CHURCH POND: 8/7/12


On a beautiful cool, sunny morning, my brother Drew and I took the short, easy and very scenic walk into Church Pond on the north side of the Kancamagus Highway. For several reasons, this trail is lightly traveled: the trailhead is hidden away in the Passaconaway Campground; the Swift River must be forded at the start of the trail; and the footing approaching the pond is very muddy.

We parked at the trailhead (room for two cars), put on our water shoes, and waded the river and a second, smaller branch stream a little farther along. Then we reached the former loop junction, where the signs were still in place. The eastern loop of the Church Pond Trail is no longer maintained by the Forest Service due to extremely boggy terrain. The west part of the loop remains open.

The next section of trail is a needle-carpeted stroll under tall pines.

The last few tenths of a mile approaching the pond leads through an extensive swampy area. The bog bridges that were placed here some years ago are largely rotted away, with numerous protruding metal spikes waiting  to trip the unwary. Because of the dry summer, the footing wasn't too wet through here on this day.

Green's Cliff looms to the northwest. In his 1916 regional classic, Passaconaway in the White Mountains, Charles Edward Beals, Jr. admired Green's Cliff as "a truly magnificent and imposing rampart." Beals devoted an entire chapter to Church Pond and its trailless neighbor, Little Church Pond, which were then known as the Deer Ponds. 

Drew making his way through the swamp on the final approach to the pond. This is a great birding area in early summer, but the mosquitoes are a force to be reckoned with.

The official trail now ends atop a gravelly hillock covered with red pines, known simply as "The Knoll," overlooking Church Pond.

A couple of side paths lead steeply down to shoreline openings with beautiful mountain vistas. This view looks SW to the Fool Killer, North Tripyramid and Scaur Peak.

Looking south towards the Sabbaday Brook valley with the Sleepers at its head and Potash Mountain on the left.

A closer look at the Sleepers.

Next we followed the abandoned eastern loop along high ground to the east, and dropped down on a faint path to  a premier sitting rock on the eastern finger of the pond. This view looks west towards the main part of the pond with Sugar Hill beyond.

Good view from the rock north towards Mt. Tremont and Owl's Cliff.

Owl's Cliff has some impressive rock faces. For an account of an exploration of these, click here.

Watching some Belted Kingfishers patrolling this end of the pond.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy...

Back at the shore below The Knoll, a vista of Passaconaway and Potash.

Church Pond has some of the best mountain views of any water body in the Whites.

In the gravelly clearing atop The Knoll.

Lots of nice easy walking on the Church Pond Trail.

Looking east along the Swift River.

Wading the river to return to the trailhead after a great morning walk.
(This post is a little late in coming because our main computer, which has our photo files, was unavailable for a few days due to a construction project.)  

ZEALAND NOTCH: 8/6/12

On a cool, cloudy day my brother Drew and I spent an afternoon walking through the Zealand Valley and out into Zealand Notch. This is one of the most rewarding lowland walks in the Whites, with wetlands galore and excellent views of the surrounding mountains. (The Zealand Valley was originally called the New Zealand Valley in the late 1800s, supposedly a humorous reference to its remoteness.) We set off on the Zealand Trail, which largely follows the grade of the late 1800s Zealand Valley logging railroad, at the crack o' noon.

The first open wetlands are reached at 1.7 mi., with views up to Zealand Ridge, with "Zeacliff Pond Peak" on the R.

There is a very active beaver colony in the Zealand Valley.

The "Z-bridge" over a beaver-flooded wetland.

Looking south towards Zealand Notch.

One of the largest beaver ponds is near the A-Z Trail junction. It's said that this flat was a staging area or log yard during J.E. Henry's Zealand logging operation. Mt. Tom is seen in the distance.

Zealand Pond, with spurs of Mt. Hale in the distance. This pond is unique for having outlets into both the Connecticut River watershed (via Zealand River and Ammonoosuc River) and the Merrimack River watershed (via Whitewall Brook, North Fork, East Branch and Pemigewasset River).

Drew hanging out at Zealand Pond.

New signs at the Zealand Trail/Twinway/Ethan Pond Trail junction.

En route to Zealand Notch along the Ethan Pond Trail, we dropped down through the woods to Whitewall Brook, following faint paths at times, and made our way to a pretty cascade.

A beautiful stretch of the stream.

 More cascades, just a bit downstream.

 
Looking south down the brook from the base of the lower cascade.

We bushwhacked up the slope to the Ethan Pond Trail and continued south along the old railroad grade to the open talus area in Zealand Notch. The first view looks across the Pemigewasset Wilderness to the North and NW Peaks of Mt. Hancock.

Hard to believe a railroad was built along the side of Whitewall Mountain, with its ragged cliffs and massive talus slopes. The top of Whitewall - in particular the far-viewing ledges at its south end - is an alluring bushwhack objective. Some folks go right up the talus and through a slot in the cliffs, but I don't recommend it; the rocks are big and unstable and could pose a threat both to the bushwhacking party and unsuspecting hikers on the trail below. Far better to ascend Whitewall from the south or north, largely through birch forest.

A big flat-topped rock in the trail is a great spot to take a break and soak in the scenery of Zealand Notch.

Looking south to Mt. Carrigain, Shoal Pond Peak, and NW Hancock.

The rounded knob of the Zeacliffs looms high above the notch.

Plenty of talus below the trail, too.

Looking north up the notch to Mt. Hale. The roof of Zealand Falls Hut is visible in the center of the photo. Interestingly, on this midsummer day we saw not one other hiker during a fifty-minute sojourn here in the heart of Zealand Notch.

On the way back Drew spotted this interesting lichen pattern on a trailside rock.

Cruising along the Ethan Pond Trail, heading north out of the notch.

Still water in a Zealand beaver pond.

A parting view revealing the full length of Zealand Ridge.

On the way out on the Zealand Trail, we made a short side trip to some ledges in the Zealand River. Zealand is a place to return to again and again.

HEDGEHOG MOUNTAIN LOOP: 7/31/12

Carol and I wanted to check out the brand new relocation constructed on the UNH Trail by the WMNF Saco District trail crew. The new 0.3 mi. section connects the east and west sides of the loop partway up the mountain and bypasses a stretch of trail that was badly washed out by Tropical Storm Irene.Along the way I would do some brushing and checking for blowdown on my adopted west section.

The new relo starts 0.8 mi. up the west section of the trail, not far below Allen's Ledge.

 
The relo has a smooth footbed, with much good sidecutting work in evidence.

After skirting high above a recent clearcut, the relo leads through some fine woods.

After traversing the relo, we headed up the east section of the loop towards the East Ledges, enjoying this NE view towards Bear, Table and Big Attitash Mountains before the final climb.

Carol and I have long felt that the East Ledges of Hedgehog are one of the great spots in the Whites, especially as you sit on the expansive granite and gaze up at the mighty Passaconaway looming 1700 ft. above you. Per usual, we spent an hour here lounging about. A classic summer day.

Another view of Passaconaway heading across to the next set of ledges.

Carol on the "tightrope" section that runs along a clifftop.

From the next ledges, you look SW to the Sleepers and South Tripyramid...

...and up at the cliff-rimmed summit of Hedgehog.

We love the wild section of trail that wraps around the base of Hedgehog's summit through bouldery spruce woods.

Carol clambered up for a pose under one of the biggest rocks.

An outlook over the Oliverian Brook valley along the zig-zagging climb to the summit.

At the summit of Hedgehog, with Mt. Paugus in view.

The obligatory boot shot, looking out at Wonalancet Hedgehog and Nanamocomuck Peak.

This summit-hanging chipmunk snuck up beside me and started dragging my peanut butter sandwich away before I knew what was happening.

At this point it was best to let our little friend have its way with the sandwich, as I really didn't want to sample the flavor of chipmunk saliva.

After a few minutes, the chipmunk dragged its prize into the shelter of the scrub.

We spent some time checking out the view ledges near the summit, including this look NW to Mt. Hancock. Mt. Bond, Mt. Guyot and South Twin are seen over the cliff-faced Captain, with Mt. Carrigain on the R.

I dropped down to a favorite west-facing ledge, with a great view of Tripyramid beyond the Downes Brook valley.

After a long summit stay, including brushing out one of the view side paths, we headed down, pausing a short distance below the top to enjoy this vista of Mt. Washington rising behind Mt. Tremont and Owl's Cliff.

Mt. Carrigain, Carrigain Notch, Green's Cliff and Church Pond.

Ambling down through the hemlocks below Allen's Ledge.

GPS track from today's hike, showing the new connecting link between the east and west sections.
Another great day on Hedgehog.