Monadnock Sunapee Greenway - Lucia's Lookout

 Today was forecast to be picture perfect, and it was. Absolutely ideal hiking weather. Laura and I headed out for a roughly 9 mile out and back on the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway. Having done the summit to Mt Sunapee via Solitude Trail previously and needing Andrew Brook Trail for redlining, I decided to access the Greenway from this access point. We headed out early thinking the small parking area for Andrew Brook Trail would be busy and were surprised to find no other cars there when we arrived.. however in the 15 minutes it took us to gear up, the lot filled up, so we timed it just right. The air was crisp and thankfully most of the day was bug free which was a blessing. Andrew Brook Trail is 2 miles up to Lake Solitude from Mountain Road in Newbury. It is pretty steep, and really rather rocky. The trail was still wet and muddy from all the previous rains (including the day before) which slowed us down as we made sure our footing was good with each step. Not long after the climb begins there were some beautiful cascades on actual Andrew Brook, and we crossed it at least 5 or 6 times during the ascent. None of the crossings were a problem for us today. The biggest issue was mud, which we were able to skooch around with care. We reached Lake Solitude and had a snack break. I was surprised to see a wooden cross in a tree alongside the water. As well as an old firepit directly next to a sign saying "No Fires". Humans! Following the trail around the lake, we met up with the intersection of Solitude Trail and the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway and continued onto the Greenway. The trail follows right alongside the lake, and was much more technical than I imagined, but very beautiful. Once the trail leaves the lake and begins across the ridge towards Lucia's Lookout, I had imagined it would be like the terrain I experienced coming in from Pillsbury State Park.. a lovely rolling moderate ridge walk through pine forest.. while there was some of that, it was also nothing like what I expected. It was up and down and up and down... and up and down.. you get the idea. It started with an incredibly mossy wonderland which gave way to open slab with some amazing views before becoming more of a "bushwalk" (as I called it growing up in Australia). While the ups and downs were not long, they were steep and technical. Some of the rock was mossy and wet which made it very slippery. There was a lot of mud in between and wet roots. Just a lot of obstacles that really slowed us down and honestly, exhausted us completely. It reminded me of Pumpelly Trail on Mt Monadnock. It also felt like it was neverending! After just over 5 miles, we reached Lucia's Lookout and had some lunch. The thought of having to return back over all those ups and downs was something we couldn't really fathom, especially the steep descent on Andrew Book Trail on what would surely be very fatigued legs. I knew if we continued towards Pillsbury State Park we could make a much easier descent on mostly snowmobile trails. I called my husband who had been playing golf and bless his soul, he drove 2 hours to come meet us. We continued on the Greenway for about half a mile with a pretty steep little descent, and then at the junction with Five Summers Trail, took that for just over half a mile until it turns onto and becomes snowmobile trail. From here is just over 3 miles back to the Pillsbury State Park campground.. and while it does have a few little ups and downs, the terrain is much more easygoing. The trail was a little overgrown in places as snowmobile trails often are in the off season, which was fine, the hardest thing was between the turn onto the snowmo corridor and roughly North Pond it was really, really wet and muddy in places. Unavoidable at times. We still were thrilled to not be doing that technical hike back and were able to make really good time to the campground, where we met my husband who drove us back to the car on Mountain Road. It was exhausting, but a gorgeous day to be outside. My Suunto died after just over 7 miles, so I had to record the remaining 2 on my phone. 

Strava Activity Part 1

Strava Activity Part 2

trailhead on Mountain Road

at Lake Solitude.. ummmmm

Lake Solitude

Lake Solitude

Monadnock Sunapee Greenway

Lake Solitude from the southern end

This was to be our turnaround point, but we kept going

Monadnock Sunapee Greenway - Center Pond

 For the first time in a long while I was able to hike with both my besties. We set out for a car spot traverse of a section of the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway between Route 9 and Pitcher Mountain in Stoddard. We spotted a car at Pitcher Mountain and headed to the MSG parking area off Route 9. It was a lot of uphill in this direction, but it worked out for the best. We immediately met with a very slight trail reroute due to the recent rains. The trail goes under Route 9 through a culvert, which was flooded out and signs redirected you to carefully cross Route 9 on top. The trail then follows up Nye Road, which becomes gravel, passes a beautiful house on the left and follows onto a snowmobile trail/Class VI road. For just under 3 miles the trail climbs then descends the slopes of what some maps call Dakin Hill and Melville Hill. It was very rocky and at the time we hiked, very, very eroded from all the rain. It was also very wet and muddy in places. This slowed us right down as we had to carefully find good footing. Thankfully there were some short dry places interspersed with the wet and rocky, but overall that section was very rough going. The trail was following Center Pond Road and at the bottom of the descent at just under the 3 mile mark from Route 9, it met with the drivable portion of Center Pond Road which was hard packed dirt. We took the 0.2 mile left onto Protection Road to the Crider Forest shelter, which is on private land. The shelter is in great shape with some flat areas for tents as well. We had a snack and headed back to Center Pond Road, passing some camps as well as Center Pond. I was amazed at how few bugs were out, so even though it was very hot, it was so much more tolerable without the bugs swarming like the last few weekends. Along Center Pond Road, a private residence has a tiny chapel that you can visit with 2 pews and some Gideons Bibles. Often times they have water available for hikers as well. We paid our respects before continuing on Center Pond Road which headed up a decently steep hill for just under half a mile. Hard packed dirt made the going easier. At a sharp right hand turn in the road there are signs for a trail relocation which happened several years ago. The trail now continues down Center Pond Road about half a mile and swings left at a cairn into the Andorra Forest. This was the type of terrain I had come to know and love along the MSG. The trail climbed quite moderately for about half a mile up to the wooded summit of Parker Hill. Heading down the backside of Parker Hill, the trail takes a sharp right and rejoins the original trail from before the relocation and then starts climbing again towards Pitcher Mountain. We passed a beautiful area called Robinson Brook Cascades with several small waterfalls, as well as an original settler cellar hole before the last stretch passed through some blueberry bushes which we snacked on along the way. The trail reaches Rt 123 which we crossed and arrived at our car spot at Pitcher Mountain trailhead. About 8.5 miles and 1500ft of elevation gain on the day. 

Strava Activity

Kiosk at Route 9 parking area

V checking out the flooded culvert

the flooded culvert under Rt 9

B&V where the road became Class VI

so much erosion

more erosion

random trailside finds

meeting the drivable section of Center Pond Rd

Crider Forest shelter

along Center Pond Rd

a beautiful garden along Center Pond Road

B making a friend along Center Pond Road

where the trail enters the woods off Center Pond Road

entering the Andorra Forest

climbing Parker Hill

Parker Hill summit

Robinson Brook cascades

blueberries

where the trail enters off Rt 123 across from Pitcher Mountain

Pisgah State Park - Chestnut Hill

 We have had horrendous rains the past couple weeks.. sounding like a broken record this year. These have been record breaking bad though, lots of damage and destruction. I chose to head back to Pisgah, even though that part of the state was one of the worst hit. I checked ahead of time and all the roads appeared to be open, and I got there OK. Old Chesterfield Road had some erosion, and a couple large puddles that I had to go through. I saw the most ATVs on that stretch than ever before, loving all the mud I imagine. This week I parked at the Chestnut Hill Parking area, a couple tenths further along from Fullam Pond where I was last time and the end of the drivable portion of Old Chesterfield Road on this side. There is a large parking area and I was the only car. As it turned out, I saw no one all day until the last half mile and that turned out to be Park Manager Kim transporting some wood for future repairs. I had a great conversation with him about some of the trails and as he did the last time we spoke, he built my confidence in a couple of areas I had questions on and I look forward to finishing up the remainder of the park over several more hikes. Today, however, I had a roughly 6 mile loop planned starting on Chestnut Hill Trail. This trail heads up right away from the parking area, but is more of a lingering up than crazy, steep up. I did encounter a little debris along the way, and lots of standing water and mud in places. Nothing that impeded my progress, just made for careful stepping to avoid slipping and falling. It was ridiculously humid today as well, so along with the standing water, the bugs were brutal. Worst I can remember experiencing on a hike. It was a bug net all day hike.  At just under half a mile, the trail split. I took the right fork which was Parker Trail. More mud and standing water. Parker Trail is roughly a mile long. It continued climbing at first, then became more of a rolling up and down before ending at Reservoir Trail. I turned right on Reservoir Trail and ever so briefly had a reprieve from the bugs on gorgeous pine trails, repeating steps I had done on an earlier hike. I descended briefly before moderately gently climbing again to meet North Pond Trail. From here the trail, descends pretty steeply in places for a couple tenths, with some rock slab that was definitely slippery from all the rain. It then levels out and becomes more of a wide road. This was the wettest and buggiest section of the day. At about 1.5 miles from Parker Trail I met up with Baker Pond Trail, which was where I had been on previous hikes, however today I continued straight on Reservoir Trail. This continued to be more of a road type trail and climbed alongside some water, which you could hear probably more than usual for about half a mile before starting the descent towards Old Chesterfield Road. Lots more mud and standing water and one nice little vista outlook along this section. Old Chesterfield Road is a wide road that is easy going.. although as was the trend of the day, wet and muddy in sections. I had been on this trail until my last half mile. I passed the newly opened Habitat Trail, of which one end was in a logged area. Beyond North Pond Trail was new for me and there was a section just before reaching the car again where the rains have created a large area of cascades and it was just beautiful seeing the water rushing in all directions. This was where Kim passed me in his ATV hauling wood and then we stopped and spoke back in the parking lot before I headed out. There has been more rain since this day and I have read that Old Chesterfield Road has been washed out in some places. I know Kim and the volunteers will work diligently to get everything restored. Mother Nature has sure been feisty this year. 

Strava Activity

Chestnut Hill Trail from the parking lot

I stayed right onto Parker

there was so much moss everywhere!

other end of Parker with very accurate mileage on the sign

right onto Reservoir Trail

if you insist ;) Some storm debris on the left

Intersection of Reservoir Trail and Baker Pond Trail

vista along Reservoir Trail

Old Chesterfield Rd back to the car