On a sunny, windy day I headed down to Rumney for a hike, with a bit of a time constraint. My first choice was Rattlesnake Mountain, but thanks to the recent snowfall and frozen snowbanks there was no place to park. Next option was Stinson Mountain, but Lower Doetown Road looked sketchy with the possibility of getting stuck. So I drove up past Stinson Lake and, yay, the Three Ponds trailhead parking was partially plowed. I hadn't been to the remote and beautiful Three Ponds area in winter in many years, so this was an appealing backup hike.
The first 0.1 mile of the Three Ponds Trail was terribly chopped up with frozen boot holes, but after the Mount Kineo Trail junction a snowshoe track emerged under a few inches of new powder. The track was quite narrow and uneven, making for awkward, tightrope snowshoeing. But it was easier than breaking trail through a foot of mealy snow alongside the track.
The main scenic attraction of the Three Ponds area is the numerous wetlands scattered across the basin between Carr Mountain and Mount Kineo. This is the first one seen along the trail, about 0.7 mile in from the trailhead.
A bit farther along I made a short bushwhack to a spacious beaver meadow along Sucker Brook, with a view up to snow-frosted Carr Mountain (3453 ft.).
Looking back along the brook to Black Hill.
A deep firm snowpack provided easy wandering out on the meadow.
Breaking trail on a long straightaway. Most of the first two miles of the trail coincides with a snowmobile trail. But with the snowmobile season in this area having wound down before the recent snowfall, I had this entire scenic basin to myself on this gorgeous March day.
Another trailside wetland with a view of Carr Mountain.
Making tracks through a fine hardwood forest.
A nice area for bushwhacking.
Heading off on a relocated section of the trail on the final approach to the Middle Pond.
Heavy breaking in here.
Arriving at the south end of the expansive Middle Pond, one of my favorite water bodies in the Whites. Whitcher Hill presides to the north.
Had lunch at this trailside opening along the pond.
The elongated mass of Carr Mountain looms to the SW.
Busting through some deep drifts as the trail tracks along the eastern shore.
I figured I might not be able to make the precarious beaver dam crossing to get to the Upper Pond from the Donkey Hill Cutoff junction. I figured correctly.
From here I turned around and bushwhacked SE towards a secluded beaver swamp.
Found it!
A solid snowpack allowed me to wander at will around the wetland.
Looking back from the far end.
Winter has hung on in the Three Ponds basin.
Bushwhacking through open woods back to the trail and the Middle Pond.
Nice angle on Carr Mountain.
Back at my lunch spot, I did some pole probing and concluded that the pond was still safely frozen up here in its high basin. I headed across towards a sentinel pine that has long been a Middle Pond landmark.
Out on the pond, a great view north to Whitcher Hill and NE to Mount Kineo.
Trailless Mount Kineo (3313 ft.) is a distinctive peak.
Tracks on the pond. With warm days in the forecast, perhaps the last day this was safe for passage this winter.
On the way back I made a short bushwhack to visit the small, circular Lower Pond.
Looking back to the north ridge of Carr.
This is one of the best trailhead kiosks in the Whites. It really sets the tone for a visit to the wonderful Three Ponds area.
No comments:
Post a Comment