My buddy, Jay and I decided to take a first day hike up crutched mountain. We decided we would go up the Bennington Trail. I had never been on this trail before and it is one of the lesser traveled trails.
The sign at the small parking area
When we got to the trailhead, there was room for about two maybe three cars to park.when we arrived The lot was empty.
Lots of stone walls along the trail.
The weather was pretty clear, but temps were in the low 20s . So it was chilly. We started up the trail, which is mostly leaf covered at this point..
Funny moss dude along the trail
As we continue to walk, the trail got a little steeper, but was still very moderate most of the way. This first section of trail is about a mile long that leads you to a junction. We could go left toward the ski resort or right toward the summit.
Cool trail markings in some spots
At this point, we decided to make our way over towards the top of the ski area first. Along the way, we saw some funny little faces in the moss along the side of the trail. Lots of little “Easter eggs” to be found along this trail.
Once we made it over to the top of the ski area, we finally got to see some snow . we met up with some friends my buddy Jay knew and talked with them for a bit.
Old tower footing
After a while we made our way back to the trail junction. Once we got there, we decided to continue to the summit of crotched mountain. . We arrived at the summit after a short quarter mile or so. While we were there we took advantage of some of the warm sunlight, and had a snack and took a few pictures by the tower.
Views from the overlook
After a snack, we went and checked out a few views around us. There is a lookout not far from the tower with some awesome views and picnic table to enjoy lunch on.
From here we made our way down the Shannon Trail. The trail descends from the lookout, pretty steeply, and let us back down towards the Bennington Trail junction. From here we continued back the way we came all the way back to the vehicle .
More views
This was a great first day hike for 2024. The trail was not very long, and the only people we saw pretty much were our friends who had gone up the trail after talking with them. They mentioned that they hike the trail often, and they hardly ever see anybody on it.
I had the day to myself so I decided to take my Fisher S-bounds out and head up north. I’ve been wanting to do the trails off Zealand Road.
The trail starts out along route 302
I’ve wanted to ski the Flat Iron Trail off of Zeeland Road or sometime now. It looks like an easier trail for a beginner skier like myself. As I headed up north, I noticed more snow on the ground which was very exciting.
Parking is located about a quarter mile past Zealand Road. It’s a large multipurpose parking lot. It is popular with snowmobilers as well.
The Sign at the Flat Iron Trailhead.
After parked I got my boots and gloves on and my pack ready, I grabbed my skis and crossed the road. I put my skis on and started along the trail by the road.
After about a quarter mile I got to Zealand Road and crossed over the bridge. It was a small climb up to the Flat Iron trailhead.
View of the Sugarloafs along the trail
The trail was pretty much untouched, perhaps one snowshoer earlier in the day or day before. Aside from him, and a number of small critters I was the first to break a track for the skis.
The trail is a one-way, and the split is shortly after the start. I followed the directions and turned left. This took me out into a large field with great views of the Sugarloafs. I continued on until the trail took a right and starts to follow a stream.
More Great Views along the river
I traveled along the stream for a while. There were lots of conifers, and all the trees had snow on them. Very pretty. However, the snow on the trail was a bit thin underneath all the evergreens. Fortunately, it was still skiable though. Caution had to be taken on some down hills to not hit rocks or roots that might be popping through.
After a while I came upon another opening with some great views, and soon after that there was a small bridge, and the trail started to climb up a ridge. This must be the Flatiron section of the trail.
Lots of snow in the trees. Could use a little more on the ground.
At this point, the trail got a little steeper, and I had to herringbone up the trail. This is a thin ridge with steep drops on both sides. It was a very cool trail to follow on the skis.
After a bit more climbing, I finally reached the Highpoint of the trail. There was a bench and a look out with views of Hale and the Sugarloafs.
Some areas had very thin coverage but still skiable.
After that there’s a long gradual downhill that was fun to ride. Shortly after that there was another bench and look out area. A bit more gliding, stopping and more gliding I made it back to the loop and soon back on Zealand Road.
About 20 feet past the Flatiron trailhead was the trailhead for Spruce goose. This trail goes all the way up to the Zealand trail. Which means it was a little over 3 miles out. I was just planning on doing the lower section to the campground.
Harring boning up the steeper areas of the Flat Iron Trail.
This trail is much more technical than the one I was on previously. I’m glad I was climbing up and not skiing down. The trail started out with some small ups and downs. It was kind of fun actually. About half way through It started to climb a little bit more.
There were also a couple of steep glides down and steep herring bones back up, but for the most part not too bad, and the trail was fully covered.
Bench along the trail with a nice view.The View
Toward the end of the trail as I near the campground, there was a small area that was steep and eroded so I decided to take my skis off and walk down this.
The trail was still a little thin and sketchy with some logs covered with snow. So I continue to hike with my skis off. From here, the trail started to ascend pretty steeply, so I knew I would not be putting my skis on for this part either. At the top of the steep section, I arrived at the campground and the end of this section of the trail.
This is the point where I had to take my skis off.
The roads to the campground had not been touched and were pristine for skiing on. This was by far the best section of the day. I wish I had time to ski the rest of the campgrounds that would’ve been fun.
When I got back to Zeeland Road it is mostly downhill from here. The first hundred yards or so was pretty flat and then things started to dip down. There were lots of tracks, both ski and hikers. And the snow was still pretty fluffy with a nice crust layer at the bottom.
Pristine conditions inside Sugarloaf Campground
My strides turned in to glides and I soon found my self snowplowing a bit as I picked up a little speed. At one point, I hit a rock underneath the snow that stopped my skis dead in my tracks and threw me to the ground. Just a scrape knee fortunately.
After that, I kept a nice mellow snowplow down the rest of the road. The last little dip down towards the bridge was pretty fun as well. From here just a quick mile back to the car.
Zealand Road conditions were pretty good.
Flat iron Trail was a lot of fun these actually both trails were a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to this area getting some more snow and I think it’ll be a real good time. Perfect for a beginner like me.
A few weeks ago, I hiked up Parker Mountain in Strafford, NH. While I was there, I was also looking for the site of an old plane crash back in 1943. But daylight was running short so I decided to come back another day.
So after a bit more research and consulting some friends, I realized I was looking on the wrong side of the mountain for the plane crash.
At the opening of the mica mine on Parker Mountain.
Snow is predicted in the next few days and I wanted to visit these sites before they are covered up for winter. Today I decided to go out and find the mine and the crash site. Thankfully, this time my intel was spot on for both.
I started at the Spencer-Smith trail junction on 126. I decided to explore the mine first. From the trail head I had to walk down the road about 200 feet and then go over the guardrail. It looks like a water drainage but it is in-fact a trail and maybe even considered a road.
Moss covered walls line the inside of the mine
I followed this down a way and soon the trail takes a sharp left and goes over a stone wall. I continued on. The trail soon takes a turn to the right. It is pretty muddy in some areas. I dropped a little in elevation but was soon at the top of the mine.
As I walked around the rim of the mine, I noticed a lot of dug holes and mica everywhere. It was pretty cool.
Old artifact stuck into the rocky sides of the mine
I climbed down to the opening of the mine. This mine is not a shaft or a hole, instead it is just cut into the side of the mountain. Temperatures are in the mid 30’s but in the mine, there was ice and it was falling to the ground. So, I did not go in to deep.
After a few pictures I headed back up to the trail head where I parked. From here I continued on up the trail. Went over the bog bridge and past the kiosk and up the trail to about 1000’ in elevation.
Some of the terrain while bushwacking.
From here I figured I would bushwhack away from the trail. I tried to say at that elevation but the terrain is rocky and cliffy in some spots. So lots of ups and downs. I finally reached a look out near the near where my direction said the site was. After a bit of looking, I spotted two large pieces of metal and some survey flags. This was the spot.
I worked my way down from the look out and made my way to the crash site. I was thinking about the small twin engine plane that went down in 1943. I’m looking at the same metal that w as in that crash that killed all three on board.
Piece of the plane that crashed into the side of the mountain and killed all three people on board.
It was kind of a sad feeling standing there. I looked around and wondered if any of the trees that were involved in the crash were still there. I walked around the wreckage and took some photos of the metal that was left.
There were two large pieces of metal. I heard there might be three there but I didn’t see any others.
It seems like people approach this site in different ways. I came to from the main trail and tried to follow the elevation of the crash site until I could see it.
Leftover metal from the twin engine plane crash back in 1943
Others seem to think it is easier to come from the trail below the site. Many seem to come right down from the top and they all say that is not the best way due to the cliffs and steepness.
I took a slight detour on my way back to the trail. The terrain looked a little easier but I soon found myself in a boulder field covered in leaves. This made it very hard to tell if I was stepping on something solid or into an ankle twisting hole.
Wreckage from the 1943 plane crash
This section was very slow going but I eventually made it back to the trail where I started the bushwhack. By this time the sun had come out and many of the clouds had gone away.
From here I made my way back down the trail. Soon I was back at my car and ready to head home. The whole trip was not long or far. But I felt that it was extremely interesting.
This tree is pretty gnarly. I wonder if it was wounded in the crash?
It was an early morning rise on Thanksgiving morning. Liberty and I had planned to meet my friends Katelyn and her dog Katoolha at the Whiteface trail head at 7am.
The temps were in the low to mid 30s and there were some clouds that covered most of the mountain tops as we drove by.
Liberty checking out the fallen old house.
Liberty and I arrived first. There is room for about 5-7 cars depending on how people park. My friends were just a few minutes behind, and we were on the trail by 7:30am.
There was some snow that feel the day before, so the trail was mostly a layer of leaves covered in a layer of snow. For the most part traction was fine without microspikes.
The sign at the Whiteface/Piper split
After a short while we passed the kiosk and soon passed an old collapsed house with some witch legs coming out from underneath. We continued on, the trail became a bit more rooty.
Libery and I on Whiteface
Soon we were at the trail junction for Whiteface Mountain. It was cool to see the junction signs all covered with lichen.
View of Piper mountain
From here there is a pretty level section with some soggy sections of trails we had to walk around. Of course, Liberty had to run right through the ice and slush.
We reached the first of two short steep(er) sections of trail. This lead to a small meadow. After a few more wet areas we reached the final steep section. This lead to the first and best view point of the trip.
Heading down the mountain
A short distance away is the true summit. The summit is open but surrounded by trees that would obstruct views. Fortunately, all the leaves were off the trees so some views were available. After a few pictures we headed back to the first view.
Here we took in a few more views of the mountains. The summits were now clear of all the clouds and we the tower on Belknap Mountain behind Piper. We continued on down the mountain.
Views out to the west
A few section on the open rock were a bit icy but we were able to avoid and walk around these areas. Further along we meet another group with a pup on their way up.
Soon we were back at the trail junction. With the Piper trail. From here the rest of the walk down went quick. I could tell toward the end Liberty was getting tired and was talking some breaks.
Some witch legs under the house
We got back to the collapsed house and took some pictures of the legs, shoes and the witches broom. Soon after that we were at the kiosk and then back at the cars. This was a perfect hike to tire Liberty out before Thanksgiving. Grateful for times like these with friends and family.
Steph, Liberty, and I had an opportunity to stay at a friend’s cottage, Sunset on Mirror Lake in Whitefield, NH. The cottage was cute and very comfortable. Perfect for a quick weekend getaway. I had brought my Nikon Camera with me in hopes of getting some nighttime shots with stars and the lake.
Star trails over Mirror Lake in Whitefield, NH. 45 Minutes Exposure.
We arrived late on Friday evening and the weather was damp and rainy. So no night photography that night. We were both tired anyway.
Same view of Mirror Lake. 30 second exposure.
The next morning, I went for a short hike up to an old, abandoned gold mine. Then later that afternoon we all took a ride exploring some other possible hiking locations for future dates. It is also fun just to take a ride.
While we were out, we ordered some pizza from a local restaurant and headed back to the cottage. By know the clouds were starting to clear and some early stars were starting to peak through.
Seats under the stars.
After we ate, I decided to go check out the sky and most of the clouds had disappeared. So I came back in and started to set up my camera for some pics.
Once everything was ready, I headed out for a few test shots. They all came out well. I took a few 20-20 second shots. They are also same out well. Then I set the camera up for a longer exposure. I wanted to catch some star trails, so this shot was about 45 minutes.
Silhouettes of trees under the stars.
I went inside while this shot was “cooking”. When I came out 45 minutes later, I had a great star trail shot. I continued to take some more 30 sec shots around the property and before calling it a night.
A few flakes falling on the lake.
Overall, it was about 3 hours of shooting. The sky gods were with me that night. It was only clear for a few hours while I was out there then the clouds came back in to bring us some snow flurries.
The entrance to the gold mine at the end of the trail.
Date:
11-18-2023
Location:
Whitefield, NH
Distance:
2.53 mi
Elevation Gain:
206′
Total Time:
1 hr 13 min
Parking:
3-4 cars
We were staying up in Whitefield, NH for the weekend. So I decided to look for a short fun hike in the area. Some options were going to be various trails at Pondicherry Wildlife Preserve. Or may be some rail trails in the area. But I decided to check out a short trail that lead to an old abandoned Gold Mine.
Smell of Pine Tree is in the air.
This trail was about a 10-minute ride from where we are staying. It is in the Dana Forest in Whitefield, NH. When I got the trailhead, I noticed a large truck parked diagonally and taking up most of the spots. Typically, this trail head could hold 3-4 cars but today it could barely fit me and that poorly parked truck.
Once I finally parked, I grabbed my stuff and headed out. It was overcast out and a bit chilly. I was glad to have a long sleeve, vest, hat and gloves today. It looked like it was only about a mile out to the mine site. I decided that on the way back I would make a small loop over an old dirt road to get back.
Trail sign along the way
The trail starts out nice and wide. Wide enough for an ATV but there are no trail bikes or machines allowed on this trail. I stated walking through a forest of small and tall pines. The smell from the pine trees was fantastic!!!
I continued for a bit. Many of the sections of trail are all moss covered and with the gray cloudy sky the green moss really stood out on the whole trip. After a short time, I reached the trail I would be looping back from and not long after that I reached the Junction to the main Gold Mine Trail.
Entrance to the abandoned gold mine.
This last section that leads to the mine was also pretty. It does decent a bit and I had to be careful to watch for wet leaves, rocks, and roots. After traveling for a little ways, I noticed the trail took a sharp right hand turn toward a large out crop of rocks and cliffs.
Inside the mine. The shaft goes down about a 100′ but is now filled with debris and water.
When I arrived there, I could clearly see the mine. You can see where the digging goes straight into the cliff. The mine is filled with water now and it is a bright teal due to all the minerals.
Teal water inside the mine from all the minerals.
According to the New Hampshire Forest Society, the gold mine was operated by the Whitefield Mining Company from about 1880-1885. The mine goes down about 100 feet but has been filled with rock and water over the years. The mine was abandoned due to the fact it was deemed unprofitable.
End of the trail sign.
After several pictures around the entrance to the mine I started to make my way back to the main trail. When I reached the main trail, I headed up to Upper Ox Team Road. When I reached the end of the forest property there was a gate noting that the trail ends, and the road begins.
I keep walking and passed a cool multi-sided house on the hill by the road. Shortly after that I found the trailhead to the West Side Trail that would loop me back to the trail I started on.
Moss along the trail.
This trail was also very interesting and mossy. Lots of stops for pictures again here. When I reached the original trail, I was again remined how good all the pine trees smelled again. A few more pics on the way back and before I knew it I was back at the car.
Lots of green along the trail
This was a fun short and quick hike. The trail is mostly flat and easy for all levels. It was a little muddy in some spots so be sure to wear boots if you venture out to this spot.
