp for surmounting this ledge.

Junction with the Square Ledge Trail. Right leads towards Mount Passaconaway, left heads to Square Ledge.

From the Passaconaway side came a single set of snowshoe tracks, laid down by Carl Gifford on a Sandwich Range traverse the day before.

The well-broken snowshoe track continued towards Square Ledge, though some sections had filled in with wind-drifted snow.

 

A peek ahead at Square Ledge before s steep 150-ft. drop to a col.

 

Tip-toeing down the steep pitch, trying not to slide.

 

The short, steep climb to the summit of Square Ledge runs alongside two neat rock walls. This is the first wall.

And the second.

The wooded summit crest of Square Ledge. There are slightly higher points (2620 ft.) on either side of the trail. I didn't have time to break trail another quarter-mile down to the edge of the great east-facing cliff for which the peak is named.

I did take the time to break out a short spur path to a favorite Square Ledge viewpoint. This obscure path follows a narrow ramp and then switches back around a steep ledge before running out to the view ledge.

 

Just before the view ledge is this prospect over the remote Paugus Pass area and Mount Paugus.

 

A closer look at Paugus and the spur in front known as "The Overhang."

Zoom on a cliff and small slide on the western slope of The Overhang.

 

The brushy top of that cliff offers a nifty view of Square Ledge and Mount Passaconaway.

Accessing the view ledge requires caution, as the passage is narrow and there is a steep dropoff on the left. Plus, the SW wind was roaring up here. Nanamocomuck Peak is seen close by to the SW. To my mind the Square Ledge area is one of the wildest places in the Sandwich Range.

The ledge offers an intimate view of Passaconaway.

A profile of the East Slide.

 

Descending the steep pitch off Square Ledge.

Hedgehog Mountain seen through the trees while coming down Passaconaway Cutoff. The round trip to Square Ledge via this route is 8 miles with 1700 ft. of elevation gain.