NH Cohos Trail: Dixville Notch to Coleman State Park

Lake Gloriette pull-off on Route 26

Last trip on this journey! This would be a six-day backpacking trip from Dixville Notch to the Canadian border. It was around 60 miles. The previous routine where I slack-packed the last few days while my husband golfed wasn't going to work, largely because there are no golf courses up there. There are moose and lakes and ATVs. No golf courses.

Upper end of the Baby Flume

This was going to be a long day, starting with a six-hour drive, so I pulled out of the driveway in the dark and drove in the dark a lot longer than expected because that's what happens in late September. North past New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield and it was still dark. What happened next was very cool: The eastern sky started to glow a deep pink just as I came to the Seven Sisters of the Holyoke Ridge. That's where we crossed the Connecticut River in kayaks a few years ago and I continued on along the New England Trail across the ridge on my way north (my husband towed my kayak back across the river). We had such a great time that weekend in Northhampton. This would be the last time passing the Seven Sisters on my way north to hike towards Canada. Just then, a shooting star streaked straight ahead, as if to lead me north. Whoa.

Dixville Notch profile. Table Rock is on the opposite side up high.

I wasn't sure if I could make the nine miles to Coleman State Park by nightfall considering the six-hour drive, but I was hiking by 10:30 a.m. Not bad.  Plenty of time. So I lingered at many of the series of overlooks that present themselves climbing up the Sanguinary Ridge Trail. I kept thinking one overlook would be the last and then there was another and another and another and each one was better than the one before.

Garter Snake catching some sun on the edge of the cliff

I was leaving one overlook when I spotted a snake right on the edge of the cliff trying to catch some rays. Do they ever fall off? How do they know it's a big drop and not just a foot or two?

Yet another overlook: Route 26 heading up through the notch.

The climb up is picturesque with all the overlooks. From time to time the sound of vehicles struggling to find the correct gear as they strain up Rt 26 drifts over the cliffs.

Best viewed with ear plugs

The trail turns away from the highway and eventually there is an overlook of the Balsams Hotel and Lake Gloriette.  Ruined by the sound is of one or two ATVs revving and revving and revving down below. Ack. This was the same problem I had a few weeks earlier when the lake was visible from Table Rock.

Mountain Ash berries

The trail continues uphill a good way to the summit of Sanguinary Mountain. There were lots of moose tracks and a pair of southbound thru hikers came by, making good time. The Sanguinary summit was was the first place along the Cohos where I really had trouble finding the trail. The summit was cleared with a lot of bare rock and I couldn't see any blazes. After about ten minutes of going up and down the trail I finally spotted a blaze on the far tree line to the left and was on my way. In retrospect, if I had bothered to look at the trail map, I would have seen the sharp left turn at the top.

Coming down Sanguinary Mountain

It was a beautiful day in early fall, unseasonably warm. The leaves had really changed in the two weeks since I'd last been here. Some areas were close to peak color, depending on elevation, with bands of red and orange maples stretching across the hills.

The north side of Sanguinary Mountain 

The Panorama Shelter was four miles from Rt 26 and it took me a good three hours to get there, so after that I decided to pick up the pace in order to get to the Coleman camping area before dark. This last stretch was different from everything before because there were actual campgrounds, some run by the state and other private, each about ten miles down the trail. And the terrain can be very tough for stealth camping. You might go miles without finding a little spot suitable for setting up a tent. Better just to get a tent site at a campground.

Bog Iron near the Panorama Shelter

Downhill from a gravel road there was a good patch of bog iron. Back in the day, the colonists mined bog iron and melted it down for the iron. I once cooked some bog iron in the oven just to see what would happen. It turned into a black powder that could be picked up with a magnet. When I find newer bog iron it tends to be downhill from someplace that was disturbed within the past few years. I think the iron-containing sediments are stirred up and the iron dissolved into the groundwater. Bacteria grab the iron and form that orange coating on the bottom of the stream.

Sugar Hill Trail

Heading down Mud Pond Ridge, the sound of ATVs in the distance started to be heard and that would continue for a few hours. It was Saturday afternoon. Eventually the trail got to the bottom of the hill and I could ATVs from three different directions. They weren't particularly loud for ATVs. For a short distance the Cohos even followed one of the ATV trails, then thankfully turned off to climb up between Tumble Dick and Sugar Hill Mountains and eventually the noise receded.

Tumble Dick Mountain Trail

This day had a nice variety of trail types, from the popular day-hiking trail at Dixville Notch, to old roads, logged areas, snowmobile trails, and ATV trails.  From time to time, grouse would flush up and on occasion their drumming could be heard.

Long stretches of the trail in the Sugar Hill area went through brushy areas that had been logged some years ago and must be hard to keep clear. Kudos to the trail volunteers. I could see where someone had recently been through with a brush cutter. The views from these areas were great, especially with the changing leaves. The trail heading downhill from Sugar Hill to Coleman was super easy and a pleasure to walk.

I arrived at the campsite before 5 pm with plenty of time to find a site and explore. It was a happy campground. Retired people sitting out in front of their RVs smiled and waved as I walked by. A helpful camper explained the system and pointed out that a prime site (#25) near the shoreline of Little Diamond Pond I was looking at was reserved for the following night but available that night (I'd lost track of the date).  This was a perfect site, located close (but not too close) to the bathhouse. There was also a lean-to, but there was no rain in the forecast and I could smell propane from the big propane tank located near the lean-to, so Site #25 was perfect.

Little Diamond Pond at the Coleman State Park campground

There was a bathhouse with hot showers and a small laundry room. The hot shower was amazing. I was even able to dry my hair with their hand dryers. Fortunately no one was around to witness that.
After setting up the tent, checking out the pond, and taking a shower, I was able to hang out on on comfy chair in the laundry room with my phone charging while I read a novel via the Kindle app. Nice. No cell phone signal or wifi here, but there had been a good 4G signal most of the day. Back in the tent after dark (which came surprisingly early), the only sounds were the call of a loon and a barred owl. Perfect.