Labor Day weekend. It was hot and humid. I have a bigger hike planned tomorrow with Laura, so today I wanted something a bit more low key so I'm not cooked for tomorrow. I headed back to Pisgah, for adventure #9. I parked in a very small area at the Beals Road trailhead on Stones Mill Road in Spofford. The trail starts at a kiosk and almost immediately splits. I headed right on Beals Knob Trail which gently climbed up to a spur taking you out a viewpoint towards Monadnock. It was very buggy and in places very muddy. That was the order of the day. These trails were a little less well maintained than some others I have been on in Pisgah, probably due to their remote location and light travel. All were well marked and easily navigable. Just lots of small debris from all those Winter storms and rain this year. The view from Beals Knob was towards Monadnock though as is also the continuing trend, very hazy. Mostly because of the bugs, I didn't linger at any point. Continuing around the Beals Knob Trail, I met up with Beals Road and turned left. This immediately began about a half mile descent down to Fullam Pond Trail. I kept thinking this would not be fun at the very end of my hike, since I was doing a reverse lollipop of sorts. This was also the buggiest section of my day. By the time I reached Fullam Pond Trail, I'd had enough and put on my bug net. I needed to complete the 1.6 miles from this intersection to Old Swanzey Road. Being a snowmobile trail, it was mostly wide, a mix between nice smooth and very rocky footing. Somewhat eroded in places. The first half was very wet and muddy. There is a relocated section for hiking around a very flooded spot at a pond and just as I was thinking this was one of the worst trails I'd been on in this park, it completely changed and became dry and nice smooth pine needle footing. I enjoyed the second half of this section. Nothing eventful to see except a nice little peekaboo view just before the gate at the property boundary. Once at the end, I turned around and retraced my footsteps to Beals Road. Climbed up that moderate climb (which of course by now and in the humidity felt like Mt Everest). At the intersection with Beals Knob Trail, I continued straight on Beals Road which descended and came along side a lovely pond. I was surprised to see a house on the opposite side of the pond, a very lovely remote house with a gorgeous view over the pond. A couple of trees were just starting to turn! Beyond the pond I arrived back at the kiosk and my car. Getting closer to finishing all the trails out here!
Strava Activity
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| view from Beals Knob vista |
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| park boundary on Fullam Pond Trail |
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| little view just after the gate on Fullam Pond Trail |
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| relocated section around this flooded area on Fullam Pond Trail |
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| pond near the end of Beals Road |
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