INLOOK LOOP: 6/24/17

With a crack o' noon start following heavy morning showers, my brother Drew and I enjoyed the wonderful five-mile loop from the Appalachia trailhead that includes the Inlook Trail, the upper section of the Kelton Trail, and the lower part of the Brookside. This hike is rich in waterfalls, views and fine forest scenery. Thanks to Carol for watching the store!




We followed Valley Way and Maple Walk over to Fallsway, and dropped a short distance to Gordon Fall.

Drew stands beside a big hemlock in the Snyder Brook Scenic Area.

The scene at Upper Salroc Fall.

Tama Fall is a real beauty.

A great spot!

A mellow stretch above the initial steep climb on the Inlook Trail.

The first of several open ledges along the Inlook Trail, which follows a spur of Gordon Ridge that was burned in a 1921 forest fire.

Looking up the ridge to more ledges above.

This big ledge at 2500 ft. is one of the great spots in the Randolph area, and is only 1.4 miles from Appalachia. Here there is a long view west, all the way out to Mt. Mansfield in Vermont.

The trail is named for the "inlooks" up the Snyder Brook valley to Mt. Madison, Mt.John Quincy Adams, and Mt. Adams (which was socked in at this point).

A bit farther up the ridge is Dome Rock, with partly open views north to the Crescent Range and NE to the Mahoosucs.

Black Crescent Mountain, with its talus slope that was once called the Crescent Scar.

Drew takes in the vista from the Upper Inlook, the viewpoint at the very top of the Inlook Trail.

This spot has another good view to the west.

Mt. Adams itself (on the right) had emerged from the clouds.

JQ Adams and Adams.

From here we followed a fine woodsy and mostly gentle section of the Kelton Trail southward. Back in 2002-2003 the Randolph Mountain Club trail crew had done some fine sidecutting work on a very rough section of trail.

From the end of Kelton Trail we headed a little ways up the Brookside to Salmacis Fall.

We picked our way across the brook to the base of the waterfall.

Nice!

Below the Kelton Trail, the Brookside offers excellent footing through a birch forest along with pleasant brook scenery.

Snyder Brook along the Brookside.

A peek at the cliffs across the valley, below the Inlook Trail.

More brook scenery.

A hook in the rock at a crossing on the Brookside - perhaps the site of an old bridge? We completed our loop with easy jaunts through airy hardwood forest along Beechwood Way and the lower part of Air Line.