Ghost Trail: Mt. Cardigan

It's not even that early

It was dark with thick fog when I started up Mowglis Trail towards Mt. Cardigan on the second day of this section hike.  Fall hiking is great except for all the darkness. If not for the bright yellow blazes, I would have had to just stop along the trail until it got brighter, but those blazes really popped in the headlamp. Many thanks to whoever did the blazing. 

Wow. Not expecting this.

Mt. Cardigan had been obscured by low clouds the previous day, so I was assuming there would be no views. Whatever, that's the way it goes. But then it suddenly brightened as I continued up the mountain and climbed out of the fog as the sun was rising. Wow. Just wow. I was not expecting that. 

Moosilauke is the highest peak in the center

I was able to use the Peakfinder app to figure out what I was looking at. Towards the north, a long line of "islands" started with Smarts Mountain on the west. Moosilauke was the tallest of the peaks. The Appalachian Trail follows that ridgeline, and is the alternative to hiking the eastern "Ghost Route" to the Cohos Trail. I have especially fond memories of camping at the top of Smarts Mountain, with an amazing sunset and sunrise and the loudest lightening storm I've ever lived through. 

The distant ridge starts with Smarts Mtn and
the Appalachian Trail

Approaching the surreal top of Firescrew Mountain, which is just to the north of Cardigan, I heard voices at the top. But then no one was there, and the voices were actually coming from the top of Cardigan in the distance. That's how loud they were. Why do people have to turn up the volume at each other in these settings? Have some respect for other others and keep the voices down. 

Mt. Cardigan from Firescrew Mountain

There was a surprisingly difficult spot heading up  Cardigan from Firescrew. It didn't look that difficult, but when I tried to walk up the bald rock, my feet just slid right back down again. And again. And again. The rock was a bit damp, but not wet. I have good boots with Vibram soles. I tried to the left and then to the right, and just could not get my feet to stick to that rock. I finally tried wedging the sides of my boots into a narrow joint in the rock, and that was just enough to get me up the rock. 

Looking back down at a spot I had trouble getting up

The loud obnoxious people were gone from the top of Cardigan by the time I got there, thankfully, and I had the place all to myself. It was amazing. 

Mt. Cardigan

The West Ridge Trail heading down the mountain was mostly bare rock, and the sun refracting off low clouds was making weird rainbow-type displays. Passed another set of hikers TALKING LIKE THIS FOR NO REASON (shhhhhh....I shouldn't be listening to your conversation a quarter mile away) and then came to the junction of Skyland Trail. There was a pretty good stream at this point, which looks like it normally has water. 

Skyland Trail

Skyland Trail was lovely, in many ways similar to Elwell Trail, but with more bald spots and views. I passed one hiker the entire way. The trail was clear and easy to follow, but not over-used. 

Wow. Peak fall color on Skyland Trail. 

The AMC map for Cardigan only has the first mile or so of Skyland Trail at a useful scale (a small inset area map does show the trail coming down to Wild Meadow Road). Gaia had the first part of the trail right, but the southern end was wildly inaccurate based on the AMC map. So I wasn't quite sure what I would run into, but it was all fine. I did start tracking the route so I could correct it in Open Street Map later. 

More bald spots on Skyland Trail

I understand there were some bad fires in the Cardigan area back in the day, leading to the bald hilltops. Reminded me of Acadia National Park at times, which also had severe fires that removed all the trees and topsoil from the hilltops. 

Trailhead sign for northbound hikers. 

I really wasn't clear about which peak was which while I was hiking it, but there were definitely plenty of ups and downs. In a good way. Southbound, the online maps showed Gillman Mountain, then Crane, Grafton Knob, Church, and Brown Mountain. Gillman Mountain is also called Orange Mountain. 

"Four Corners"

I hit "Four Corners", the junction of Grafton and Knowles Hill Roads, around lunch time and it was time for a good long road walk. It was about seven miles to Danbury, where I'd get on the Northern Rail Trail. The plan was for my husband to drive up from Connecticut in the morning and find me somewhere along the road, at which point I'd swap a full pack for a day pack, take the dog, and he'd go golfing. 

Road walk time!

It worked out pretty well. We met up near Grants Pond and had a little tailgate picnic by the side of the road. Then I set off with my somewhat confused dog and my husband sped off to whack some little white balls. 

Grants Pond

The road wasn't too bad, and it was all downhill. But it was a shame to be stuck on a road when you know there's all kinds of forests and mountains on either side of it. I hope some local people decide that this is a worthwhile regional route and find a way off the road. 

Northern Rail Trail in Danbury

I had hoped to check out Dick's Village Store in Danbury, but I didn't want to try and bring my insane terrier inside. There was a table full of bikers (as in motorcycles) across the street where I expected to find the Northern Rail Trail, so I called out and ask if that was the rail trail there. They said it sure was and motioned for me to come on over, so I did. Seems like maybe the guys get refreshments at the store and hang out at the table next to the trail. 

Northern Rail Trail. And my dog Quinn. 

This part of the Rail Trail was pretty quiet and I only passed a couple people in five miles. I wasn't going very fast, and was actually limping along with a sore leg, but I manage to get all the way to the SRK Greenway while my husband was golfing. I perhaps should have gotten off the rail trail at the Eagle Pond boat ramp. I went a bit further south looking to cut over to Route 4 and ended up with a short but nasty bushwhack that wasn't worth it.  I didn't see the SRK Greenway trail going in there, but I may have simply missed it. Then I headed up New Canada Road, happy to see the distinctive SRK Greenway markers along the road. 

Eagle Pond boat launch 

We had reservations at the New Hampshire Mountain Inn, which is on New Canada Road (nineteen miles from where I started that morning) and therefore right on the SRK Greenway. Convenient. Also, they were just about the only place that had a room available on short notice and that allowed dogs. It's one of those old, tastefully quaint inns with small rooms and beautiful decor but no fridge or microwave. There's a finely furnished common room with a TV, but we just wanted to collapse on a bed.  A long day!

New Hampshire Mountain Inn - right on the SRK Greenway

 

Ghost Trail: Cardigan's Elwell Trail

RIP Welton Falls Trail North?
(section under the powerlines)

Elwell Trail was lovely, but the Welton Falls Trail was another matter.  This is an access trail leading from Valley View Road. I had parked at the trailhead after talking with a neighbor a few weeks earlier, headed up the hill with a loaded pack, and enjoyed the view from a mysterious swing before continuing on. It had been a long drive up from Connecticut, and it was so nice to finally be underway. But then the trail was obliterated just a bit beyond the swing. Looked like earthwork for a new house. There was a very small 'no trespassing' sign in front of the earthwork. Argh. Why not post that info at the trailhead?  I'd done a lot of research on this trail and talked with a neighbor, driven five hours, and now this? No one was around, and the affected area was maybe 100 feet, so I just walked across it.  

Elwell Trail was great

I suggest northbound hikers look into staying on Elwell Trail past Bear Mountain and get off at Bear Mountain Road, walking into Hebron via West Shore Road. Because Elwell Trail is worth it. The first part had lush regrowth and lots of moose sign after some previous logging. The rest of the trail was a classic ridgeline trail, dipping down into the trees and then up onto bald areas. 

Lots of moose sign in here

I read on some old blog that AMC was considering closing Elwell Trail, presumably because not many people hike it and maintaining trails is a lot of work. I hope they keep it open. The eastern part appeared seldom-used, and there were a few blowdowns to step around here and there, but nothing significant. And there was always a trail marking when needed. 

Golden Pholiota(?) Mushrooms on Beech

Overall, the trail was moderately easy. Just a few challenging spots to keep things interesting. There were lots of scenic overlooks, but I couldn't really see Mt. Cardigan. That was partly due to the low clouds obscuring the mountain. 

Peak color!

It was peak color up there on October 10. I was afraid it might be on the late side, but it was a warm fall and the colors were holding on. Beautiful!

Looking back at Plymouth Mountain

It was nice to have legit paper trail maps once again. The trails around Mt. Cardigan are depicted on AMC's Southern New Hampshire Trail Map, which also includes Mt. Monadnock and Mt. Sunapee and Pillsbury State Parks, areas that the NET-Cohos Trail passes through. 

The only people seen all day

Continuing west, the trail started to feel more used, and there was a group of young people at one of the overlooks having a great time. 

Reindeer moss and cairns on the bald areas

Eventually Elwell Trail dips down off the ridge to the south, while the Oregon Mountain Trail stays up on the ridge, pretty much parallel to Elwell Trail. I stuck with the ridge hike and was glad for it. 

Digressing onto the Oregon Mtn Trail

Oregon Mountain was lovely

There don't seem to be any "reliable" water sources up on the ridge, but I was able to catch some drinking water here and there. When those spots dry up, backpackers probably need to head down the Back 80 trail to a beaver pond. 

Looking south over the beaver pond, a source of water

Legal camping spots include a big tenting area to the south off of the mountain, and Crag Shelter, which is up on the ridge north of Cardigan and Firescrew along Mowglis Trail. I was headed in that direction. 

Hobblebush heavily cropped by moose

Hanging up my bear bag, I got my gear tangled up a bit in some Hobblebush. It was really chewed up. If  you look at it closely, you can see where moose have been cropping it down repeatedly (above photo). 

Bear bag over Hobblebush

What a lovely hike. Very peaceful, and beauty all around. 

Ghost Trail: Plymouth to Hebron

Overview map from Gaia, with Plymouth Mtn Trail added

This next section of the Ghost Trail had the greatest uncertainty. Everything north of Plymouth was on AMC's White Mountain National Forest trail maps.  But the only trail maps I could find for the Plymouth Mountain area were online maps like Gaia that are based on user data of questionable accuracy entered onto OpenStreetMap. These maps showed trails going up and over North and South Peak, then up Plymouth Mountain via the Sutherland Trail. No further trails were on the map after that, but there was rumored to be another trail going down the mountain that I hoped to find.  I'd done as much armchair research as I could about these various trails, but I was mentally prepared for things to fall apart and was happy to be day-hiking and not backpacking. 

Notice for thru-hikers: There is no camping allowed anywhere between Plymouth and Hebron. The trails cross private property the entire way. There are accommodations available in both Hebron and Plymouth ($$$). 

Trailhead parking pulloff on Texas Hill Road

Look for this pole

The first challenge was parking in Plymouth. Do not attempt to leave a car all day or overnight in the business district. Every inch is covered with signs restricting how long you can park there. I went up the next street (Russell) and parked in front of some rundown houses that look like rentals for college students. They'll never complain about a car parked out front.

The second challenge was finding the supposed trailhead for what Gaia called the Fauver East Trail. There are no trail signs or other markings, and the trailhead is easy to miss. Gaia had it correct, though. Walking southwest on Texas Hill Road out of Plymouth, the trailhead was located near the top of a steep rise, with enough space on the left for maybe two cars to pull over. 

Trail as seen from the pavement

The section between Texas Hill Road and North Peak was tricky to figure out. There is in fact an unmarked trail where Gaia said the Fauver East Trail would be,  But there are also other trails intertwined with this because the mountain bikers have taken over and it's just confusing. I don't know what the history of this trail section is. Maybe there used to be an old hiking trail used by the fine people of Plymouth to get to Plymouth Mountain, but then some mountain biking college students discovered the hill. It's private property, no conservation easements or whatever, and I fear some day there will be new houses shutting down access. 

I took several wrong turns following the mountain bike paths, but it was nothing too bad. Pay close attention along this section, however, and refer to an online map or a compass. In the southbound direction, heading up the hill on any trail would probably work fine. Just be sure to go uphill and double back if a trail starts heading the wrong way. 

Mountain bikers have created lots of trails near Texas Hill Rd.

At the top of North Peak, the trail came to a "T" with blue markings going both left and right. I took a left and followed the blazes down the hill, checking Gaia from time to time to see if I was on the correct route, because I had no idea if the blue markers were for the trail I was trying to follow, or some other trail not shown on the maps. 

Fauver East Trail has blue markers south of North Peak

At some point I did, in fact, find myself well off the designated route, and went bushwhacking for where I was supposed to be. What I found was a trace of an old trail, marked by old logs that had been cut. I followed that for a bit and suddenly found myself back on the blue-marked trail, which had bent back in my direction. After that, I just followed the blue markers. The online maps don't have the Fauver East Trail quite right, but it's in the ballpark. Just stick with the blue markings. 

Porcupine

There weren't any real views on either North or South Peak. But it was nice terrain and I got to see a porcupine scurry up a tree. The descend from South Peak was quick, and there was a kiosk at the bottom with a map of the trail system. Wish I had that earlier. Everything made sense after that. Coming from the north, I'd intercepted the blue markings about where the "D" is at the top of the map. Interesting how the trail abruptly stops part way down the hill to the northwest. There's a story there I bet. 

Map at the kiosk

Fauver East Trailhead looking northbound

After a quick roadwalk, there's a big hiker parking area for a trail going up Plymouth Mountain. A big sign out front declares that parking is for daytime use only. Another prominent sign lets you know that you're on "Conservation Easement Land" privately-owned but open to walking, hunting, and other non-motorized pedestrian recreation, but no camping or fires. 

Heading up Plymouth Mtn

This was an easy hike up Plymouth Mountain on a well-worn, yellow-blazed trail, that was never steep.  There was only one car in the lot there, so the trail was pretty quiet. It starts out as Fauver Link Trail and then turns into Sutherland Trail after crossing a road.

Junction with an overlook spur

Near the top, there's a spectacular overlook of the White Mountains at the end of a short spur well-marked with a sign to "Pike's Peak." You can look straight up I-93 and Franconia Notch through the White Mountain and other points East. 

Looking north up I-93 towards the White Mountains

Sutherland Trail continues for another quarter mile past the overlook junction to a marker at the summit. There was a false summit right at the beginning with a cairn -- don't be fooled.  This last quarter mile is much more rugged with lots of exposed bedrock underfoot.  A returning hiker warned me to be careful because the rock was slippery. I laughed inside my head, because this was nothing compared to backpacking the Crawford Ridgepole Trail in the rain the other day. This rock was dry. But yes, you could still slip on some steep sections even when it's dry.  

What's next?

I'm not sure if there was another lookout beyond the cairn. There may have been. I was much more focused on finding this phantom "Plymouth Mountain Trail" heading down the west side of the mountain. There was also reportedly a third trail going southwest down the mountain to Camp Mowglis on the shore of Newfound Lake, but that was said to be private. So I needed to get on the correct trail. After much online searching, I had found a map image showing the general location of Plymouth Mountain Trail, and was also able to confirm that this trail actually existed and might have some occasional markings with wolves. But reports differed wildly on how easy it was to follow. Everything from easy to impossible. 

Plymouth Mountain Trail

Piece of cake. The trail was obvious right from the summit marker and was generally easy to follow even without blazing. There were a few adorable wolf markers facing hikers going uphill, just enough to provide confidence that it was a real hiking trail. In some ways it was easy to walk that the Sutherland Trail because it wasn't eroded. There was a partial view of distance mountains about half way down. Best part of the day. It wasn't until the trail got near the bottom that a few spots might be tricky to navigate, especially if you're going uphill. There's a right turn (in the uphill direction) off a snowmobile trail. Keep an eye out for that. 

GPS record of Plymouth Mtn Trail

I recorded a gps track and added that to OpenStreetMap for future hikers (Gaia, AllTrails, and other mapping programs use OpenStreetMap data for their basemaps). The trail ended in the form of a grassy snowmobile trail that came to a "T" with a 4WD section of Pike Hill Road. After continuing downhill on the Pike Hill Road for 0.1 mile, it converted to real street. This was at a hairpin curve in the street, with a bridge over a nice brook just beyond that. There was a tight spot to park on each side of the bridge. The limited parking may be why Plymouth Mountain Trail is not promoted. If you are northbound on Pike Hill Road, follow it over the brook to the hairpin curve, ignore the curve, and go straight onto the 4WD road until you see a snowmobile trail going off to the right. In 2021, there were a couple snowmobile signs on a tree immediately after the turn, but one was falling off. That's the beginning of Plymouth Mountain Trail. 

Plymouth Mountain Trailhead on Pike Hill Road

The rest was all uneventful road walking. There was a construction site along Pike Hill Road with a great view of Mt Cardigan, Newfound Lake, and the ridge leading to Cardigan. That would be my next trip to New Hampshire. 

Mt. Cardigan as seen from Pike Hill Road

The Hebron and Newfound Lake area was a real contrast to the Plymouth area. The former had seen better days, while Hebron was shining and spotless. There was no problem walking along the highway here. The shoulder was plenty wide enough. 

Newfound Lake

We had agreed to meet at the Newfound Audubon Center. A woodland trail lead down to the water, where sections of a dock had been stacked up for the winter. It was delightful, so we had a picnic lunch there and watched the boats go by.  

Audubon Center at Newfound Lake

At this point I still didn't know exactly where my next Ghost Trail section would start, other than somewhere in the Hebron area. I needed to find a place I could leave my car for a few days. I had thought that maybe I could get permission from the Audubon people to leave me car there for the price of a donation, but the building was closed.  Maybe there was some place in the Hebron center where I could get permission. Or maybe the Welton Falls trailhead. So we hopped in the car in search of potential parking. 

Hebron Village Store and Post Office

We stopped at the Hebron Village Store, which was tiny even though the building was pretty big. There's also a Post Office. Thru hikers should not expect much here. They did have a few tables for eating in. It's set in a super quaint New England historic district where every building is tastefully white and no blade of grass is out of place. 

We then searched for the Welton Falls Trail on Valley View Road. We couldn't see anything and I finally stopped and asked a woman walking by if she knew where the trail was. She said there used to be a sign across from a flat grassy area where we were looking and people parked there all the time and went hiking. So we drove past the area a few more times scratching our heads. After a bit, this nice woman flagged us down, said she just talked to her neighbor, and yes, the trail was right in the spot we were looking. Just park on the grass and go up the hill. Okey doke. I gave it a shot, and did indeed find a trace of a path going up the steep open hill full of grass and ferns right where Gaia said it would be. 

The beginning of Welton Falls Trail

The trail came up to a swing at an overlook, which was weird. But I could see a path going off into the woods where Gaia said it would, so it seemed correct. And it was. But I later discovered some construction on the trail just a bit further on and I don't know if this trail is open any longer. Maybe that's why the sign is no longer down by the trailhead. But that's for a later post. 

Along Welton Falls Trail

Parking there looked feasible, so I walked back through Hebron to the Audubon Center and called it a day. It would be two weeks before I was able to return and finish up the Ghost Trail route and SRK Greenway.