A bushwhack trek into the ravine of Slide Brook, on the SW side of Mount Moosilauke, has become a nearly annual event for me in recent years. For my ninth visit to the ravine, I targeted a small slide patch that may have been a "tributary" of the massive open slide on the SE wall, or it may have been a separate, parallel smaller slide. In this Google Earth image it is seen down to the lower right adjacent to the big slide.
The best access for approaching Slide Ravine is the mellow Tunnel Brook Trail from its southern trailhead on Long Pond Road.
There's a palpable sense of remoteness when you reach the broad height-of-land between Mount Moosilauke and Mount Clough.
Mud Pond is the southernmost and largest of a long chain of beaver ponds in Tunnel Brook Notch. Its shore offers a fine view of Slide Ravine, though in morning light the slides do not show up well.
Looking north up Tunnel Brook Notch from the meadow at the south end of Mud Pond.
Bed for a small moose?
Nice hardwood forest in the lower part of the ravine, though the hobblebush is thick in places.
Open mixed woods. The whacking is not always this peachy.
Slide Brook provides plenty of entertainment along the way. This is my favorite of several cascades in the ravine.
Steep climb through the woods. Luckily this slope is not too rough with rocks and holes.
Pushing through dense growth up the slide track.
Into the open, 400 ft. in elevation above the brook.
A pair of bushy white pines.
The classic Slide Ravine view towards Mount Clough and out to distant peaks in Vermont.
Slides #2 and #3 of the nine slide tracks (counted south to north) on the steep east face of Mount Clough.
#4 is the tallest and steepest of the Clough slides, which are mostly ledgy as opposed to the generally rubbly slides in Slide Ravine.
Bird's eye view of Mud Pond.
Continuing along the upper strip of this slide patch.
A short lateral bushwhack brought me out onto the big slide. It's a monster.
Looking across to the upper part of a sizeable slide on the north wall of the ravine.
Zoomed. I re-visited that one two years ago.
Looking up. Due to an evening time constraint, I was unable to climb any higher on this visit.
Side view.
Distant view. It was hazy, but the Green Mountains were faintly visible on the horizon.
A long, steep descent through the prickly woods.
A triple cascade on Slide Brook just above the base of the track from the big slide.
Beautiful Slide Brook.
Gorgeous late day light on Slide Ravine at Mud Pond.
Zoom on the big slide and the little tributary patch. From the shore of Mud Pond they look high and far away.
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