Took advantage of an unexpectedly sunny day for a lesiurely loop over less-used Randolph Mountain Club trails on the lower slopes of Mt. Madison, with plentiful waterfall scenery and mountain views. From Appalachia parking I started out on the trail known as Brookbank, which runs along the east side of Snyder Brook, across from Fallsway and Valley Way.
In just 0.2 mile the trail comes to Gordon Fall.
Many brook vignettes.
Farther up is Upper Salroc Fall.
Tama Fall is the prettiest of the group.
Tama Fall from the other side, on the Fallsway.
After a short jaunt along Valley Way. I turned left onto Brookside, which leads past this enormous boulder.
After crossing Snyder Brook on the combined Brookside/Randolph Path, I headed up the steep but very scenic Inlook Trail.
Inlook gains its first 300 ft. of elevation quickly.
A brief breather in nice spruce forest.
At 2280 ft. the trail emerges on the first of a series of open ledges on a low "finger" of Gordon Ridge. A single wind-flagged white pine adorns this ledge. This spur was partly bared by a 1921 forest fire. According to RMC historian Judith Maddock Hudson, the fire was inadvertently set by USFS rangers who were burning an abandoned logging camp.
First view up to Mt. Madison.
Looking down into the Snyder Brook valley.
Looking up the spur to more ledges.
A fun trail!
This broad ledge at 2500 ft. is the best view spot on Inlook Trail.
Long view to the west, all the way out to the Worcester Range and Mt. Mansfield in Vermont.
It's called the Inlook Trail because it looks "in," up the Snyder Brook valley to Mt. Madison and Mt. Adams. The trail was opened by Louis F. Cutter and RMC volunteers in 1932. A previous version of the trail, called the Inlook and Outlook Trail, was destroyed by lumbering in the early 1900s.
A closer look. John Quincy Adams is just up to the left of the summit of Adams. I spent a long time here relaxing in the sun.
From here, a short, steep climb leads to a viewpoint called Dome Rock.
Views have gotten more restricted here over the years, but there's still a good look at Mount Crescent and Black Crescent Mountain. The talus slope seen on the flank of Black Crescent was once known as the "Crescent Scar."
There's also a view NE to the Mahoosuc Range.
A short distance above Dome Rock the Inlook Trail ends at another viewpoint called the Upper Inlook. Here there is another view to the west, and also NW to Mts. Starr King and Waumbek, and the tops of the three peaks of Mt. Weeks.
I squeezed down to a lower ledge for another view up to Madison and Adams.
From here I made a sometimes steep loop descent on the Kelton Trail.
This trail has a wild and remote feel to it.
A short distance down Kelton Trail is yet another viewpoint known as the Overlook.
An especially nice angle on the Mahoosucs here.
Pine Mountain and the three Moriah peaks.
Beautiful mossy spruce forest.
A neat ledgy spot.
The steepest pitch on Kelton Trail.
Nice rock step work by RMC.
A short side path leads to Kelton Crag.
A limited view here of lower Howker Ridge.
Nice hardwoods on the lower Kelton Trail.
A brief transfer onto Howker Ridge Trail.
I dropped down a little way to check out the gorge known as the Devil's Kitchen.
And Stairs Fall.
I used the mellow Sylvan Way to traverse back to Appalachia,
The trail crosses Snyder Brook at a flat ledgy spot called Sylvan Crossing.
How could I pass up a short trail called Maple Walk?
Living up to its name. This was the tenth trail I set foot on along this interesting four-mile loop.
Before heading home I carefully crossed Route 2 and followed the Bee Line down to the shore of Durand Lake.
From the south shore, a view of Mt. Randolph.
A gorgeous walk along a mowed swath on the north shore, with Mt. Moriah in the distance.
A sweet view of Madison and Adams, and shadowed King Ravine.
Madison and its lumpy Howker Ridge.
Mts. Jefferson and Washington from the field at the start of the Boy Mountain Trail. Only had time to check out the approach to the woods before heading south to Lincoln.
No comments:
Post a Comment