Coming off a sick week I knew I couldn't do anything too strenuous, and after a pleasant experience last week on the Cheshire Rail Trail, I decided to head back and grab the next 4 miles from my turnaround point last week. The Wantastiquet-Monadnock Trail incorporates a roughly 12 mile stretch of the Rail Trail from Keene to Troy, so I'm just exploring it small section by small section. I had noticed a pull off near my turnaround point last week on Webb Depot Road, so headed there to see if parking would be an option. There were no signs saying not to park, and the pull off area was large enough to get the car completely off the road, so I parked. There was even a small connector trail down to the actual Rail Trail which gave me the opportunity to pick up right where I had left off. This week the trail, at least along the 4 miles I covered, was completely free of any snow or ice. It was soft in some places and there were some very minor areas of mud, but overall it was in great condition. Whereas last week I started in a residential area and walked into the woods, this week I started in the woods and walked into a residential area. I found it just as pleasant overall considering it really is basically a long, straight line with very little elevation at all. We have had some decent rain this week, so in some places some pretty cascades were trickling down. The drainage along the trail is built very intentionally, so the trail itself was kept mostly dry. There was more of the high rock area that the old rail trail had been cut through with some more pretty ice formations. When I started the clouds were low which gave off a mystical vibe through this part. As you pass through Swanzey and get closer to Keene, the houses are a little closer to the trail and I did encounter one dog that had wandered from its yard and yapped at me a little, thankfully it got bored and headed back home. Right at the end of my 4 miles next to Route 101 you cross over the Cheshire Stone Arch Bridge. It is very high over the river and has no side railings, so from the top just looks like a regular road. I saw a little side path that looked like it may go down the side to get a view of the bridge, so I carefully stepped down. It is really high over the water with no fencing or protection at all, so I did not venture far, but I was able to see the beautiful old bridge and grab a picture. At Rt 101, I turned around and retraced my steps back to the car. I'm sure the next stretch I need to do through downtown Keene will be less desirable, but I really did enjoy the 8 or so miles from Rt 101 to Troy way more than I had anticipated.
Strava Activity
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| op top of Cheshire Stone Arch Bridge |
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| on top of Cheshire Stone Arch Bridge |
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| on top of Cheshire Stone Arch Bridge |
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