The Wonalancet Range

The Wonalancet Range on the SE side of Mount Passaconaway is a less-visited but interesting ridge in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. Each of its three peaks - Mount Wonalancet (2780 ft.), Hibbard Mountain (2940 ft.), and Wonalancet Hedgehog (3140 ft.) - has a viewpoint, and the quiet wooded ridge walk on the Wonalancet Ridge Trail is a delight. A good view of this range is seen from Ferncroft Road on the way in to the trailhead.

I could spot the clifftop viewpoint on Wonalancet Hedgehog.

The first section of the hike is on private land.

 

After a short stint on Old Mast Road, on to Woonalancet Range Trail. All of the trails in this area are admirably maintained by the Wonalancet Out Door Club.

The trail starts out in some beautiful hemlock forest.

 

Into the WMNF and the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

 

Higher up in the hardwoods, Wonalancet Range Trail gets rocky.

Yikes!

 

 

A nicely graded relocation around an eroded pitch.

 

 

 

 A steep and rough pitch leads up to the junction with the trail known as Short Cut. 

A little scramble to keep things interesting.

Junction.

 

Steep climb to the Mount Wonalancet ledges.

Approaching the ledges.

 

 

The trail skirts one of a number of steeply sloping ledges on the SE flank of Mount Wonalancet.

 

 

 

 Distant view out to the SE.

 

 

 

Nice view of Mounts Paugus and Chocorua. 

More stiff climbing above the ledges.

 

 

The flat wooded top of Mount Wonalancet.

A neat glade of old gnarled hardwoods north of the summit.

Mellow walking through conifer forest on the way to Hibbard Mountain.

 

 

Clifftop perch on the south side of Hibbard.

 

South view beyond Mount Wonalancet.

 

 

A ledge and boulder mark the summit of Hibbard Mountain. Twenty years ago there was a unique view of Mount Whiteface seen across the glacial cirque known as The Bowl. But tree growth has obliterated that vista. 

 

 

 

 

By thrashing around the summit area I obtained a glimpse of Whiteface. 

 

 

 

A wonderful stretch of Wonalancet Range Trail.

 

 

Junction with Walden Trail on the west side of Wonalancet Hedgehog.

A short distance west on Walden Trail is this framed view of Mount Washington.

 

Along the gentle crest of Wonalancet Hedgehog.

 

This boulder marks the summit of Wonalancet Hedgehog (not to be confused with the lower Hedgehog Mountain to the north).

 

 

An unmarked side path leads to this sunny south-facing clifftop vantage.

View westward to Mount Whiteface.

A nice look at Hibbard and Wonalancet, over which I had just climbed.

Down-look.

I spent an hour here lounging in the sun.

 

 

 

Then I headed a bit farther east on Walden Trail and down to an east-facing ledge with a wide SE vista...

 

...and a fine view of Paugus and Chocorua.

Closer look.

 

 A great look at the cliffs and gravel slides on the SW face of Paugus.

 

 

 

The descent on Walden Trail from here is very steep with several scrambles. It looked kinda dark and forbidding that way, so I opted to take the slightly longer ridgecrest route back the way I had come. 

 

 

 

 

Heading back along the ridge. 

 

Late afternoon view from Hibbard.

Descending along the Short Cut and bypassing the summit of Mount Wonalancet.

Rock walls along the Short Cut.

Dusk at the fields of Ferncroft.