The Firewarden's Trail up the west side of Mount Hale, which is not officially maintained but is regularly used, especially in winter, is one of my favorite snowshoe hikes in the Whites. This old tractor road, which served the former fire tower on the summit, has consistently moderate grades with several long switchbacks. On this trail, the forest is the star, with a gorgeous succession of northern hardwood, white birch, and boreal fir forest as you gain elevation.
We had 5 inches of snow in Lincoln the day before the hike, so I expected to be breaking trail right from the start. It was a surprise to arrive at the Seven Dwarfs Motel in Twin Mountain and find just a dusting of new snow. After leaving $10 on my windshield, I set off up Little River Road, crossed the bridges (snowshoes or spikes should not be worn on the bridges per the owner's request) and put my snowshoes on for the trail connecting to Haystack Road. There were two snowshoers ahead of me. The track was crusty and a bit choppy under the new dusting.
At Haystack Road (FR 304), these snowshoers veered off to the right, towards Peak Above the Nubble. I turned left for the 0.7 mile stretch of snowmobile-groomed road to the start of the North Twin Trail.
The approach to this trailhead from Seven Dwarfs is 1.5 miles, as opposed to 2.5 miles walking all the way up Haystack Road from Route 3.
Still just a dusting of new snow atop a solid crusty track, with an occasional snowshoe posthole as noted on a recent newenglandtrailconditions.com report. Easy cruising on the grade of the Little River Railroad, which ran six miles up this valley and operated from 1893-1900.
These ice flows are a familiar landmark along this section of trail.
There's a short ladder under the snow here, part of a recent relocation on the North Twin Trail. I bypassed it along the side. Note the remnant piece of rail jutting from the bank.
The Little River was locked in, fully muffled in snow and ice. I snowshoed out onto it for a long look upstream.
Tracks on the river.
The only mildly sketchy spot on the Firewarden's Trail is a short, steep sidehill not far above the North Twin Trail. This contrasts with the long, nasty sidehill section on the Hale Brook Trail.
Looking back at Peak Above the Nubble, which I had climbed four days earlier. From this angle the mountain's wide eastern slides are prominent.
The lower part of the Firewarden's Trail ascends easily through a fine northern hardwood forest. The trail was opened in 1928 when the USFS built a steel lookout tower on the summit of Mount Hale. At that time it was known as the Mount Hale Trail. The tower was in use through 1948. The trail was abandoned in the early 1960s and the tower was removed in 1972. In the 1990s backcountry skiers revived the trail as an access to the valley's birch glades, and it subsequently was "rediscovered" by hikers.
Not far up, the depth of the new snow increased to several inches, and for many stretches there was no visual evidence of the old track. Only by probing with poles was I able to stay on top of it, for the most part. Thanks to those who packed down that hidden track before the latest snowfall.
A long sunlit corridor through the birches. These gorgeous glades are the legacy of a 1903 forest fire.
Making first tracks. Before long there was a consistent 5+ inches of new snow.
Looking across the valley to cliffs on the NW ridge of Mount Hale.
Heading up into a switchback.
Good tracking snow.
I had two options for the hike: climb to the summit of Mount Hale, or bushwhack to a ledge with a unique view of the Little River valley, starting a bit less than halfway up the trail. I made several test steps in the snow beside the trail, and decided it was just too soft for whacking. Though it would have been just a quarter mile to the ledge, there would have been too much wallowing in thigh-deep snow.
Nope. The summit it would be.
The forest is continuously beautiful along this trail.
The air was crystal clear this day, as glimpsed out through the trees. I could pick out the Jay Peaks in northern Vermont on the horizon.
Into the fir woods on the upper switchback.
Magical forest.
A lovely corridor leading up to the crest of the ridge.
A whole other world up here.
Drifts.
Mount Hale is notorious for its lack of views, but this one spot on the Firewarden's Trail, at the top of a blowdown patch, has a good one of the Presidentials rising beyond the Rosebrook Range, especially with deep snowpack.
Zoomed.
A gallery of winter's beauty.
Open woods on Hale's northern sub-peak.
Momentarily lost the trail in this area of drifts, scrub and blowdown.
The col between the sub-peak and the main summit.
Classic winter wonderland.
Tunneling.
Final approach to the summit.
The open summit was a moonscape of sculpted snowdrifts.
By climbing a solid six-foot drift on the east side, next to the top of the Hale Brook Trail, I actually scored a view! The top of North Twin on the right, and a bit of South Twin on the left. When I first climbed Hale in 1978, it was an excellent viewpoint, taking in the Presidentials, the Willey Range, Zealand and Carrigain Notches, and the Twins. But 47 years of tree growth later, nada.
Drifts on the west side.
Snow dunes, as viewed from the top of Lend-a-Hand Trail.
Another very pleasant trail on Hale.
I made a short side excursion on Lend-a-Hand Trail, dropping down through deep, heavy snow to a shoulder with beautiful open fir forest.
Heading back up to the summit.
Descending the upper part of Firewarden's Trail.
A bonus winter view of the cliffs on Hale's 3740-ft. north spur peak, with Cherry Mountain in the distance.
Late afternoon light on the Presys.
Some of the best snowshoeing of the season. Whooping was heard in the forest.
Continuing down after exchanging greetings with a late-arriving upbound snowshoer.
Parting shot.
