Mt. Major & Straightback Mtn. via Old Stage, Jesus Valley & Blueberry Pasture (Belknap Range)

Mt. Major & Straightback Mtn. via Old Stage, Jesus Valley & Blueberry Pasture (Belknap Range)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 7.82 miles

Elevation: 1,745 feet

Time: 3 hours, 56 minutes (3 hours, 32 minutes moving)

Parking: Limited parking for a few cars on Alton Mountain Road ("Straightback Trailhead" on Google Maps)
Hiking Challenges: Belknap Range Redliner, Belknap Range Grid, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

Time to drag Christien up north again! Naturally, I wanted to spend the day in the Whites. Naturally, it was going to be cruddy weather (with snow on the highest of peaks, NATURALLY). Instead, I decided to take him to Mt. Major via the south side (really just to mix things up for me). The plan was to leave at 5:30am, so he got up at 3:30am to get ready (which was WILD). I got up at 5:00. We slowly got our lives together, and we were off!

Skies were crystal clear in Boston, but there were going to be clouds in the Belknaps, which was fine - I assumed Mt. Major would be low-elevation enough to still give us a nice view. Christien was pretty nauseous for the drive - I felt bad for him. He was a tropper, though! We took a longer break at Hooksett for some food and not-driving, and we eventually made our way up to the parking area on Alton Mountain Road to start our adventure! Parking was nice and easy with space for just a few cars (and plenty of signs telling you NOT where to park). I booted up at the car - he came in his full hiking attire - and then we were off!

[8:21am - Blueberry Pasture Trail]

The Blueberry Pasture Trail starts about 20 feet away from the parking area kiosk on the right and is clearly signed. The Trail follows an old road to a very interesting area with... t-shirts on crosses? According to the Belknap Range Trails map on belknaprangetrails.org, they are Finnish Scarecrows (Silent People), and I can't find much information on them - WAIT. I found a Reddit thread that linked an article in the Laconia Daily Sun (found here). In essence, the landowners visited Finland and saw the original Finnish Scarecrows/Silent People, which were erected as a memorial to lives lost during a Russian/Finnish war in the late 1930's. The landowners were inspired to recreate it in this old field, partly as hommage to the original, but also to protest the 2003 war in Iraq. Kind of interesting that we stumbled upon them for the first time as the U.S. is dealing with another controversial war, now in Iran.

Anyway, here, the Blueberry Pasture Trail is joined by Old Stage Road, which is a colonial-era road with a neat history, detailed also at belknaprangetrails.org. Information below:

"The Old Stage Road (blazed red/blue) through Griswold Scout Reservation has a complicated history.  In colonial times the now Old Stage Road was an extension of the now Manning Lake Road and went east and ended at the farmstead, now a cellar hole, in the center of the Reservation, at what is called the logging camp outpost.   On the east side of the property, Alton Mountain road extended northwest to the farmsteads on the eastern boundary of the property in the area where the red trail crosses the now Old Stage Road and ended there.  So in the era of Stage Coaches, that road never went through.  Around the 1940’s a logging company punched a rough road through what is now the Reservation to move their portable sawmill and connected the then abandoned portions of the two roads.  That old road then became the red/blue trail for the boy scouts, but was flooded by beaver in one section east of West Brook and was quite wet in another section between that beaver swamp and the eastern boundary.  In 1977, the Scouts built a road from the Hidden Valley camp to the eastern portion of the now Old Stage Road and made it passable to trucks easterly to West Brook.  In the mid 1990’s, I set up a timber sale in the West Brook valley and along the red/blue trail.  As part of that sale, the loggers built a new road easterly across West Brook and around the north side of the beaver swamp and by-passed the other wet spot and ended the road where the gate is now located.  There was only a hiking trail between the gate and the eastern boundary.  The Gilmanton snowmobile club soon discovered the improved road and widened the hiking trail at the end of the road to accommodate their groomer and to connect with the old Alton Mountain Road section.  I have not been easterly beyond the old gravel pit on the east boundary of the Reservation for many years and do not know what has happened in that area of late. (I was able to drive a VW Rabbit to the red trail-Old Stage Road junction in 1995)  If the Alton section was once a public road, it is still the legal Right-of-Way to the Reservation.  I do not know when and if that section of Alton Mountain Road was abandoned, but I assume it was around the same time the farmsteads were abandoned.  Research on the history of now abandoned section of Alton Mountain Road may uncover something of further interest."

The two trails coincide, hiking past yet another curiosity - a sign that reads COUGAR IN AREA. I immediately rolled my eyes. I know there's a group of Mountain Lion enthusiasts that believe they're in New England. It wasn't until I read the fine print that my attitude changed...

"PLEASE STAY ON TRAILS. TRAVEL IN SMALL GROUPS AND DO NOT ALLOW MEN UNDER 30 TO TRAVEL ALONE."

Excellent. No notes, truly!

A bit further down the trail/road we saw a bright orange "Trail Information" sign, likely from snowmobile season signing "Little Avery Hill Loop" and "Secret View" - we mentally pinned this for later.

There was a light pitter patter of rain (IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO RAIN!) as we continued this easy stretch of our hike. We passed a sign (there are so many signs in the Belknaps) saying "TRAIL USERS. This trail is on private land is being made available through the cooperation of: Elise Arry... and has been developed through the efforts of: THE Mt. Major Snowmobile Club. Do not litter. Drive with Care. Respect Private Proeprty," followed by another sign for the other end of the Little Avery Hill Loop.

[8:32am - Old Stage Road]

Just after, we hit the intersection where Old Stage Road leaves Blueberry Pasture Trail. Old Stage Road continued on the right, while Blueberry Pasture Trail turned left. This officially began our lollipop loop! Christien had pivoted from feeling nauseous to having a bit of vertigo, he said "the trees are moving," and the trees were in fact not moving. I felt so bad for him! We were passing the time with me guessing the names of his family members, which I got most of within a few minutes, but there was one that really kept me occupied (well over an hour of guessing) - hopefully he didn't find it too annoying!

We hiked past a few pools with frog eggs, past a few wonderful glacial erratics, and then hit a junction with an unblazed trail that helped us avoid private property at the end of Jesus Valley Road.

[8:46am - Unblazed Connector]

The unblazed connector, signed with a wooden arrow pointing towards Mt. Major and Straightback, rose steeply with typical "road" footing, meaning it was calf steep. This is the first time we actually were hiking, so naturally I was immediately out of breath.

[8:49am - Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail]

The Unblazed Connector came to a junction with the Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail, which we turned right onto to descent back onto the lovely, flat corridor we'd been enjoying! We hiked through an open yard of sorts and turned left into the woods, continuing along over snowmobile bridges and eventually coming up Beaver Pond! 

[9:02am - Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail/Beaver Pond]

I'm guessing Beaver Pond is named for the beavers that clearly had formed the pond - their lodge was a wonderful centerpiece on the pond! The pond was a nice spot to "stop and stare." It was delightfully quiet and still with grey skies above and just a few bits of drizzle falling. We each took sepearate excusions into the woods to take care of personal businesses, and then we continued on! The trail followed the pond for a bit before contuing through a beautiful birch-lined corridor. We even saw an eft!

[9:28am - Boulder Trail]

We took a quick break at the Boulder Trail junction, and Christien had some of my tums-coated Advil - he was thinking he was dealing with a sneaky migrane, which truly sounded likely. We had some water, he had his drugs, I took a quick potty break, we crossed paths with the first person du jour, and it was time to FINALLY climb up Mt. Major!

I was a big fan of the Boulder Trail. I had only ever hiked down it, and let me tell you it was MUCH nicer going up than down! Last time I came down this trail it was after a rain storm, I was grossly dehydrated, and I took a pretty hard fall onto my back, which was caught by my pack, but gave me some intense whiplast for the next few days. The trail alternated steep, rocky climbs with mellower stretches. This is also where I learned that Christien likes to mountain goat up the rocks with his long legs - my god! I had NO problem letting him get ahead, as I was plugging along slow and steady.

Salvation was near after a gravelley, scrambly pitch. We came to the first "DO NOT DISTURB THE CAIRNS!!" sign, and from this point on the trail was absolutely delightful. Mostly flat, trending upward, and walking along beautiful slabby, scrubby woods with moss-lined trails. We started to catch preliminary views towards Alton Bay.

[10:23am - Mt. Major Summit]

"Wow"s soon began, as we reached the summit! The view from here is always spectacular. Lake Winnipesaukee is really something cool to see. We could see Mt. Moosilauke in the clouds (turns out it was snowing!), the peaks of the Franconias and the Sandwich Range, and of course the Ossipees (where Sarah was apparently hiking! I told her on Strava that I waved to her!). There were showers rolling through the area, but thankfully they were staying above and north of the lake, with only wind and a few small drizzles hitting us at the top. We took a bunch of photos and meandered around the summit for a bit. I found two discs! There were two groups of hikers taking refuge from the cold wind in the old foundation, but once they left I jumped in. There were two friendly solo hikers chatting nearby - it was one's first solo hike ever, and she just ran a marathon. The other one was a chatty guy who read as a local and just happy to meet people. Very fun to eavesdrop!

We then sat for a bit and bundled back up. I got some tortellini pasta salad from Hookset, which felt silly but was a WIN! I paired that with an Almond Joy and we both shared adult beverages (a Nutrl hard lemonade and this Blackberry Bramble canned cocktail, both were... fine) and enjoyed being out, even if it was cold!

Christien said he was feeling better (I bet it was the nasty Bramble), we finished up our break, enjoyed the view for just a bit longer, and then started hiking again!

[10:54am - Blue/Yellow Trail]

We followed the confluence of a blue and yellow-blazed trail, which I think was the Mt. Major Trail and Brook Trails. They continued along wonderful open slabs (similar the upper reaches of the Boulder Trail) before descending a bit steeply to a junction where the yellow-blazed Brook Trail turned right to descend and the blue-blazed Major-Straightback Link turned left to start the journey up to Straightback. We briefly crossed paths with the woman who was on her first solo hike, who was also playing music loudly, so we blasted off.

[11:04am - Major-Straightback Trail]

The Major-Straightback Link rose through pretty, mossy forests with occasional open spots at easy to moderate grades. There were a few older wooden blue diamond blazes guiding the way, but the footbed was always clear. The trail later evened out and opened up to the summit of Straightback Mountain!

[11:24am - Straightback Mountain Summit/Straightback Mountain Trail]

Mentally, I didn't realize that Straightback was higher up than Mt. Major, but my legs felt it! From the summit, we turned left and followed the sign for "to Jesus Valley Rd 1.5 mi," which was the Straightback Mountain Trail. 

The upper Straightback Mountain Trail was an absolute joy to walk across. It was very open with a small discernable footpath through occasional patches of dirt with occasional views - it reminded me of sections of Monadnock along the Pumpelly Ridge. I only wish there were blazes or cairns! The trail turned a corner and descended along a slightly wetter stretch before ocming to the junction with the Blueberry Pasture Trail.

[11:37am - Blueberry Pasture Trail]

The Blueberry Pasture Trail was a wonderfully pleasant old road with mostly good footing, save for a few wobbly rocks here and there. We descended with a few turns here and there, and lower down hiked across some snowmobile bridges and past some old artifacts. Some wheel/pulley thing and a few barrels. It was simply a lovely descent from Straightback down!

[12:01pm - Blueberry Pasture Trail/Old Stage Road]

[12:02pm - Little Avery Hill Loop]

Soon we were back on Old Stage Road and after a bit of waffling we decided to hit the Little Avery Hill Loop to check out the "Secret View." This was clearly a snowmobile trail with blegh footing, and it was a steep one at that! Christien was NOT pleased with our decision, but I was suffering along excited for a view1There wre a couple of old orange blazes, but this trail is not on either map on belknaprangetrails.org. We turned a corner, suffered up some more, and came to a grassy clearing with a view!

[12:10pm - Little Avery Hill]

There was a lovely view up to straightback, and it was really fun to see the open slabs up there, where we were not too long ago! Christien was NOT having it, he officially hated Little Avery Hill after that steep climb! There was a tree view behind to normal Avery Hill, which does have a trail in the old Dave Robert's map on the aformentioned website, but nothing on the current map.

The descent was quick and easy down a narrower snowmobile trail, and soon we were back on the Blueberry Pasture Trail to finish out our hike!

[12:13pm - Blueberry Pasture Trail]

We did forget about the Silent People, though. We had a quick, uneasy hike past them, but then soon enough we were back at the parking area, which had about four cars now.

[12:17pm - End of Hike]

We did it! Christien was feeling much better compared to the start of the hike, and was just wishing he felt fine for the whole thing. I'm really glad and grateful that he rallied - I had a wonderful time on these trails and hiking with him! I got changed in the parking area and then we set our sights on getting lunch on the lake, so we drove down Alton Mountain Road to Alton Bay and landed at Shibley at the Pier in Alton, and it was a great, easy lunch! Except for the fact that I basically drenched myself in my cocktail...

The drive home was nice and easy. I got BOGO popcorn from the Common Man and Christien had a nice nap. Best part - we were home by 3:00pm so I could keep delaying my Sunday scaries!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Blueberry Pasture Trail from trailhead.

- At jct., turn right onto Old Stage Road.

- Near terminus, turn left onto unblazed trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Boulder Trail.

- At terminus, continue onto Blue/Yellow blazed trail.

- At jct., continue to follow Blue blazes.

- At summit of Straightback Mountain (S. Peak), turn left onto Straightback Mountain Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Blueberry Pasture Trail.

- After jct. with Old Stage Road, turn left onto snowmobile path to "Secret View."

- At "Secret View," continue to follow path down to Blueberry Pasture Trail.

- Turn left onto Blueberry Pasture Trail, return to car.

Belknap Range Map (2023)

Photo Album

Bear Mountain Loop via AT, Bear Mtn. Rd., Bog Trail (Mount Riga State Park)

Bear Mountain Loop via AT, Bear Mtn. Rd., Bog Trail (Mount Riga State Park)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 3.17 miles

Elevation: 597 feet

Time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Parking: Parking for 6 cars at the end of East St. (3 on each side of road), more parking on CT side.
Hiking Challenges: Taconic 12er, Appalachian Trail 14-State Challenge

The Hike 

The drive from the Mount Washington State Park HQ trailhead to the Mt. Frissell Trailhead was an easy 10-minute drive. Soon after leaving HQ, the road turned to dirt, and had some patches of deep gravel that was simply unpleasant to drive over. There was parking on the right side of the road signed as the Mt. Frissell Trailhead for 2-3 cars, and room on the left side for another three cars. 

The original plan was to go up Round Mountain and Mt. Frissell, then traverse over to Mt. Brace, then a long trip down and up Bear Mountain with a steep descent to close the loop. I simply did not want to deal with a wet, steep descent, so instead I decided to start with Bear Mountain and ascending the steep portion and then simply seeing what happened next!

[8:53am - Start of Hike]

I started my hike by crossing into Connecticut (marked by a cool, old monument), and continuing for maybe 100-150 feet to another parking area at Northwest Road, which was signed as leading to AMC Northwest Camp. Google Maps said the gate on Mt. Washington Road in CT was closed, but it was definitely open today!

[8:55am - Northwest Road]

I turned onto blue-blazed Northwest Road, which was an old, gated road, and hiked in, soon passing more signs for the AMC Northwest Camp. I was greeted by a sign saying:

"WELCOME

You are entering land owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club. To insure your continued use and enjoyment of this wilderness area, the following regulations will apply.

1. Camping permitted in designated areas only.

2. Wood burning fires are specifically prohibited.

3. Foot travel only - no motorized vehicles.

4. Carry out everything you carry in.

5. No hunting permitted.

AMC ridgerunner monitors area on regular basis."

Just after there were stacks of fire wood, a few wheelbarrows, and a kiosk with a brochure that was too foggy to read. 

The AMC Website reads: "Northwest Camp is a rustic backcountry cabin, secluded on a remote section of Bear Mountain in Salisbury, Connecticut. The cabin provides access to many hiking trails leading to New York and Massachusetts." Some more information by the CT AMC Chapter can be found here and here.

[8:57am - Northwest Road/AMC Northwest Camp]

Northwest Road passed the AMC Northwest Camp on the right, rock hopped across a small stream, and continued on, basically paralleling the MA/CT State Line and rising gently as rain began to fall again. My hip belt was becoming more and more of a bummer and this trail was in muddier shape than Alander Mountain. I ascended into a mountain laurel grove and I put the rain jacket back on (crankily), and soon landed at the junction with the Appalachian Trail!

[9:10am - Appalachian Trail]

The Northwest Road trail terminated at the Appalachian Trail, although the old road continued straight and was mostly obstructed. The AT was marked by a seafoam green sign, which was fun! The AT soutbound starts off by climbing easily along the side of the mountain before making a turn and climbing right up the side. The rocks were plentiful and exceptionally slippery. I heard a grouse thumping and my flatulence was giving me a nice boost as I scrambled up!

There were some nice tree views to the north and I passed my first person du jour right at the steepest spot - he was wearing baggy cargo shorts, a hoodie, and listening to some podcast out loud. The scrambling was physically challenging but super fun! I was SO GLAD I went up this way instead of down.

The tree views became more interesting the higher I climbed with MANY clouds on nearby peaks - thankfully it looked like this mountian was still in the clear. I pushed on, slightly gassing myself, and soon came to the summit area! First, there was a summit sign and a little herd path that branched off to the right to what was maybe an old trail or maybe the true summit or maybe just a grown-in viewpoint?

[9:27am - Bear Mountain Summit]

The main summit area was marked by a giant pile of socks and a plaque saying: "THIS MONUMENT MARKS THE HIGHEST GROUND IN CONNECTICUT. 2354 FEET ABOVE THE SEA. BUILT A.D. 1885. OWEN TRAVIS MASON." I guess this was before they identified the shoulder of Mt. Frissell was taller?

There were a few people of a hiking group showing up, so I kept on moving on (also it was still rainy and windy. The rain coat was off again because of the sweating, but it was still wet everywhere.

[9:32am - Appalchian Trail]

The AT from this point on was an absolute treat! Easy, descending grades. I only had to be careful of puddles and an occasional slippery rock. I passed a few folks hiking up, all of whom appeared to be day hikers. I kept stopping as more and more viewpoints over towards Mt. Brace and Mt. Frissell began to open up. Nearby bushes were starting to bloom, and the sun kept trying to poke through, but it was generally not successful. I noticed after using PeakFinder my phone battery plummeted to 19%, so I threw it on airplane mode and low power mode in hopes of keeping it alive!

The trail entered an eroded section as the trees began to grew taller. I also realized I forgot chapstick... The descent continued into an endless sea of mountain laurel with birds singing everywhere (I was thrilled to recognize the Eastern Towhee, thank you, Merlin!). Eventually, in the sea of mountain laurel, I came to the junction with the Bear Mountain Road, which would bring be back to Mt. Washington Road.

[9:49am - Bear Mountain Road]

This "road" was actually a narrow footpath with ankle-tickling and ankle-soaking mountain laurel on both sides - it was unpleasant. It was also somehow still misting out when the rain was supposed to be long since done... I traversed a wet spot and wondered how long I would be stuck in this laurel-ous hellscape, but thankfully after about 10 minutes I came to a junction. Only plus of this stretch was seeing Bear Mountain through the trees.

At the junction, I could decide what my next move would be. I could turn right onto the Bog Trail, which said closed on AllTrails but was very clearly open, and close this loop before starting a seperate hike up Mt. Frissell and Mt. Brace, or I could continue the loop onto Mt. Washington Road and up Mt. Brace, ending with Mt. Frissell. The thought of dealing with more mountain laurel and the unknown road walk and Mt. Brace Trail had me convinced to close the loop, so I turned right.

[10:00am - Bog Trail]

To my delight, the Bog Trail was a dream! To no surprise, it circled a bog! On a bog boardwalk! The boardwalk was super slippery, so I had to go nice and slow. I followed the yellow blazes along, enjoying the sounds of peepers in the bog. I was enjoying it, until a grouse scared the LIFE out of me! Awful little birds... There were small interpretive signs throughout the trail, which were just lovely, and there was a sign saying "BOG BRIDGE 2015" at the end of the boardwalk nearest the camp.

Now back at the camp, I hiked past a fire pit and a cabin with a sign indicating that this was an old growth area, whic was pretty neat! I hiked down around the cabin and over a nice bridge back to Northwest Road, closing the loop.

[10:10am - Northwest Road]

[10:12am - Road Walk to Car]

The stem of the lollipop loop was nice and easy. I had a short walk to the gate and another short walk back to the car, which was already at the next trailhead! There were two new cars total in the area.

[10:14am - End of Hike] 

I did a quick stop at the car to drop a water bottle and throw on some chapstick. The main plan was to out-and-back Mt. Frissell and Mt. Brace, but I was open to a loop option if it spoke to me. Time will tell!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike by walking south on East Street (MA)/Mt. Washington Road (CT).

- At trailhead, turn left onto Northwest Road.

- At jct., turn right onto Appalachian Trail (southbound).

- At jct., turn right onto Bear Mountain Road.

- At jct., turn right onto Bog Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Northwest Road.

- At terminus, turn right and return to car.

Map of AMC Northwest Camp & Area

Photo Album

Alander Mountain via Alander Mountain Trail (Mount Washington State Forest)

Alander Mountain via Alander Mountain Trail (Mount Washington State Forest)

Hike Type: Out-and-Back

Distance: 5.95 miles

Elevation: 1,194 feet

Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

Parking: Parking at Mount Washington State Park Headquarters for many cars.
Hiking Challenges: Taconic 12er, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

I had the day all to myself and it was flirting with being kind of nice out with a bit of residual rain first thing in the morning. I had my sights on the four southern Taconic peaks on the Taconic 12er Challenge: Alander Mountain, Mt. Frissell, Mt. Brace, and Bear Mountain. Planning looked like I could do these in two hikes, and the trailheads were just a few minutes apart! I set a comical 3:00am alarm and was out the door at 3:20am. It was naturally pouring on my drive, but I was staying optimistic! The further west I drove the drier the roads became, thankfully. Originally it said 8:00am would be the end of the rain, but as I got closer it got bumped up to 7:00am - yay! I needed gas once I got off the pike and was horrified to see that it was averaging $4.50/gallon in the Berkshires, but I eventually found one for $4.20... ugh. 

I made my way towards Mt. Washington State Forest and East Street was down to a one-lane road in two sections due to road work, but since it was so early there was no one else out. I passed four deer and two turkeys living harmoniously on the side of the road, and eventually made it to the parking area at the State Forest Headquarters - with a porta potty! My stomach had been in a bad mood (I got a half and half pizza from Bertucci's last night and had two slices of Verde and two slices of Nolio for dinner and brought the other four slices for today, but I think the Nolio is now on my "treats my body like ricotta cheese does" list). I had my breakfast pizza, used the porta potty, which was in pretty good condition, and got started on adventure #1!

[6:25am - Alander Mountain Trail]

It was a brisk 41 degrees out with a few residual raindrops, but peeks of blue skies! There were endless birds singing, including a rooster (Merlin said White-throated Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Chipping Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, and Common Ravens). I was back with my orange 32-liter pack (versus my blue 40-liter pack) for spring - I did a little hiking pack restock last night for the warmer seasons. The Alander Mountain Trail started right at the parking area and traversed a nice, open meadow and is marked with blue blazes. 

Following the meadow, the trail entered the woods on a wide, well-blazed trail that felt like an old road. The trail turned left at a closed section of trail (but recently mowed) at another meadow and then crossed a stream on a bridge at another unmapped intersection. The trail had been averaging flat with minor easy ups and downs so far. Footing got a little muddier after the bridge, but nothing was too bad so far!

[6:35am - Alander Mountain Trail/Charcoal Pit Trail]

I soon passed the junction with the Charcoal Pit Trail, which did not look appetizing to me. It looked wildly wet, muddy, and grassy. I did have a couple option to extend this into a loop hike, but now I have eliminated one option! The Alander Mountain Trail crossed another stream and then came to the junction with the Ashley Hill Trail, which looked to be another wide road.

[6:38am - Alander Mountain Trail/Ashley Hill Trail]

I would keep this one in mind for my return trip if I was feeling inspired to extend my hike! I took my fleece off here, but kept my Frogg Togg jacket on as the rain had mostly stopped, but the leftovers from treetops were still falling. Off-trail, I saw a little herd path to a nice waterfall that was only a little sketchy to descend to - it was so pretty!

The Alander Mountain Trail descended for a minute to an area where two brooks meet - Lee Pond Brook, which had the waterfall from before, and the Ashley Hill Brook. I crossed over Ashley Hill Brook on a nice, large bridge and enjoyed the beautiful area. The water was so beautifully clear! There were also old stone foundations, maybe an old dam or mill?

The trail began to gently rise from this point, so I officially took my rain jacket off. Higher up, the trail entered the clouds (bummer) and passed a sign indicating the campground was a half mile away. There were a few cars from Connecticut at the trailhead, I wonder if they were camping?

After the sign, the trail flattened out in a really pretty area of open woods and young spring greens dotting the floor. The clouds were really trying to burn off, but without much success. I climbed a little steeper (but not steeply) to the junction with the Campground Trail.

[6:58am - Alander Mountain Trail/Campground Trail]

I pinned the Campground Trail for a possible return loop, as it links up with the Ashley Mountain Trail later on. The birds were back singing as I descended gently after the junction (I kept singing "the birds are back" to the tune "the boys are back" from High School Musical 3) before crossing a flat wet spot that led to a mountain laurel grove.

The climb officially-officially began when the trail momentarily became a literal stream. I kept thinking about how pretty it would be when the mountain laurel is in bloom! A massive bumblebee zoomed past me as the trail began to parallel a stream in a really lovely conifer grove. There was a metal sign with "last water in dry season" "written" via pinholes, and then the trail opened up again on a now rocky and eroded footbed.

The trail entered a very confusing wet, eroded area just after - some bird was trying to tell me which way was correct, but it wasn't overly helpful. Higher up, I re-entered the clouds as the trail steeply climbed up to the ridge. To my surprise, I came to a building!

[7:23am - Alander Mountain Trail/Watchmen's Cabin]

The building was the Alander Fire Watchmen's Cabin, thankfully indicated by a sign. It looked like the door could be opened, but I have a firm policy of not f-ing around to find out what creepy things may be lurking inside. The sign read:

"Historic Structure

Alander Fire Watchmen's Cabin

c. 1920's

Please respect this historic structure!

Alander Mountain Fire Tower, 1928-30 and associated Fire watchmen's Cabin at Mount Washington State Forest. The former site of this tower, located just tenths of a mile within Massachusetts from the state line, was managed by New York State froom 1928-1930. It was then dismantled and stored at Taconic State Park. In 1933 the tower was again erected on Washburn Mountain in Copake Falls, NY. Moved once more in 1963-64 to Beebe Hill, where it stands today.

Although the fire tower is gone form the original site on Alander Mountain, the 4 concrete footings remain. Also, this original Watchman's Cabin is actively used as a campsite for the Mount Washington State Forest.

Please be respectful, carry out all trash, and be diligent about your fires!"

There was a short, steep, ledgy push just after the cabin, which led to the terminus of the Alander Mountain Trail! I turned left onto the South Taconic Trail, which would lead to the summit of Alander Mountain.

[7:25am - South Taconic Trail]

This South Taconic Trail was fully socked in, but a beautiful short walk! It had tall bushes lining much of the stretch and puddles on the trailbed, kind of like Buck Hill in the Blue Hills, but I could tell there would be some nice views if I weren't in a cloud. 

[7:27am - Alander Mountain Summit]

And just like that, I was at the summit of Alander Mountain! The true summit is marked with old fire tower footings, an USGS marker, and a summit sign that was off on a tree slightly in the woods. I didn't stand here for long, in part because the only view was of the cloud I was residing in, but it was also damp and cold up here with a breeze. Plus, I had more hiking to do! I took a swig of Nuun and started my trip back to the Alander Mountain Trail and back to the car, still unsure if I was going to do a loop or not.

[7:33am - Alander Mountain Trail]

I wiggled down to the cabin and started... well, attempted to blast off back to the car! I made it to the top in one hour and one minute, I wondered if I could match it, or be faster on the return... I was also noticing I was two minutes ahead of the schedule I set for myself for the day - yay!

Back in the woods, the clouds were visibly higher up and if I stuck around for maybe 30 more minutes I would have caught a view, but oh well! I had work to do! I had been noticing all day the hip belt on my pack was feeling weird, and I learned why on the way down - the bottom tooth on the main buckle snapped off at some point in the past! That also explained why it unbuckled a few times. Bummer.

My toe got a little wet in the wet, eroded section, and I was moving slower than I wanted because of the water and footing, but overall it was good-going. 

[7:57am - Alander Mountain Trail/Campground Trail]

I decided to not do a loop at the Campground Trail junction since I had another hike to do just after this one. It smelled like a pine candle after the campground junction, and to my delight I saw some of the first red trillium of the season! I noticed first the three leaves, and then the droopy flowers! No pink lady slippers, though... There were also some droopy purple flowers in the area.

I was still impressively gassy throughout most of this hike, and it was really giving me a boost on this descent. I could start to hear the Ashley Hill Brook and soon made it back to the low point of the trail where the two brooks met. I crossed the bridge and started huffing it back uphill, which I was really cranky about, but it was also literally fine. 

[8:14am - Alander Mountain Trail/Ashley Hill Trail]

[8:17am - Alander Mountain Trail/Charcoal Pit Trail]

I hiked past the Ashley Hill and Charcoal Pit Trails through some wonderful rambling pine forests, passed the second meadow, rambled some more, and then finally entered the trailhead meadow. I didn't see a single human on this hike, and even with the wet trails, it was an absolute delight! I'd love to come back sometime to see the view, or even flirt with hiking the South Taconic Trail in it's whole (EDIT: wait of course that's what I want to do, it's only 14 miles).

[8:57am - End of Hike]

Back at the trailhead, I used the porta potty once more for good measure, changed into another set of dry hiking clothes, had my second two slices of pizza, and started my trek down to the MA/CT state line at the Mt. Frissell Trailhead!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Alander Mountain Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto South Taconic Trail.

- At summit, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Alander Mountain Trail.

- Return to car.

Map of Mount Washington State Forest

Photo Album

Northern Fells Reservoir & Virginia Wood Trails (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Northern Fells Reservoir & Virginia Wood Trails (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Hike Type: Spaghetti

Distance: 6.73 miles

Elevation: 778 feet

Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Middlesex Fells Reservation Redlining

Parking: Pulloff on Pond Street at Gate 42

The Hike 

Now we're really back at work, because I was back at the Fells killing time while Christien finished up work. It was a beautiful 60-degree afternoon with no clouds and a light breeze. My goal was to hike through the Virginia Wood section of trail and possibly finish up the area around the Fells Reservoir. Parking was unpleasant, as it was a small pull-off on a busy road, but ultimately fine. I wish I brought my long sleeve since I was chilly to start, but was soon completely fine. 

In the woods, the undergrowth was starting to sprout! I crossed a neat old bridge on the Crystal Spring Trail, which was blazed in red, and partially coincided with a Historical Trail, which was blazed in yellow. I had to carefully and safely cross Ravine Road, which was busy, and then hiked up a Pipe Line, which was expectedly underwhelming. My windbreaker finally came off since the Pipe Line was on a slight incline, and I didn't realize that I had dropped my phone taking it off! Thankfully, it was only about 50 feet down the trail from when I noticed, but yikes!

There were a few nice woodpeckers near the reservoir as I followed the Wyoming Path, which eventually split and I joined the reservoir, which is really a lovely walk. It reminded me of a mini Quabbin. Some parts of the reservoir were lined with a tarp, which was interesting, but I guess made sense? Maybe those were areas where water was leaking out?

There were a couple of ducks swimming about as I hiked around, high above the land down below. There were a medium amount of unmapped trails around the reservoir, but I was really just planning to stick to what's mapped. I exited the reservoir area eventually and found myself behind a women walking TWELVE dogs?! It looked like a scene out of a movie. Thankfully, she pulled over to let me pass. 

I hiked a hanging chad trail that I needed and met a white bird that I hadn't seen before (a white-breasted nuthatch - thank you, Seek!). I managed to cut my arm on a pricker bush and hiked past a little meadow while on the Rock Circuit Connector, which then zig-zagged around some rogue trails that led back to the reservoir.

I needed a few trails around the Fellsway East and Ravine Road, which unfortunately led to a road walk to save miles. It was sketchy, but thankfully I had enough of a shoulder where itw as mostly fine. I wrapped up the Wyoming Path area and then made my way to the Melrose Path/Pine Grove Path area, which involved a lot of wiggling and zig-zagging and one unpleasant road walk. The Pine Grove was my favorite area around here, as it was true to it's name!

My return trip started back on the Rock Circuit Path to the terminus of the Crystal Spring Path. The sun felt amazing on the open slabs, but it was getting chillier in the woods. I realized I was going to finish the Fells Reservoir area, which was exciting! I followed Crystal Spring Path back to Melrose Path, hopped a few blowdowns, hit a few spurs, and voila! I did it!

Now I had to cross Ravine Road again and decided to go for one last road walk uphill to the Virginia Wood road. I had just enough time to hike the network of trails in this small area of the park, the coolest being the Historic Trail. The only information on this area on the DCR map reads: "Virginia Wood, the site of a vanished mill village called “Haywardville,” is now a hemlock enclave featuring a self-guided interpretive history trail."

Wikipedia's "Spot Pond Archeological District" page reads: "The Spot Pond Archeological District is a historic archaeological site near Spot Pond in Stoneham, Massachusetts. It is located in the Virginia Woods section of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a state park. The district encompasses sites along Spot Pond Brook that were mill sites dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. At its height, in the mid-19th century the Hayward Rubber Works was located in the area, giving it the name "Haywardville". One of the park's trails runs through the area, and a park pamphlet provide a self-guided tour joining the major remnants of the industries that once flourished there." I also found a lackluster map here.

I'm sure there's a DCR map somewhere, but I have been unable to find it. The trails got a little confusing, but were fun to explore. I ended my hike with my first gnat in my eye of the year! I finished up this stretch of the park also, which felt good, leaving just the main Crystal Spring area, the Spot Pond Reservoir area, the area around Sheepsfold, and the area northwest of the big reservoir. Almost there!

UPDATE FROM THE FUTURE: I found the brochure I wanted about the guided tour in the Virginia Wood - here.

Step-by-Step

- From parking at Gate 42, follow the middle trail.

- At F3-2, continue straight over bridge, following red/yellow blazes.

- At F3-4, continue straight on Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- Cross Ravine Road, continue on Pipe Line Road after Gate 39.

- At terminus, turn left onto Wyoming Road.

- At jct., turn right to loop Fells Reservoir.

- At jct., turn left.

- At jct., turn left.

- At F5-1, continue straight on Hemlock Pool Road.

- At F5-4, turn left.

- At F5-6, continue straight on Jerry Jingle Road.

- At F5-9, turn sharply right onto road.

- At F5-5, turn right onto Rock Circuit Connector (orange).

- At F4-10, turn left onto trail.

- At F4-11, turn right onto Rock Circuit Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Rock Circuit Connector (orange).

- At jct., turn left.

- At Fellsway East, turn left onto Fellsway East.

- At Gate 50, turn left onto Wyoming Path.

- After F4-7, turn around.

- At F4-7, turn left onto path.

- At terminus, turn sharply left onto Melrose Path.

- At F4-2, turn left onto Rock Circuit Trail (white).

- At jct., turn left.

- At terminus, turn right onto Melrose Path.

- At jct., turn right.

- At F3-10, continue straight.

- At terminus, turn right onto Ravine Road/Fellsway East.

- At jct., turn right onto Pine Grove Path.

- At F3-8, turn left onto Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- At jct. after F3-9, turn left.

- At terminus, turn right onto Wyoming Path.

- At F4-8, turn right onto Rock Circuit Trail (white).

- At F4-4, turn right onto Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- At F4-3, turn left.

- At terminus, turn right onto Melrose Path.

- At F3-7, turn right onto Pine Grove Path.

- At F3-8, turn around.

- At F3-8, turn right onto Melrose Path.

- At Gate 40, turn around.

- At F3-8, turn right onto Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- At Gate 39, turn left onto Ravine Road.

- At Gate 38, turn right (signed: Virginia Wood).

- At F3-3, turn right onto Crystal Spring Path (red/yellow).

- At F3-4, turn left onto Historic Trail (yellow).

- Hike spur, then turn right at F3-5.

- At F3-6, turn right.

- At terminus, turn around and retrace steps past F3-5.

- At F3-3, turn right.

- At F3-2, turn left to follow red/yellow blazes.

- At F3-1, turn right to parking lot.

- At parking lot, turn around.

- At F3-1, turn right to conitnue loop, following yellow blazes.

- At F3-2, continue straight toward Gate 42.

- At Gate 42, complete hike.

Middlesex Fells Reservation Map

Photo Album

St. Moritz & Green Loops (Blue Hills Reservation)

St. Moritz & Green Loops (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 4.96 miles

Elevation: 449 feet

Time: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills (2x)

Parking: Shea Memorial Rink.

The Hike 

One day later and I'm back at the Blue Hills at the St. Moritz Ponds to maybe wrap up the Quincy stretch (outside of the Quarries proper, I'm procrastinating those HARD). It was an absoutely beautiful 65-degree afternoon without a cloud in the sky. I had a super sleepy drive down from Arlington, so sleepy that I had to munch on my emergency cheerios to keep going. I suited up at the Shea Rink parking lot and got started on the trail past the old ballfield. The pollen was ACTIVE, my god. The ponds were full of lily pads and there were an absolutely wonderful number of turtles soaking up the sun. It brings me so much joy watching the woods get greener and greener as the days go by.

On the Murphy Path, I had to naviagate around some comically huge piles of horse poop and then had a pretty easy time finish up the trails on the St. Moritz side (minus the ridiculously steep Ski Jump Path). I followed the Pipe Line acros Wampatuck Road, and then continued to follow the green blazes, almost getting off-task at 4155, but holding strong! I hit the connect trail between Skyline and Green as I continued around, passing a weird mummified toy horse made out of straw...?

On the far side, I found myself yet again wondering about the old Great Dome Trail, but conitnued my journey following green blazes. I got off the green loop between the Crags and Rattlesnake Hill to get that trail, and then I followed the Skyline Trail past Sullivan's Quarry (which had little fishies!) onto Shawmut Path.

Afterwards, I got back on green, crossed the road again, and hiked past the old trees (a favorite stretch for me). I continued between the ponds, enjoyed the turtles and mallards, and made it back to the car feeling good and satisfied - Quincy section sans Quarries is done! Now, time for Costco chicken.

Step-by-Step

- Park at Shea Memorial Rink.

- Turn left onto Willard Street.

- At trailhead for St. Moritz Ponds, turn left.

- At jct., turn left onto Winter Carnival Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Minichiello Path.

- At 4205, continue onto Ski Jump Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Murphy Path.

- At jct., turn left onto Obbatinewat Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Pipe Line.

- At 4202, turn right onto Murphy Path.

- At 4220, turn sharply right onto Pipe Line.

- Follow Pipe Line, cross Wampatuck Road, continue on Pipe Line (green).

- At 4155, turn right onto trail (listed as Crags Foot Path on FBH, not on 2020 map).

- At 4151, turn around.

- At 4155, turn right onto Pipe Line (green).

- At 4135, turn right onto Indian Camp Path (green).

- Follow green blazes all the way around clockwise.

- After 4151, turn right onto path between Crags & Rattlesnake Hill.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- Atop Sullivan's Quarry, continue right onto trail.

- At terminus, turn right onto Shawmut Path.

- At parking area, turn around.

- At terminus, turn right onto trail (green).

- Cross Wampatuck Road, continue on green.

- At terminus, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- Follow Skyline Trail back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Fox Hill, Old Furnace Brook, Sawcut Notch, Pine Tree Brook Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Fox Hill, Old Furnace Brook, Sawcut Notch, Pine Tree Brook Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 4.96 miles

Elevation: 469 feet

Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Parking: Pull-off on side of Chickatawbut Road where the Skyline crosses before climbing Wampatuck Hill.

Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills (2x)

The Hike 

The final day of April Vacation! Instead of mourning the loss my beloved or panicking about returning to school, I decided to get a nice hike in the Quincy area of the Blue Hills before Ray and I do a big spring clean of the house. I made it to the trailhead at 4134 at 8:15am already suited up. It was 47 degrees, so I had a long sleeve on with shorts, and it was cloudy and chilly. I was feeling dreadfully unmotivated, but I knew I would feel better onc emoving. The goal was to get some trails around Fox Hill and Little Dome for my Trail Trace the Blue Hills map!

I started by hiking the series of trails around the Pipe Line, which was starting to come back to life (not too quickly, though, thankfully). I then worked my way over to Fox Hill, where my puffy came off, and I was passed by a tiny yellow bird that refused to stay still for a photo. There were actually SO MANY birds around Fox Hill, but none of them would pose for photos. I almost got one robin, but it kept moving, and another Eastern Towhee (thank you, Merlin Bird ID) did it's best to smile. The trail down the north side of Fox Hill was MUCH easier to follow when there isn't snow on the ground, and it looks like it's even been brushed recently!

After Fox Hill, I continued onto the Furnace Brook Trail, which was fully of vibrant skunk cabbage. I continued again onto the Old Furnace Brook Path, following horse prints and and many Eastern Towhees working on their nests. 

I eventually made my way onto the Sawcut Notch Path, where I sadly began to run into people. There were many cardinals singing (again, thank you Merlin) as I hiked to the road and turned around to walk all the way down to Little Dome, walking through the Sawcut Notch and the weird, vibrant, rust-colored mud that simply must be an ecological hazard. 

At the corner of Sawcut Notch, there was a relatively new arrow plackard pointing where the trail turns, but I stayed right to hike towards the Pipe Line plant place - which I could soon hear through the woods. I passed the first tent catepillars of the season, and I felt a sense of dread because the non-trail stretch of the Pipe Line from the plant was VERY flooded.

I continued around the plant and hiked the Pipe Line section that's always awful, and it was... awful. Not like, god awful, but pretty bad. I made it through with only a wet toe, so I'll take that as a win! I made a wiggly return back over Fox Hill and back to the car in time for spring cleaning! I wanted to add on the reservoir, but I needed to grocery shop before cleaning, so time to be an adult!

Step-by-Step

- Park at 4134.

- Start hike on path, veering left.

- At 4131, turn right onto Crag Trail.

- At jct. with Pipe Line, turn sharply left.

- At jct., turn left.

- At terminus, turn right.

- At Pipe Line, turn right.

- At jct., turn around.

- At terminus, turn left onto Fox Hill Path.

- At Fox Hill summit, turn right onto path.

- At 4120, continue onto Furnace Brook Trail.

- At 4142, turn right onto Crags Foot Path (green).

- At 4145, turn left onto Old Furnace Brook Path.

- At 4180, turn right onto Sawcut Notch Path.

- At Skyline Trail, turn around.

- At jct. near Little Dome, continue straight/right.

- At gas plant, turn left onto Pipe Line.

- At 4094, turn left onto Pine Tree Brook Path.

- At 4084, turn left onto White Tail Path.

- At 4096, turn right onto Fox Hill Path.

- Return to car via Pipe Line and nearby trails.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Whiteface, Swett, and Piper Mountains (Belknap Range)

Whiteface, Swett, and Piper Mountains (Belknap Range)

Hike Type: H

Distance: 7.74 miles

Elevation: 1,998 feet

Time: 3 hours, 4 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Belknap Range Redliner; Belknap Range Grid

Parking: "Whiteface Trailhead" on Google Maps. Parking on side of road for a few cars at the end of Belknap Mountain Road.

 

The Hike 

After a wonderful day yesterday celebrating Linnea's birthday as a gaggle of Hannah Montanas, I was on my way home from Jay a little after 7:00am with the intention of stopping back in the Belknaps for a little more exploring! My drive was nice and easy on a bluebird morning. I was a little sleepy, a little sore, and probably a little hungover, but in great spirits! It took exactly one Hamilton soundtrack plus seven more minutes of driving to make it from Jay to the Whiteface Trailhead, which was a win! I was at the trailhead at 9:30am. It was 44 degrees and mostly sunny, and I was ready to go!

[9:35am - Start of Hike]

The hike starts at the end of Belknap Mountain Road, at a Class VI road sign. On the Belknap Range Trails map, it looks like the Class VI road goes for a while and can actually link up with Whiteface via another Class VI road or even an unmaintained trail, but I've never seen much info online about it. I walked past a home and the official trailhead is between that home and another private propery. It is WELL signed!

[9:37am - Whiteface Mountain Trail]

My favorite sign reads "Private Property. Quiet Zone. Dogs on Lead" - I assume they meant leash. The trail follows a TALL fense with "no tesspassing" and "area under video surveillance" signs and soon comes to a more official looking trailhead with an informational kiosk.

"Piper Mountain Conservation Area

This 84 acre woodland was generously donated to the Lakes Region Conservation Trust in loving memory of Bud and Doe Slusher by their daughter and son-in-law, Vicky and Chuck Brox. The trail leads to the public lands on Whiteface Mountain and to the open ledges of Piper Mountain and its trail connecting to Belknap Mountain. We hope you enjoy the well-maintained trails, spectacular views, vegetation and wildlife available here"

"Welcome

This conservation property is open to the public for low-impact activities during daylight hours. Help us protect this property: Camping, overnight use, fires, biking, and motor vehicles are not permitted. Please carry out what you carried in"

from the Trailhead Kiosk

There was also an information sheet about the Belknap 12 patch, one of my earlier patches!

A bunch of little songbirds and a morning dove sun to me while I climbed up the reasonable grade, which felt like an old road with leafy footing, with occasional blue blazes. The trail turned onto a flat spot onto another old road, continued to climb, crossed a small stream, and then continued to climb again. The forest began to change from deciduous trees to coniferous trees as the trail eased up and got slabbier, flattening out before the junction with the Piper-Whiteface Link.

[9:52am - Whiteface Mountain Trail/Piper-Whiteface Link]

I turned right to continue on the Whiteface Mountain Trail and gently descended past a trail runner into lovely, sunny, open area. The trail is joined by a snowmobile/ATV trail (I assume) here, and with that came muddy ruts and grass, but thankfully the grass was still flat from the winter (ticks are always on my mind). Thankfully, the muddy ruts were all avoidable with well-beaten side paths.

Climbing again, the trail split for a moment - I went right to follow the AllTrails map, but it would turn out that both sides rejoined just a few yards further down the trail. It looked like I might have missed a view, but I'll check that out on the way back! From here, the trail descended again, passed a few more muddy ruts, offered a tree view to piper, and started the final, super rocky climb up Whiteface Mountain. The trail split again, and I stayed right again, leading me to the summit area!

[10:10am - Whiteface Mountain Summit]

There are two summit areas on Whiteface - the lower with the MUCH better views, and the upper with obstructed views. Both are in the open and wonderfully sunny! The lower summit was occupied by a group of four women having a wonderful time (we exchanged quick "hellos") as I passed on to the higher summit area, which had a few views towards low-lying hills and through the trees to Piper. It looked like the ATV trail continued down the far side of the mountain, while a slightly beaten footpath descends the back side.

Back at the lower s ummit, there was a stunning view out to Moosilauke, which had just a coating of snow left on its open summit. Franconia Ridge was on the right, with the Sandwich Range poking out just before the shoulder of Piper/Belknap. It was especially fun to see the 4000-Footer Whiteface from this Whiteface! And of course there was a lovely view to Piper ahead. The women asked me if I was doing "the three" today, and I paused, not sure which three until they said "Swett and Piper?," to which I said "yes!" They said "well we'll see you again!"

[10:15am - Whiteface Mountain Trail]

Now heading towards Piper Mountain, I took the other half of both splits. The higher one was just a rocky, gravelley trail, and the second had a slightly obstructed view towards the Sandwich Range. I noticed one of the muddy ruts had gelatenous frog eggs bobbing about, but it also looked like they might dry up soon. I made it to the low point and climbed up, past the nice open area and some older "PIPER FOOT TRAIL" and "NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES" signs to the Piper-Whiteface Link, with LRCT signs welcoming hikers to their land (I wonder whose land I was just on?).

[10:30am - Piper-Whiteface Link]

I crossed paths with a few other hikers as I started my journey up Piper, which started in relatively flat, open woods. The sun felt just wonderful. The trail was now a footpath instead of an old road, which was also a nice change. I crossed a few markers for the "Town of Gilford Conservation Area - No Motorized Vehicles" and began to climb!

The climb up Piper is mostly slabby with a few thigh-steep stretches. Thankfully, the slabs were super dry and had wonderful grip. The forest gradually began to change over to conifers and it became shadier and cooler, but now that I was huffing and puffing, the change was welcomed!

There were views opening up behind me as I slogged up, but I was going to save them for my return trip. I crossed paths with a couple and their three insane dogs that they might have been trying to train? hard to tell. The trail continued to get prettier and prettier, and soon enough I was at the junction with the real target for today - the Vista Trail! I decided to do this before summiting Piper just in case I ran out of gas. Onward! 

[10:45am - Vista Trail]

I had a vauge memory of exploring the upper part of the Vista Trail at some point in the past becuase it sure looked familiar, but if I did I didn't go far. The trail starts mostly in the open with cairns and blazes on rocks marking the trail - it felt much less traveled. I caught up to and passed a friendly couple as I easily descended along the open slabs with occasional wooded patches in between - it was really quite lovely! There was a final longer (still short) wooded stretch before the trail really staretd to descend down the shoulder.

From the top of the shoulder, there were some wonderful views to nearby ponds and the interior Belknaps and the views continued to reveal Belknap Mountain as well. The trail descended steeply on slabs (thankfully with dry, good grip) before reentering the woods and descending even steeper on dirt, soon entering land owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. 

The footpath had pretty leafy footing and I managed to roll my ankle pretty hard (thankfully I have strong ankles, becuase if I didn't this roll would have been a PROBLEM). I noticed some older dark green blazes, too? (UPDATE FROM THE FUTURE: This stretch of trail used to be the "Swett Mountain Trail" and blazed green according to old maps).

The descent momentarily mellowed in an open area with tree views before STEEPLY descending again, scrambling down a rock pile before hitting the long, flat col betweel Piper and Swett. I passed what looked like an exploded bird (with some yellow feather, Seek said it was from a northern flicker). I meandered for a bit, passing an unmapped, unblazed trail on the right that descended off the ridge, and later entered the Sweet Mountain Conservation Area. A sign read:
"PRIVATE PROPERTY. Welcome to the Swett Mountain Conservation Area. Access for day trips has been made available to the public by the owners. Please treat the property with care and respect. Pedestrian Access Only - Hikers Welcome. No vehicles allowed. Discharge of firearms by permission only. NO CAMPING. NO FIRES. Please help keep this land open to the public. Report any violations to Charlie Mitchell, PO Box 11, Gilmanton NH 03237 - 603-581-2696."

Following the sign, I rambled along the ridge a bit longer and then hit the final push, which really wasn't much of a push. There were rocky slabs bordered with moss - it was super pretty! There was an obstructed view to what I think was Suncook Mountain and Belknap Mountain from a different angle.

[11:20am - Swett Mountain Summit]

The trail continued up, past what might have been a summit cairn? (no signs or anything else to indicate the high point, but it sure looked it!). The trail continued past to another area with views south towards Pack Monadnock, I believe. I took a few photos here, but had a quick turn around to continue my journey!

The best part of the return trip was simply that I was hiking away from the sun instead of into the sun - for both my eyes and my photos. The flat part of the return went very quickly and I was feeling the BURN on the scramble! Thankfully, the trail mellowed out after the scramble, providing some relief. I continued my climb, exiting the SPNHF land steeply and eventually hitting the lovely stretch that was similar to the Pumpelly Trail on Monadnock. I passed the same duo from before, now on their return trip, and just after I ran into the quartet of women from Whiteface! We exchanged "hello agains!" and moved along. I also crossed paths with two dirt bikes? It sure felt like they shouldn't have been there, but maybe I was being judgemental...?

Regardless, the rest of the return trip was an absolute delight, and I was even more thrilled to make it back to the Piper-Whiteface Link!

[11:59am - Piper-Whiteface Link]

I turned right to hike towards Piper's North summit, never knowing if that or the south one is the actual high point. I crossed paths with a trail runner as I enjoyed the views towards the lake and Belknap Mountain. I loved how pretty this stretch was and also how not difficult it was!

[12:06pm - Piper-Whiteface Link/Piper Mountain Trail]

I booped the top of Piper's North Summit, and started my return trip! I passed the same duo from before for a third time, they comically said "didn't we JUST see you?" - yes, I'm just crazy!

[12:14pm - Piper-Whiteface Link/Vista Trail]

I passed the junction for the Vista Trail and started to descend on the scenic slabs with wonderful grip. Apparently, I didn't spend time getting many photos of the views, but I sure did enjoy them! The last bit of slabs were slightly covered in pine needles, but they were completely fine in terms of grip. The trail left the Town of Gilford Conservation Area, mellowed out, and then came to the junction with the Whiteface Mountain Trail!

[12:25pm - Whiteface Mountain Trail]

I hit the 7-mile mark right when I got to the Whiteface Mountain Trail junction - I was HUNGRY. I zoned out for a bit and blasted off on my descent, only blacking back in to see a collapsed shed of sorts in the woods maybe 100 yards before the trail kiosk? I didn't remember seeing it before when I visited in 2022, but according to my photos it's been like that since! I again giggled at the "dogs on lead" and was soon abck at the Class VI Road!

[12:37pm - Class VI Road]

[12:39pm - End of Hike]

The road walk was short and sweet and I made it back to my car feeling great! There were five cars total now (two that were there before, mine, and two new ones). I did a quick change into dry clothes, and I was on my way home! I made it a goal to get at least two new Belknap trails in 2026, and I accomplished both this weekend - yay!

Step-by-Step

- Walk along Class VI section of Belknap Mountain Road.

- Turn left onto blue-blazed Whiteface Mountain Trail.

- At summit, turn around.

- At jct., continue straight/right onto light-green blazed Piper-Whiteface Link.

- At jct., turn right onto yellow-blazed Vista Trail.

- At Swett Mountain/terminus, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Piper-Whiteface Link.

- At North Piper Mountain, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto blue-blazed Whiteface Mountain Trail.

Belknap Range Map (2023)

Photo Album