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.

 

 

 

 

 

Rambling in Pinkham Notch

Checking on some trails over in Pinkham Notch on a fine sunny day. Still feeling the effects of a lingering cold, so no major climbing this day.

 

I started at the recently reconstructed parking area for Glen Ellis Falls, where the trail to the falls, Wildcat Ridge Trail, and Glen Boulder Trail all begin. 

 

Wildcat Ridge Trail briefly climbs up on the embankment of Route 16 before crossing the Ellis River.

 

 

Cascades along the Ellis River, en route to the big falls. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A viewpoint along the trail to Glen Ellis Falls.

 

 

Lots of great stonework. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glen Ellis Falls from below.

 

 

 

The falls from an upper viewpoint.

 

Next, I drove over to Wildcat Ski Area to check in on Thompson Falls Trail.

The first part of the trail coincides with the "Way of the Wildcat" nature trail, which has several interpretive stops.

 

 

 

A small cascade along the trail. 

 

 

 

 

The lower and main cascade of Thompson Falls. The trail is very easy to here (0.6 mile, 100-ft. elevation gain) and the vast majority of visitors stop at this point. 

 

Side view.

 

 

The trail continues for 0.1 mile above the lower falls, but it is rough, poorly marked and little-used. Not recommended for the casual hiker.

 

This seems to be where the trail crosses Thompson Brook above the lower falls. It's a sketchy crossing on slippery rocks.

There are several more cascades as the trail climbs steeply along the north bank of Thompson Brook.

A bit higher up there's a neat area of open ledges and waterslides.

 

 

Looking down a waterslide.

 

From the top of these ledges there's a partial view of Mount Washington. The summit was socked in but I could see Lion Head and the upper Tuckerman Ravine headwall. The trail seemed to fade out above here, but apparently it continues a bit farther to an "End of Trail" sign.

 

 

 

 I drove back to the AMC Pinkham Notch parking lot for a hike on Lost Pond Trail and up the lower part of the steep climb on Wildcat Ridge Trail to check in on the infamous chimney. 

A nice boardwalk crosses the wetland area at the head of the Ellis River.

A nice view north to the little ridge traversed by Liebeskind's Loop.

 

 

An excellent angle on Huntington Ravine.

A scenic spot along the Ellis River.

 

 

 

View from the north end of Lost Pond.

Mount Washington view from Lost Pond.

One of the all-time great pond-side sitting rocks.

 

 

 

View from atop a large boulder at the south end of the pond. 

 

 

 

Though the grades are easy, Lost Pond Trail presents some rough and rocky footing with a bit of boulder scrambling. 

 

 

 

On to Wildcat Ridge Trail.

The relentlessly steep climb soon begins.

 

A short scramble leading up to bigger scrambles. 

This pitch looks daunting, but the footholds are good. 

 

 

 

From the top of the pitch, hikers make their way down.  

 

 

Just above here is the notorious chimney, probably the trickiest spot on this steep, rugged trail.

 

 

Closer look. It was late in the afternoon and I had no intention of continuing up the trail to Wildcats E and D. After contemplating this pitch, I decided I did not want to go up it and then back down it.

 

This spot has a nice view south down the Ellis River valley (the first vista along the trail), so I decided to hang here for a while and then head back down.

 

 

Wider view.

Looking into the Gulf of Slides.

Quartz outcrop.

 

 

Starting the descent.

There's quite a dropoff along the edge of this traverse.

Steep descent on rock steps.

Near trail's end, a short diversion on Square Ledge Trail to Lady's Lookout.