A Saturday Jaunt Around the Three Ponds Loop
It was going to be a beautiful day and I did not want to waste it. I also did not want to see big crowds like I did on Mt. Willard. I had been meaning to check out the Three Ponds Shelter up in Rumney, NH for a while. So I set out to do the Three Ponds Loop.
Because this was not a real far drive I decided to leave a little later that usual. When I got to the trailhead there was still lots of room to park.
| Date: | 11-29-2020 |
| Location: | Rumney, NH |
| Distance: | 5.7 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 502′ |
| Total Time: | 3 hr 38 min |
| Parking: | 10+ cars |
| Difficultly Rating: | Easy |
The trail is a loop hike and I decided to do this trail counter clockwise. I would start on the Three Ponds trail and turn right on to the Mt. Keno trail and then take the Donkey Hill Cutoff Trail back to the Three Ponds Trail to complete the loop.
The Mt. Keno trial was just a couple of hundred yards from the parking lot. This trail traverses the side of the mountain with little elevation gain. Lots of slippery rock, roots and leaves so careful stepping is a must.
The trail comes to Brown Brook and follows this cascading brook for a while. There are a few sections with waterfalls and many stream crossings. Most of the crossings were easy but one up at the top of the falls was a little tricky.
At the Donkey Hill Cutoff junction there is a large bridge that crosses the river. I continued down the Donkey Cutoff. This part of the the trail winds around some marshy areas before it gets to the Three Ponds Trail.
The Three Ponds Trail offered great views of Carr Mountain and the ponds. The sky was really a bright blue and it was just a perfect day.
I came to the shelter junction and went up to check it out. This is the first 3 bay shelter I have ever seen. Looks like it could hold about 15-20 people. It also had a fire pit and fires were allowed.
I made my self a cup of coffee and hung out for a bit. Once I was done I put my pack on and continued down the trail. This trail also had a lot of cascading books and water falls. Over all this was a very pretty hike. I’m glad the water levels were up.
The last section of the trail was more of a muddy road than a trail. I was glad I choose to go up up the Mt. Keno trail and down Three Ponds Trail. I hope to return again sometime with my camera to take some night shots of the stars over the ponds.
