09/21/06 Hiking Lincoln Woods Trail:
Took yesterday off and did the tourist thing along the Kancamagus Highway (ME 112) between Lincoln and Conway. This is a beautiful scenic 30 mile trip at anytime with numerous scenic stops along the way. With the fall foliage and the oaks and maples turning colors it is even more so. Foliage should peak next week sometime and I plan on taking a sunny day off and doing a big loop of the area.
More rain last night but it didn't last too long. Dropped the temperature though. I think it was in the 40's. Sun playing peek-a-boo in the morning and losing that game. It did better in the afternoon though.
I felt more like a long walk today than a hike and since the Lincoln Woods Trail was just up the road, off I went. The trail is an old railroad bed and runs along the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River. Perfectly flat and perfectly straight 3 miles to Franconia Falls.
Nothing exciting, just a good chance to stretch my legs. The trail is like a corridor with various hardwoods lining both side of the trail. The Black Pond Trail comes in from the left 100 yards before the Franconia Falls turn. This is a 1 mile trail to... Black Pond of all things. Less than 1 acre but with red, yellow and green leaves on the far shore and a nice mountain range backing it up.
Franconia Falls was a disappointment. A few small falls tumbling down over rounded ledges. Not enough water even with 2 nights of rain.
Drove the few miles up to Franconia Notch to do more tourist stuff. They charge a fee to go to the Flume so I turned around and left there. Visited the Basin and got some nice shots of the Notch now that the sun was out. The poor Old Man Of the Mountain is gone though. He fell down in 2003 after watching over the valley for 12,000 years.
09/22/06 Hiking Greely Ponds Trail:
Down in the 40's last night. Woke up to some ugly gray skies so rolled over and went back to sleep. Some blue up there by 9:30am so I changed clothes and headed out.
I thought I'd do Greely Ponds and then Mount Osceloa. I soon found my mind and my legs weren't ready for both so I just did the Greely Ponds Trail. This is very easy although the guide claims 700 feet of ups in 1.7 miles. The trail went up easily for 1.3 miles to the junction with the Mount Osceloa trail. The sign said .3 miles to the upper pond but I think it was that far to the lower one.
The lower pond is about an acre with a tall rounded peak in the background. The sun was playing peek-a-boo again and was losing so the pictures are only so so. Upper Greely Pond is another .5 miles and the trail goes down somewhat. It's closer to 2 acres with the same rounded peak on one side and other bluffs on the other.
By the time I got back to the junction I didn't feel like doing any more... so I didn't.
09/24/06 Hiking Pemi East Branch Trail:
It rained much of yesterday and this morning was foggy with very high humidity. I didn't want to go climbing around on any wet rocks but I did want to get out so I chose the Pemi East Branch Trail. It's a service road on the other side of the Pemigewasset River from the Lincoln Woods Trail.
Very few muddy spots, even with the rain. Like the Lincoln Woods Trail, it goes all the way to the Pemigewasset Wilderness Area. Here I found about 25 campsites and toilets. This might be a good place for someone's first backpack trip. 3 miles in and only a couple of small ups and downs.
Got back to the parking lot and the rains started.
09/25/06 Hiking UNH Trail (Hedgehog Mountain):
Tons of rain yesterday and when they stopped in the afternoon strong winds started up till dark.
We're pretty much into the peak of the fall foliage season here... All the reds, greens and yellows make for one glorious sight. Now, if we only had some sunshine to show off the colors. Bright blue skies when I got up this morning but the gray clouds soon moved in.
Moved up to Passaconaway Campground yesterday and found the trailhead for 3 different hikes right across the road. I just walked over at 8am to start my hike. The UNH Trail is a 5 mile loop with just 1500 feet of elevation. 3 miles out and 2 miles back.
I passed up the trail to Allen's Ledge and went another .1 miles to the East Ledges Trail. This is a nice moderate trail most of the way. 2 miles and 1100 feet brought me to the East Ledges and great views of the valley and mountain ranges beyond. The sun wasn't out which was kinda OK because it would be in the east and my views were to the east and north. I'da had sunspots in my pictures.
Another mile and a few hundred feet took me to the summit for OK views to the south and west. A mile down the other side and I came to Allen's Ledge which also had OK views.
The sun was playing peek-a-boo with the clouds when I finished the hike. I thought I'd go up the highway for some photo opportunities but soon found the clouds winning that game and came back to the camp site.
09/26/06 Hiking Potash Mountain Trail:
This trailhead is right across from the campground too. Temperatures in the low 40's this morning but the sun is shining. Some clouds came in and tried to obscure it but today the sun won out.
Another 1400 feet in 2 miles for today. Very easy the first .5 miles. Most of the 1400 feet was on the other side of a brook to the top. Great views out on the ledges about 1.5 miles, more ledges and views at about 2.0 miles with the summit and good views right above. High winds up there today. I got pushed around a little and didn't linger after I took my pictures.
Had some problems finding the trail on the way down. Faded yellow blazes on the way up were OK but that's when they must have been painted, on the way up. Didn't seem to give any thought to those coming back down as I couldn't find any at all on the ledges I had crossed. Had to go up and down them, walking on lichen and mosses looking for the trail again. I wasn't very happy.
09/27/06 Hiking Champney Falls Trail:
Down in the 30's last night. Frost on the grasses this morning but no ice. Sun's out shining brightly. I think when its cloudy its less cold. No cloud cover let's the cold come down from where ever.
Had Polartec vest and coat on at the start of the hike. This is a 3.6 mile/2250 foot high trail. 1.5 miles brought me to Champney Falls. Must be a springtime falls because there was only a trickle of water coming down. Nice bluff higher up than the falls with beautiful red maple leaves.
Picked up the Piper Trail at mile 3.2 and followed it the last 1/2 mile to the summit of Mt Chocorua. Great views all the way around. Lots of rugged terrain in the distance beyond multiple mountain ranges. Waterville Valley (I think) off in the other direction with several ponds and small lakes. The summit is only 3500 feet but must be the alpine region because there was almost not vegetation the last few hundred feet.
Sun shining on the trail from above on the way down really highlighted the red maple leaves on the trail and the red and yellow and green bushes and saplings beside it. Really pretty.