After peering out to the southern spurs of Carr Mountain from the ledges of Rattlesnake Mountain, I was inspired to undertake a favorite bushwhack loop in that large trailless area, visiting several ledges with partial views and other interesting places.
I hiked up the Rattlesnake Mountain Trail a short way, then crossed a trailside brook and began whacking, climbing to an old logging road that rises steadily northward.
Moose have been on the loose.
The woods in this area are generally open, as in this mix of hemlocks and hardwoods, and just as importantly, they were mostly snow-free.
Crossing an attractive, nameless brook.
Artifacts near the site of an old homestead.
This cellar hole is in a remote location, nearly 600 feet in elevation above Buffalo Road.
Evidence of another building at this location. There are also stone walls in the area.
Heading up a sunny, snow-free hardwood ridge towards Upper Rattlesnake Mountain.
A wonderful time of year in these woods.
Pileated Woodpecker at work.
There are many of these oak-wooded ledge-meadows.
The SW flank of Upper Rattlesnake is steep and rugged.
Had to do some scrambling through here.
Slippery oak leaves made for uncertain footing.
Arriving at the base of a gently sloping ledge slab south of Upper Rattlesnake's summit. For some reason, this remote spot has always appealed to me since I first visited it in 2005 during a six-mile ridgeline bushwhack from Rattlesnake Mountain to Carr Mountain with J.R. Stockwell.
Gnarled oaks at the top of the slab.
The view south was quite open in 2005, but over the years tree growth has been obscuring the vista.
The top of Rattlesnake Mountain can be seen in the foreground. Mount Crosby is in the distance to the left and in the center, distant Mount Kearsarge peers over nearer ridges.
Rattlesnake highly zoomed, showing the summit ledges.
From another angle the wind turbines on Tenney and Fletcher Mountains are prominent.
A nice spot to relax in the spring sun for a while.
Parting shot.
Another nice spot, just up the ridge.
Anybody home?
A glimpse of Stinson Mountain from a ledge near the wooded 2,149-foot summit of Upper Rattlesnake.
To my surprise, even as it tilted north, the gentle ridge beyond Upper Rattlesnake was mostly snow-free.
There was some patchy snow in the open hardwoods on the east side of the ridgecrest.
Great ridge walkin'.
From the north end of this flat saddle I headed NW across a broad drainage.
Deer tracks in tired old snow.
Passing over a spur ridge through wild conifer forest.
After crossing another drainage I climbed onto a second spur ridge.
Emerging at a familiar ledge on this spur ridge.
Restricted views but a neat spot to hang out.
Just down the ridge is an even more spacious ledge.
Framed view of Smarts Mountain.
South and North Moose Mountain near Hanover.
Killington and Pico Peaks on the horizon.
After a steep descent, I emerged at the top of a wild jumble of talus that I first came upon during a bushwhack in 2005.
I think this was my fifth visit here, and it never fails to impress.
The Palisades in miniature.
Not your typical talus slope.
According to geologic maps, the bedrock here is metamorphic rock of the Littleton Formation.
Descending towards the flat-topped spur known as Bald Ledge.
It was late in the afternoon, but I couldn't resist the short side climb up to the top of Bald Ledge.
The crest of the flat, oak-wooded eastern knob of Bald Ledge.
A cairn marks the slightly higher west knob (1,735 ft.).
There are interconnected mountain meadows on the broad top of the west knob. I walk mindfully here to avoid trampling fragile lichens.
With clouds moving in, a silhouetted view of Smarts Mountain.
Descending a beautiful hardwood draw on the SE side of Bald Ledge.
I stumbled upon an apparent stove top. Was there once a logging camp up here?
Random crag in the forest.
Descending along the WMNF boundary.
This brook bears many small cascades, but I didn't have time to traverse beside them at this late hour.
Farther down, an old logging road was a time saver.
Finishing this rewarding trek on an unofficial mountain bike trail known as "Dump Run."
