You Are Here: Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Section 13

After a glorious start to the week including a Total Solar Eclipse, ending in rain, I knew the trails would be messy. I decided to go back and finish Section 13 of the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway. I parked at the Stoney Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Newbury alongside Chalk Pond. I geared up throwing in my spikes just in case (they were not needed) and headed out on Chalk Pond Trail. At about 2 tenths, the trail veered right and started to gently climb. The conditions alternated between wet, very wet, super ridiculously muddy and beautiful and dry. There was one small section where a re-route around one of the muddiest spots is not marked. I was knee deep in mud when I looked up and saw a blaze off to the side. I backed up and could see where the path went, but it was not obvious at all initially. Thankfully I had only gone a hundred feet or so, and as I had been expecting muddy conditions I wasn't upset. The trail continued to gently climb up to a high point passing one very small patch of snow. I saw more snow off trail, but this was the only patch I had to cross all day. There were also some water crossings that ordinarily were small, but with all the snowmelt and rain were extra today and at times it was impossible to not walk through. My boots held up though and kept my feet dry! The trail started to descend slightly and at about the 1.1 mile mark met up with Baker Hill Road. The trail then followed Baker Hill Road downhill for half a mile. This is a paved road, but was quiet and follows alongside a golf course. At the first right, Haynes Road, turn right. This was not marked going in this direction, but there was a blaze on a pole opposite the intersection marking the way for those coming down Haynes Road. The real uphill begins here. Haynes Road is 0.4 miles long and is paved. At the end a gravel driveway begins and bears right with a gate. Kings Hill Road, which is a Class VI road heads straight. This was a true Class VI road and was very eroded in places as well as very wet and rocky. There was a nice ridge alongside the eroded sections most of the way, but even that was very soft in places from the excess water. The trail climbs to a point about a quarter mile from the Kings Hill summit before starting to descend. I followed another 0.7 miles or so, which was some of the most eroded section I encountered all day reaching my turnaround point at a large split boulder in the trail, where I had reached a couple weeks ago in all the snow. Much different today. I stopped for a quick snack before backtracking exactly the way I came. I just have 3 more sections to complete on the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway!

Strava Activity