Sauntering in Scaur Country

Two days were well spent in the Scaur Ridge area of Waterville Valley, on the west side of the Tripyramids. 

KETTLES PATH/THE SCAUR, 4/17/22: On Easter Sunday afternoon, Carol and I took a hike up the Kettles Path to the viewpoint known as The Scaur. This was my first trip as the adopter for the Kettles Path, a longtime favorite, which I switched to after 16 years as adopter on the UNH Trail on Hedgehog Mountain. I like to change things up every once in a while. 

There are a number of interesting trees seen along the Kettles Path. This weather-beaten white ash may be the champion of its species in Waterville Valley.

 

 

This yellow birch displays tenacity.

A bear tree on the approach to The Scaur.

At The Scaur I snapped a few photos before a heavy snow squall suddenly moved in and drove us back down into the woods.  Sandwich Dome and the other peaks around the valley were sporting a fresh cloak of snow.

Middle and South Tripyramid.

Mt. Tecumseh and the Waterville Valley ski slopes, freshly whitened.

Mt. Osceola.

East Osceola and the Painted Cliff.

Heading back down through the hardwoods.

Dude with sunglasses -- spotted by Carol.

Spruce blowdown.

Cleared.

Beech step-over.

Done.

On an after-hike drive up to the Mt. Tecumseh trailhead to grab a geocache, we were treated to this view of Middle & South Tripyramid and West & East Sleeper.

SCAUR RAVINE, 4/18/22: The next day was a spring beauty, with wall-to-wall sunshine and afternoon temperatures pushing 60 degrees. I headed out on the Livermore Trail, hoping to meet Dan Newton somewhere out near the North Slide of Tripyramid, where he was planning to take a ski run this day. Along the way I dropped down a steep bank for a view of White Cascade on Slide Brook, from the pool at its base.

 

A beautiful day to ramble through the forest.

Peek-a-boo with the North Slide.

As chance would have it, I ran into Dan and his companion, Friday, at the junction of Livermore Trail and the north section of Mount Tripyramid Trail. Dan had skinned partway up the North Slide and skied down, but he said the conditions on the slide, and along the approach trail, were rough. We visited for a long time at the junction, lounging in the sun. 

Dan headed back to his camp in the woods off Livermore Trail, and I launched a bushwhack on mostly bare ground along the north side of Avalanche Brook, following the track of an old logging road. Here, high in the mountains, there was still plenty of snow on the north-facing slopes.

But this open sugar maple glade was snow-free.

From here I repeated a bushwhack I'd done once previously, following a nameless tributary of Avalanche Brook up through the ravine that lies below the Scaur Ridge Trail.

With its hardwood slopes and moss-covered stream, this is a lovely little ravine that reminds me of the upper Sabbaday Brook valley on the other side of Tripyramid. Magical.

The spring sun pours into this valley, and trout lily leaves were already emerging.

Much of the way I could wander right along the brook. In the Catskills they call this "bluelining."

 

A sharper part of the ravine, displaying the difference in sun exposure on either side.

 

High in the ravine are gnarled old yellow birches.

Looking back.

 

A marvelous open glade approaching the Scaur Ridge Trail, which cuts across the head of the ravine at 3100 ft.

 

Guardians of the Scaur Ridge Trail.

The first quarter-mile of trail heading down presented typical April conditions above 3000 ft. Yuk.

The snowline ended abruptly as this moderately-graded trail entered south-facing hardwoods. This is one of the most pleasant of White Mountain trails for descending off a high ridge.

Along one stretch tree-framed views of North Tripyramid and the North Slide are almost continuous.

Zoomed.

 

Leaving the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

Smooth sailing on Livermore Trail. Farther down I rendezvoused with Dan and Friday and we walked the last few miles out together.