This hike had two objectives - to check out the Winniweta Falls Trail for the forthcoming 32nd edition of the AMC White Mountain Guide, and follow that with a bushwhack to the NE cliffs of nearby Popple Mountain, which was described for many years in older editions of the guide.
Winniweta Falls Trail starts at a pullof along Rt. 16, north of Jackson.
Almost immediately you must ford the Ellis River at a normally shallow section. (This is a non-starter in high water.) Though the water was not deep, the underwater rocks were slippery.
After an initial brushy section, the trail follows trails of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation network.
Wide trails and easy walking.
A short side path leads to the top of Winniweta Falls.
A longer path that is quite steep leads to the bottom of the falls.
A pretty spot even with low water flow.
Hopping rocks out into the brook provides a better perspective on the falls.
Looking downstream along Miles Brook.
The bushwhack excursion to the NE cliffs of Popple Mountain first appeared in the 1928 edition of the AMC White Mountain Guide at the end of the description for Winniweta Falls. Some version of this was in every edition through 1983. I had seen these cliffs many times driving north on Rt. 16, and finally made the opportunity to visit them.
It seems likely that this passage was penned by Ralph C. Larrabee, who was Chair of the AMC Guidebook Committee at the time and a frequenter of the Jackson area. He described the bushwhack in a slightly different manner in his 1927 booklet, A Guide to Jackson, New Hampshire for Those Who Walk, published by AMC.
To gain the woods on the far side of the brook, I had to carefully scramble up some slippery ledges.
From here the climb was quite steep on a slope littered with old blowdowns.
Lots of weaving around these.
Better woods for a bit.
Next was a slow sidehill traverse through a thick carpet of dry, fluffy leaves, hiding rocks and other hazards.
Final steep push through conifer forest to the first ledges.
As promised, an excellent view north: Carter Dome, Wildcats, Mount Madison and part of Mount Washington.
Closer look at Carter Dome and Wildcat.
Mount Madison in the distance, seen through Pinkham Notch.
Good angle on bumpy Osgood Ridge.
Nelson Crag and Mount Washington.
From the next ledges, looking across the valley to Spruce Mountain.
Down the Ellis River valley with Kearsarge North dominating the horizon.
Rugged ledges along the top of this band of cliffs.
Nice perch here.
Approaching the next set of cliffs.
Wide views to the south.
Doublehead dominates the town of Jackson.
Another great perch.
Down-look.
Now that's a perch!
There's a hint of an Old Man profile here.
Carter Dome is a shapely peak, with Rainbow Ridge on its right.
Neat angle on Doublehead and Kearsarge North with the Shaw-Gemini-Rickers Knoll ridge between.
Iron Mountain and its long east ridge in the distance.
Late afternoon light on Carter Dome & Wildcat.
Another look north to Mount Madison. It was tempting to continue on to the summit of Popple Mountain and additional view ledges nearby, but the whacking had been slow so far and there was still more than a half-mile to get there. With the short daylight hours of November, it was time to head back.
Homeward bound.
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