North Fork Junction, Thoreau Falls Trail - Seen here in 2017 is the trail junction of the Thoreau Falls Trail (left) and Wilderness Trail (right) in New Hampshire's Pemigewasset Wilderness during the winter months. While the White Mountains trail system has become overrun, during the dead of winter, solitude can still be found deep in the 45,000-acre Pemigewasset Wilderness. Both trails utilize the railroad bed right-of-way of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (1893-1948)...[Continue reading] ...

North Fork Spur Line, Thoreau Falls Trail - Located along the Thoreau Falls Trail, deep in New Hampshire’s 45,000-acre Pemigewasset Wilderness, is an interesting piece of East Branch & Lincoln Railroad history. In operation from 1893-1948 and originally owned by James E. Henry, this was a logging railroad in the towns of Lincoln and Franconia. Just before the North Fork Branch of the railroad crossed the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River at North Fork Function, a spur line branched ...

Cable Car, Wilderness Trail - During the mid-1900s, the Wilderness Trail in New Hampshire's Pemigewasset Wilderness began on the southern side of trestle No. 17, along the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, near logging Camp 17. The Cedar Brook Branch of the railroad also began at this location. With the exception of the Cedar Brook Branch operation, which ended in 1946, the railroad track along the Upper East Branch of the railroad, above trestle No. 17, was removed by 1940...[Continue ...

Ice Pond, Black Pond Trail - Located at the abandoned site of logging Camp 7 of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (1893-1948), near the junction of today's Lincoln Brook Trail and Black Pond Trail in Lincoln, New Hampshire, is a pond known as “Ice Pond”. Many hikers pass by this pond on the side of Black Pond Trail without even noticing it; it looks more like a parcel of dead trees than a pond...[Continue reading] ...

Split Rock, Boott Spur Trail - Pictured here along Boott Spur Trail is Split Rock; this interesting glacial erratic is split in half. The scenic Boott Spur Trail begins off of the busy Tuckerman Ravine Trail and ends at Davis Path. If you are hiking Mount Washington and want extensive alpine zone exposure and breathtaking views, this trail is a great choice. Because most of this route is above treeline, hiking it on a perfect weather day is the best ...

Shelter Rock, Old Osseo Trail - Shelter rock is a large boulder on the side of the old Osseo Trail in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Cut in the early 1900s, this section of the Osseo Trail began near the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad’s logging Camp 3. It traveled up through the Clear Brook drainage to Osseo Peak (Whaleback Mountain) and then on to Mount Flume. This large boulder is an interesting feature of the trail...[Continue reading] ...

Cherry Mountain, White Mountains - Once referred to as Pondicherry Mountain, Cherry Mountain is in the New Hampshire towns of Carroll and Jefferson. The mountain consists of two peaks: Mount Martha (3,557 feet) and Owl’s Head. Mount Martha, the highest of the two peaks, is one of the mountains on the New Hampshire 52 With A View hiking list. The history surrounding this mountain is interesting but complicated...[Continue reading] ...

Benjamin Lincoln Ball, Mount Washington - On Mount Washington in New Hampshire, along the Nelson Crag Trail, there is a feature known as “Ball Crag”. It’s named for Doctor Benjamin Lincoln Ball (1820-1859). Born in Northborough, Massachusetts, he was a Harvard graduate, dentist, traveler, and author of two books: Rambles in Eastern Asia (1855) and Three Days on the White Mountains (1856). He was also an experienced mountain climber...[Continue reading] ...

New Hampshire Fire Tower Quest - The New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands has a hiking program involving the fifteen fire lookout towers that they operate in New Hampshire. Once a hiker visits any five of the fire towers on the list, they can receive a patch, certificate, and a letter of recognition from the NH Division of Forests and Lands...[Continue reading] ...

2022 Year in Review, White Mountains - Wow, another year is almost in the books; when you are constantly busy, the years just seem to fly by. Like most years, around this time, I don’t have much to say, and like many of you, I am ready for the new year. It's been a long, roller-coaster year. Included here are a few of my favorite photos from 2022....[Continue reading] ...