One of several red pines growing on the slide. There are a number of white pines as well.
Looking across to the Old Bridle Path ridge.
Side view of Cannon Cliffs.
AMMONOOSUC RAVINE
Headed up Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail to see how the new long relocation is wearing in. The relo starts at this sign, 0.8 mile up from the WMNF parking lot.
Not surprisingly, it's gotten a lot of use already.
Nice rock work.
The relo passes though some fine boreal forest as it climbs well above its former route along the Ammonoosuc River, where it was badly washed out
The new section descends 100 ft. to a crossing of Monroe Brook, which will not be a popular feature. But a couple of spots along the old route were becoming quite sketchy, and would only get worse with future storms.
Monroe Brook at the crossing.
There's one muddy stretch after the brook crossing.
Then it's mostly smooth sailing to Gem Pool.
The new route is 0.2 mile longer to Gem Pool.
From there I bushwhacked over to the slide track/stream that runs down from the big 2017 slides in the north branch of Ammonoosuc Ravine. But the revegtation growth was over my head in a spot where the north branch stream comes close to the branch coming down from Central Gully; five years ago there was mostly open rock rubble here. Figuring that there would be more of the same heading up to the slides, I abandoned my plan to continue up that way.
I went a short distance up the Central Gully stream to this little wildflower meadow.
Looking up the branch that comes down from the slides.
A little way downstream I found a spot with a good view up to Central Gully and two large waterfalls near its base.
Zoomed.
Plan B was to continue up the relentlessly steep part of Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail to the first good views.
Took the side path to see the lofty waterfalls in the gorge.
Rugged crossing of a tributary brook.
A somewhat awkward little ledge step.
The helpful little ladder.
Cascades are the calling card of the upper trail.
I had a late start, so I decided that the brook crossing on flat ledges at 4170 ft. would be my stopping point. This spot has a wide view to the NW and ample room to sit.
Before settling in for a while, I scrambled up to a neat open area just upstream.
Many hikers went by in both directions in the near-hour that I spent here. A good number of the descending hikers were fooled by this false path continuing ahead at the crossing.
I pointed out the correct route making a left turn down the ledges to several groups. There is a "TRAIL" sign with an arrow, but it's not conspicuous.
Descending to the ladder. These days, on trails like this my descent time is little if any faster than the ascent.
TOP O' THE NOTCH
On a gorgeous Friday when I did not have time for a longer hike, I took a ramble around several of the shorter trails at the top of Crawford Notch, centered around the AMC Highland Center.
It would have been easy just to lounge around the beautiful grounds of the Highland Center, gazing up at Mts. Field, Avalon and Tom.
I hadn't been up to Crawford Cliff in decades, so it was time to check in on this 0.4 mile spur off the Crawford Connector. The lower part of the trail is a pleasant woods ramble. Then it climbs, though nothing unusually steep.
I remembered that the upper end of the trail climbed across a serious sidehill, but the sketchiness of this section took me by surprise.
Maybe the trail has become more eroded with rougher footing, and maybe it's an age thing, but I found this section uncomfortable with its steep dropoff beside an at times awkward footway.
I would not recommend taking young children on this trail despite its humble stats (0.4 mile, 350-ft. elevation gain).
The cliff is big enough to have bolted rock climbs.
The view has become more restricted over the years.
Next up was the short half-circle on Saco Lake Trail, where a side path leads up to an early 1900s dog cemetery.
Beavers!
This little side path dates back to the grand hotel days of the Crawford House.
The iron railings on the view ledge are a unique feature.
Down-look.
The view of Field, Avalon and Tom from Idlewild.
Saco Lake from its south end.
I walked up the road to Webster-Jackson Trail for a visit to an old favorite.
Elephant Head was my go-to when I only had a spare hour while working at Bretton Woods in the 1980s.
The view south into Crawford Notch.
And north to Cherry Mountain and Mount Deception beyond the Mount Washington Hotel.
Mount Tom and its long eastern ridge.
Hostelries from different eras.
My last stop was the newly completed All Persons Trail along the first part of AMC's Around-the-Lake Trail. Thanks to Craig Heinselman of AMC for the heads-up on this project.
A new bridge over Crawford Brook.
At trail's end is a viewing platform overlooking Ammonoosuc Lake. Nice work, AMC!
