GORGE BROOK & THE PLEIADES: 7/6/15

On a warm, partly sunny and fairly humid late afternoon I undertook a bushwhack up the Gorge Brook ravine on Mount Moosilauke to the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Cascades. These cascades have an interesting history. Legend holds that one of Rogers' Rangers, exhausted after the retreat from the 1759 raid on St. Francis in Quebec, collapsed at the base of these cascades and was rescued by a trapper. Warren locals sometimes visited the brook in the 1870s. The "Pleiades" name was applied by two AMC explorers in 1880. For a brief time in the 1930s they were accessible by a Dartmouth Outing Club trail, but that has long since been swallowed by the forest, and the bushwhacking is very rough.

DOC trail crew humor was on display at the Ravine Lodge entrance. Actually, the classic and beloved log structure, built in 1938, has outlived its lifespan and is slated to be rebuilt, perhaps starting in 2016.

The view up to Mount Moosilauke from the corner of the Lodge, after stopping in and getting some trail work beta and a delicious chocolate chip cookie.

The 2012 relocation dubbed the "Wales-Carter Connection" is one of the nicest sections of the Gorge Brook Trail. It replaces a section along the brook that was washed out by Tropical Storm Irene.

I left the trail at 1.6 miles, at "Last Water" and the Ross McKenney plaque. For s short distance the woods were open in a broad part of the valley, but soon the ravine walls closed in.

This was typical terrain higher in the ravine: very rough with numerous potentially dangerous holes, making for slow going. This was noted by Thomas Wentworth Higginson in "A Search for the Pleiades," his entertaining article that appeared in an 1880 issue of Atlantic Monthly and later in a collection of his writings. Higginson's party descended into the ravine from the ridge above, then climbed back out through a heavy thunderstorm. It's hard to believe there was a trail through here in the 1930s.

Presumably this was one of the Seven Cascades.

More cascades. In places I clambered right up the brookbed, which sometimes was easier to navigate than the gnarly terrain on either side. The scenery, however, was wild and beautiful. Of his 1880 visit, Thomas Wenworth Higginson wrote, "We could not have asked for a sweeter rest after our descent or for a lovelier bower of peace than we found in the valley of the Seven Cascades."

Approaching the highest of the Pleiades, measured at 107 feet by another 19th century visitor.

I scrambled up the streamside rocks for a closer look. It had taken nearly an hour-and-a-half of slow, careful whacking to reach this point.

It took another 15 minutes to whack up, around, and down to the top of the big waterfall, where I could see these cascades upstream.

Looking down from the top.

The full scene from the ledge perch at the top, with a view out to the southeast. This ledge can be seen from spots along the Ravine Lodge Road, especially in winter.

The view includes Kirkham and Sayre Peaks on the Blue Ridge, Mt. Cushman, Mt. Kineo, and Carr Mountain.

Bunchberry was blooming by the top of the falls. When bushwhacking in special places like this I proceed carefully both to prevent injury and to avoid trampling vegetation as much as possible.

A down-look from another angle.

The bushwhack back down to the trail was as slow and challenging as the way up. I was glad to reach the trail by 7:45 pm. This photo shows the upper bridge crossing on the Gorge Brook Trail.

An important FYI to loop hikers on Moosilauke: the bridge over Gorge Brook on the Hurricane Trail (a section I adopted last year) has collapsed. It is slated to be replaced by the DOC trail crew in the next couple of weeks.

Another FYI for Moosilauke hikers: to preserve parking for guests at Ravine Lodge, Dartmouth requests hikers to park farther back on the road, before the junction with the service road.

SANDWICH DOME TRAVERSE: 6/30/15

On a long summer day I traversed two valleys and two peaks on one of the most interesting mountains in the Whites. I took the Smarts Brook Trail up through its beautiful five-mile valley, enjoyed extended stays on Sandwich Dome and Jennings Peak, then took the Drakes Brook Trail down the other side of the mountain, where Carol graciously agreed to pick me up at the end of the 10 1/2 mile trek.

I started out from the Smarts Brook trailhead on Rt. 49, a popular spot for shorter hikes involving the Smarts Brook, Pine Flats, Yellow Jacket and Tri-Town Trails.

 

This cascade and pool on Smarts Brook, a bit more than a mile in, is a popular destination for a short, easy hike.

The trail passes this beaver pond at the 1.5 mile mark. There was good birding here, including a pair of the uncommon Rusty Blackbird.

The Sandwich Range Wilderness boundary is at 2.5 miles.

The cliffs of Sachem Peak tower above the Smarts Brook valley. A break in the trees provides this view from the trail at 3.3 miles.

A suitably wild trail as it leads deep into this quiet valley.

A bank has washed out at a crossing of a tributary brook.

Beautiful mossy woods.

 Lush interior forest.

Stark spruce woods in the broad upper valley, with a back-of-beyond feeling.

Dual cascades on Smarts Brook.

I chose my lunch spot where the trail crosses Smarts Brook, nearly four miles in. Here I met the only other hiker I would see all day.

One of an assemblage of large boulders in the upper valley.

A delightful section of trail.

An overhang deep in the forest.

Last look at Smarts Brook before the trail pulls away to climb the ridge.

The trail climbs to the ridge by a long switchback on old tote roads with mostly easy grades.

Approaching the crest.

Simple trail signs.

On the Sandwich Mountain Trail, heading for the summit.

The north view from the summit of Sandwich Dome. 19th century guidebook editor Moses Sweetser called it “one of the grandest and most fascinating panoramas in New England.” In those days the summit was more open and probably commanded a 360-degree vista, but the view is still impressive today. You can see 33 NH 4000-footers from here.

Looking along the Sandwich Range, with the NE summit knob of Sandwich in the foreground.

The Bonds, South Twin and more through Mad River Notch.

Jennings Peak, Tecumseh and the Kinsmans.

This bolt was placed by the U.S. Coast Survey station in 1873. Sandwich is an almost-4000-footer, measuring 3993 ft. on the 1931 USGS Mt. Chocorua quad and 3980 ft. (by contour interpolation) on the more recent quad. Click here for much more stuff on Sandwich Dome.

Clouds rolling in from the west over Mount Moosilauke.

A nice angle on the Tripyramids and the South Slide.

A short herd path leads to an eastern view from a fir wave, with a spur ridge of Sandwich in the foreground.

The gentle stretch of the Sandwich Mountain Trail between the Smarts Brook and Jennings Peak junctions is a longtime favorite.

There is lots of moose activity on the ridge.

The sign marking the spur trail to Jennings Peak - a side trip not to be missed.

Despite now-gray skies and some light rain showers, I still enjoyed the marvelous views of the Sandwich Range from the east side of Jennings. Here you look down into the Drakes Brook valley.

Looking up at the great bulk of Sandwich Dome.

On the south side of Jennings the cliffs overlook the broad Smarts Brook valley, with the two Black Mountains on the left and Sachem Peak on the right.

Sachem Peak, a great bushwhack destination, sometimes visited by rock climbers.

The Drakes Brook Trail was my route back down to the road.

After dropping fairly steeply by switchbacks off the ridge, the trail reaches Drakes Brook here.

An old (1940s?) USFS mileage marker on Drakes Brook Trail. I've seen these occasionally in the eastern Whites, but don't recall any others on the western trails.

One of several attractive scenes along Drakes Brook. A very pleasant way to come off the mountain.