Wapack Trail: Turnpike Road to Stony Top (Windblown Property, Wapack Wilderness)

Wapack Trail: Turnpike Road to Stony Top (Windblown Property, Wapack Wilderness)

Hike Type: Out-and-Back

Distance: 8.18 miles

Elevation: 1,667 feet

Time: 3 hours, 27 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge, Wapack Trail, Freinds of the Wapack

The Hike

Oh boy. The grand finale of the Wapack Trail. I was NOT feeling great! The Eurovision watch party last night turned into going to a local watering hole for karaoke, and something happened where I may have overindulged... Oops! I do have a strong stance that, as an adult 28 year old with a fully-developed pre-frontal cortex, a hangover is not a good enough reason to cancel on plans, even if the plans are with myself... I did delay my wakeup from 5am to 7am, though. I dragged my body out of bed, chugged water and ibuprofen, and started an aggessively unpleasant drive to southern New Hampshire.

I made it to the trailhead at 8:40am - it was 48-degrees and cloudy, but the cool, fresh air truly felt fantastic in my state of active decay. The parking lot was empty and the trees up here were still in their early springtime green, with the mountains still in full stick season. I slowly got everything put on my body, questioned my will to live, and crossed the road to start my journey!

The trail starts past the Windblown Camping area - which I guess used to be a cross-country ski center, but now is just for camping? I'm not entirely sure, and I haven't been able to find too much info online (I also have not looked too hard). The trail was well-signed, and it continues from the dirt driveway to the ski center onto another dirt road (rutted), past an... interesting building, shimmies past some giant military-grade vehicle, and then into a power cut with... power cut views. There were MANY roosters screaming in all directions, which I think was the universe getting a kick out of my failing health.

The trail/road/xc ski trail continues on the other side of the power cut, descends to a few muddier spots, and then passes a dammed pond. There was a small uphill after the pond that had me immediately gassed, which really emphasized the possible demise of my entire existence for when the actual climb would begin.

The Wapack Trial comes close to some homes, through the power cut again, and then through a sloppy logging area. Eventually, the trail turned off the main road/xc trail and began to climb, and to put it lightly, I was a MESS. The trail turned from lovely road bed to rocky and rooty with baby ferns on either side. There were some very obstructed views a bit higher up when the trail came close to another xc ski trail, and soon turned left into a conifer forest. 

I found myself wishing it would be a bit cooler out as I was fully sweating out my sins. The only relief came when I turned off-trail to do some snooping at the Mountain Top Shelter (which I think I was not supposed to do... sorry!). There was a lovely view, lovely shelter, and a only slightly sketchy privy. 

Back on the Wapack Trail, I took another spur to an overgrown view (I think along a cross-country ski trail), and continued my hike, which was much easier now. I noticed some Adirondack chairs off in the middle of the woods - curious if they were a part of Windblown or some fun locals? Maybe aliens.

The woods were absolutely lovely at the Barrett Mountain summit plateau, marked by two cairns ~100 feet apart. After the second, the trail began to descend to the col with New Ipswich Mountain. The trail descends a little more than I was ready for, but I was starting to feel a little more like a human, which was a nice change of pace. The trail became ledgier with a seasonal view of New Ipswich Mountain, which I tried to avoid making eye contact with out of self-preservation.

The sun was trying to shine in the wet col and then my next climb began. Thankfully, this was not as brutal as the previous. There were some ledgy areas with very obstructed tree views - I was able to catch a climpse of Pack Monadnock, which was fun. My lower G.I. tract was starting to act up, which was terrifying considering how far from the privy I was. 

Eventually the trail came to a ledge with a fantastic view of Mt. Monadnock, but the bugs were beginning to wake up, so I kept it moving. The summit area was open and ledgy, but viewless, and the bugs were ACTIVE. I passed a nice summit sign and then began my descent, which offered a nice view of Pratt Mountain. 

In the col, there was a sign for the Pratt Pond Trail with an orange blaze, but there wasn't really any discernable foot path. I also can't find any info about it online, which is interesting? The guidebook says its a private trail, but why sign and blaze it without posting? Curious.

There were a few nice views on the way up to Stony Top, to stay consitent, they were pretty buggy so I didn't stick around. Soon after I was up on Stony Top, and officially completed the Wapack Trail - yay! There were bumblebees pollinating the blueberry bushes as I called my mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day (I refused to do this earlier because she would absolutely have known how broken I was). Unfortunately, I wasn't really able to sit to enjoy the break/view because of the bugs. I paced back and forth while I enjoyed my cold Cumberland Farms breakfast sandwich, and soon enough was back to hiking on my return trip.

I kept it moving at this point, even while my body was back to actively shutting down as I climbed up New Ipswich. My tummy was MAD after food and liquid, and I fully inhaled a bug. I wonder if they feel fear?

I was grateful that my inner monologue was all Eurovision songs and thinking of how to improve the water party for next year - it's imporatnt to have something to think about when fighting for your life. I re-summitted New Ipswich and noticed some hip pain descending into the col with Barrett, which unfortunately never subsided.

I did have the pleasure of seeing my first Trillium of the season near the summit of Barrett, who's natural beauty was in stark contrast to my digsuting body. 

I passed some more Trillium on my final descent, took some photos with my sausage fingers, and meandered my way all the way back to the car. The wires over the power cut were buzzing, which was unsettling, and there were people working at Windblown, which was fine. I made it back to the car, got some greasy food at Cumbies, and made it home in good time. I got right into bed, and slept for over twelve hours straight. Here's to health! (Note from the future: my hip pain lasted intensely for a few days, and is feeling better almost a week later. I'm guessing it was from hiking with a VERY inflamed body with minimal stops). 

Step-By-Step

- Start hike at Wapack Trail parking on NH-123/124 (Turnpike Road).

- Cross road, ascend dirt driveway, and follow signs for Wapack Trail.

- At Stony Top, turn around and retrace steps.

"Wapack Trail" from Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, 5th Ed. (2021)

Section II. Pratt Mtn. to Barrett Mtn. This section of Wapack Trail runs from Binney Hill Rd. to the entrance of Windblown Ski Touring Center on NH 123/124. It traverses a ridge nearly 3 mi. long, with four summits and numerous outlooks. [...].

        [...] and then ascends slightly to the partly open summit of Stony Top (1,765 ft.) at 5.6 mi. On the summit ledge, there is a view west, and up to the left of the trail, plaques mark the 1,400-acre Wapack Wilderness, conserved by the Northeast Wilderness Trust and Hampshire Country School. In another 125 yd. the trail swings right on a ledge with a fine view of Mt. Monadnock. Then it bears left past a side path leading 30 yd. left ot a ledgy area with wide views west and north.

        Wapack Trail now drops over ledges to a col, where it passes private Pratt Pond Trail on the right and then ascends over ledges with a view back to Stony Top and Pratt Mtn. It continues up through woods, turns right through a stone wall, and then turns left, reaching the partly open but viewless summit of New Ipswich Mtn. (1,881 ft.) at 6.1 mi. It descends easily across viewless ledges and through woods and at 6.5 mi. passes a ledge 25 yd. to the left with a view west - the last open viewpoint in this section.

        The trail descends with a glimpse ahead to Temple Mtn. and Pack Monadnock, bears left at a fork where an ATV trail diverges right, and at 6.9 mi. reaches the deep saddle between New Ipswich and Barrett mtns. Here, the trail crosses Boston Rd. Built in 1753, it is one of the oldest roads from Massachusetts to the hill towns. The trail climbs over a knob and then ascends to the wooded summit of Barrett Mtn. (1,847 ft.) at 7.5 mi. It runs at easy grades through a beautiful spruce forest and at 7.8 mi. enters Windblown Ski Touring Center. Visitors must purchase a trail pass during winter when the ski area is open; it is closed during spring mud season.

        Here, Wapack Trail bears left at a fork (the right fork leads to a shelter and cross-country ski trails) and descends steadily, passing through semi-open woods carpeted with ferns. It bears left at a junction with a trail to another shelter, and at 8.2 mi. it turns left onto Back Forty ski trail. The grade soon eases as Wapack Trail continues on the ski trail, passing several other ski trails that diverge to the right. Hiking is permitted only on the ski and snowshoe trails followed by Wapack Trail; the route is clearly marked with signs and yellow triangles. At 8.5 mi. Wapack Trail angles to the right across a power-line clearing and bears left at another junction.

        Now following Stagecoach Rd. ski trail, the route crosses a low point over a brook and ascends gradually. It travels under the power line again at 9.2 mi., soon merges left onto a gravel road, passes to the left of the Windblown lodge, and descends on the gravel driveway to the Windblown entrance on NH 123/124 at 9.5 mi. Wapack Trail turns right and follows the south shoulder of NH 123/124 0.1 mi to Wapack Rd. on the right. Trailhead parking is available in a new parking area (sign: "Wapack Parking") across the highway from the entrance to Windblown  (the former roadside parking area has now been posted no parking and hikers are not permitted to park on Windblown property). From this new parking area, a new connector trail, Wapack Link, ascends easily for 0.3 mi. to meet Wapack Trial. At Wapack Rd. the trail crosses NH 123/124; use caution on this busy road.

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