Elevation: 1,537 ft (overall) 3,288 ft (total)
Time: 2:39 (Thoreau Falls) 4:33 (Bridge) 7:51 (Shoal Pond) 10:21 (Total)
Trails: Ethan Pond Trail, Thoreau Falls Trail, Wilderness Trail, Shoal Pond Trail, Ethan Pond Trail
The primary goal for this hike was to go see the bridge along the Thoreau Falls Trail. The bridge is in danger of being torn down with the possibility of replacement or complete removal. Knowing there were other unbridged water crossings on this route, I had planned to do this during the summer when water was low and the daylight hours were long. The summer got away from me, so I was already losing out on long days, but due to a dry summer and early fall, I still had lower water levels for the crossings.
I needed the longer days because I didn't want to just take the shortest route to the bridge, turn around, and then walk back. I planned a loop that would get me onto a bunch of new trails (13 miles of them) and create a nice loop past some interesting places. This plan would have me hiking over the bridge rather than just to the bridge.
I showed up at the Ethan Pond trail head just after 7am. With a 12 hr 39 min book time, this wasn't quite as early as I wanted, but I also didn't want to hike on less than 5 hours of sleep. After getting all my gear ready, I headed up the trail where you almost immediately cross the railroad tracks. The start of the trail is a bit eroded and worn down. But once the trail to Ripley Falls turns off to the left, conditions improve. You'll head up the steepest section of trail for the route from here before things level off and more gradually gain elevation before the start of the Willey Ridge Trail.
Tunnel of color along the trail
After the Willey Range Trail junction, it's just a bit more ascending until the high point for the loop. It start a bit steep and rocky, but gets better as you go. Soon you you are at the highest elevation of the day and begin the long gradual descent to the low point somewhere near the bridge basically. The Ethan Pond Trail has plenty of bog bridges along it's length, but most of them are at the higher elevations. Since I've stopped there before and had a long trip today, I didn't stop at Ethan Pond. There was some moose tracks in the trail near the pond and I got word that last night people staying at the shelter and campsite were kept up by a bear wandering the area and looking for food.
Leaves on the ground
From Ethan Pond down to the Thoreau Falls Trail seemed to go by quick. It's all downhill, there weren't many people out, and I've done this section before. So before I knew it I was at the junction and headed toward the falls. It's just a short distance to the top of the fall from the junction. Once I got to the falls, I was impressed with the whole area. I knew the area was nice, but I don't think I've ever looked at any photos of it before. The falls gradually drop down quite a bit of height while arcing around in a nice curve. And the view from the top of the falls out over the Pemigewasset Wilderness is much better than I expected.
The view from Thoreau Falls
Just after the falls, the trail drops off kind of steeply for a little bit. Here I started playing leap frog with a another hiker and his dog who had been camping in the wilderness all week. Eventually we both ended up about the same speed and spent quite a bit of time talking while hiking. I liked talking with him as he had some good stories about working in Shenandoah National Park. I also was able to tell him about some of the history the White Mountains and the logging that happened here in the past.
Once you make the quick drop at the start of the trail, it stays quite gradual with good footing. Before too long the trail comes onto the old railroad grade. There are a few places where the trail leaves the old grade, but it's mostly where the grade is too close to the river or has been washed out. For how this trail is, it actually went by pretty quickly. Perhaps it was having someone to talk to or having a river nearby (I always like trails that parallel rivers/streams), but it didn't seem to take very long before we were walking past the old site of camp 22 and then the bridge.
Looking upstream on the Thoreau Falls Trail
I had already determined that the bridge would be where I was going to have lunch. I was already planning a long stop here to explore the bridge, and it is just shy of the halfway point (mileage) for the day. I explored the area some looking for good views of the bridge for pictures. Then I walked under the bridge to get a closer look at the damaged areas. Once I had checked it out sufficiently, I opted to eat my PB&J sandwich and filter some water. I had brought along my Sawyer Mini today knowing I would be near or crossing plenty of water sources. I also didn't want to try and carry enough fluids for the entire hike right from the beginning. I've only used it a few times, but so far I like the filter. I think the full size version would probably be a bit quicker, but the mini still works fine I think. I don't think you would gain that much time with the bigger filter. The only issue I have found so far is filling the bag and finding a way to put it in the water without having the bag just close back up without taking in water. A small cascade in the stream helps with this though.
I know some hikers opt to cross the river using the rocks instead of the bridge since it has been deemed unsafe (to a degree). I was willing to still cross it myself, as was everyone else I saw here today. The bridge does lean a bit on the southern half of it and it gets a bit bouncy on that end too. All in all though, it didn't seem too bad crossing it. The underside is where it took most of the beating though from passing debris. While it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, it's definitely seen better days. I hope they can come up with some sort of replacement for this bridge when they do make the final decision as to its fate. It would be nice to see something just like it be put back in. It's an interesting bridge and I can see how the crossing would be difficult to near impossible for a significant portion of the year without it. But, it's in a Wilderness Area and finding a way to follow the rules that go along with that and find a way to pay for it could seal its fate.
Looking across Thoreau Falls Bridge
Thoreau Falls Bridge
Underside of the bridge
After heading out from the bridge, I found the first of a few spots today where it looked like even the evergreen trees had foliage on them. So many leaves had fallen in the area that there were a bunch of them on the branches of the trees. The wind hadn't knocked them off yet. I guess having brightly colored leaves this time of year is so popular that even the trees without leaves want to get in on it.
Evergreen foliage
Being another old section of RR grade, the Wilderness Trail is pretty easy going. It starts off away from the river, but eventually gets right next to it. Enough erosion has happened over the years that the trail is a bit narrow in a couple places and sometimes leaves the RR grade for a bit to get around harder spots. Shortly before Stillwater Junction, the trail crosses the Carrigain Branch of the Pemigewasset River. Today the water was very low, but it looks like it can get pretty high here at times. An arrow made from rocks points the way across the river and a cairn has also been built in the river. The trail re-enters the woods a bit to the left of the cairn though going in this direction. Soon the trail will narrow up and get a bit tight feeling with the branches around you. This is short lived though as you then pop out at Stillwater Junction, a nice secluded spot in the woods.
Right off from Stillwater Junction the Shoal Pond Trail crosses the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River which was pretty low today but beautiful to look at with all the maple leaves on the ground and in the water. The trail also started off a little tight with branches encroaching on the trail. I think hikers taller than 6 ft would have to duck coming through here right now. I'm sure this trail doesn't see a lot of traffic in winter, but it would be even tighter then. The tight branches only last for a short while though.
Near Stillwater Junction
What didn't last for a short while though was the step over blow downs along the trail. Early on I thought to myself "I hope the whole trail isn't like this" while I was hiking over and under small blow downs. The trail isn't covered for the whole length with them, but it does have quite a few over the length of it in some areas there are a number of them close together. They were all easy to step over though, they just slow you down as you have to pay more attention to what your feet are doing.
Shoal Pond Trail
The Shoal Pond Trail crosses a couple small streams. At the second one I filtered more water as I was getting a bit low again and I figured flowing water would be better than still water from the pond. I also figured that once back on the Ethan Pond Trail I'd want to just keep moving and not make many stops. The trail also goes through some nice pieces of forest where the undergrowth is all moss or very short evergreens. The trail did start to get a bit rougher shortly before the pond though. This also added to the feeling that this is a bit slower trail to hike than the others I had been on today. Once at the pond, I took a little break and sat next to the water before hiking the remaining flat section back to the Ethan Pond Trail.
Shoal Pond
Once back on the Ethan Pond Trail, I tried to make up some time. I was ahead of schedule, but wasn't sure I could get the remaining 5-ish miles done before darkness set in. I started off doing well, but the distance covered today was getting me tired out a bit more than normal. Eventually I slowed back down to a more normal pace and just accepted I might need to use my headlamp. At the spur for the shelter I decided to take a break and have a seat on a rock. This proved to be a bad idea in the end as once I got started again, I was moving much slower. I think my muscles tightened up a bit and my feet got used to me not using them. After a while though, I was able to loosen up a bit again, but my pace only picked back up a little and my feet were still sore. After 20 miles of hiking, the last 2 miles took a while and it sure felt like I was going slow. I was certainly dragging a bit, but I was able to make it to my car without needing my headlamp, barely.
In the end, this was a nice long enjoyable hike. Even with sore feet and being tired afterwards, I had finished just over 2 hours under book time which surprised me. The hike did get me out into some nice foliage for an entire day though and got me to some beautiful areas in a secluded section of the White Mountains. I'd do this hike (or a similar one) again, but I think it would have been better if it were only 18-19 miles long. That was the point where I really started to get tired and slowing down. I would have been fine with the hike ending at that point.
Google Earth representation of the hike
For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE
