Oliverian-Downs Brook XC Ski
| Date: | 1-5-2025 |
| Location: | Benton, NH |
| Distance: | 3.7 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 173′ |
| Total Time: | 2 hr 9 min |
| Parking: | 7-8 cars |
It was a bit of a drive over the Kancamagus Highway to the trail head, but it was worth it. I was glad to see when I arrived there was snow covering the ground under the trees. The whole ride up much of the ground was bare.
There were a few other cars in the lot and it was icy. There was room for only 7-8 cars. Temps were in the low 20’s. There were some clouds, but still the sun seemed to shine through.
Once I got all my gear on, I headed to the trail. The snow was about 6-8 inches deep. It was hard packed snow. It was also going to be very fast. The trail was packed out with a ski track and a snowshoe track. It was also pretty nice to ski where there was no track.
I got to the split of the ski trail. I choose to go up the Eastside loop first and went clockwise following the Oliverian Brook Trail. At this point the trail is mostly flat and easy to navigate. A few spots I had to take off skis to go over some icy spots on the trail. Again, it is fast and better safe than sorry.
A little further up the ski trail breaks right. There is still a faint ski track. It looked like someone had been out earlier that day. But other than that, it seems not many people use this trail.
Further up there is a steep section I had to take my skis off for and hike up. From here it is a steady climb up to the high point. This section is definably more of a blue/black section.
When I reached the top of the trail there was a junction and a fire road. The fire road had not been tracked at all going up. It continued down to the main trail at the bottom. This was a fun ski and a long run.
At the bottom I started to make my way over to the Downs Brook Trailhead. This is a nice tree lined trail. After about a half mile or so it opens up to a wide marshy area. There are nice views of Hedgehog Mountain.
When I got a bit further out there the track disappeared. It looked like the trail went over the ice. It all looked a bit sketchy to cross. After being able to poke my pole through the ice, I decided to turn around. It was cold and I didn’t wat to get wet.
I skied back the way I came. Shortly after passing the trail I just came down, I saw a wallet in the snow. Not far after that was a set of keys and a glove. I picked them up of the trail.
When I got back to the trailhead none of the cars matched the car key. There is no cell service out there. So I drove everything into Conway and dropped it off at the police station. The gentleman was able to retrieve them and was very thankful.
As for these trails. I really want to come back after we get some more snow. I also want to make it over to the Downs Brook section. It is always a good time exploring these forest trails on the skis.
