Okay, Let's Go To Harrington Pond a Different Way! (09-Mar-2010)

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1HappyHiker

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While on South Kinsman this past weekend, I took several snapshots of Harrington Pond. I was intrigued by the pond since it was a place that I'd never visited, plus I was fascinated by how this pond is so remotely tucked away, sort of halfway between Eliza Brook Shelter and South Kinsman.

Birds-Eye View of Harrington Pond (bottom right) from South Kinsman
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I've been told by Mohamed Ellozy and Steve Smith that a very scenic and interesting on-trail way to visit Harrington Pond is to begin on the Reel Brook Trail and exit via the Mt. Kinsman Trail. Most likely, I'll be doing that loop this summer using either a car-spot or bike-spot.

However, in the meantime, my friend Steve (a true Mountain Wanderer) suggested that we do a bushwhack shortcut to Harrington Pond. It took me less than a nanosecond to think about this and recognize it as a fantastic idea! This route began on the Reel Brook Trail which we followed to a point due west of Harrington Pond. We then left the trail at that point and began our bushwhack adventure. Other than a few zigs & zags, we pretty much made a bee-line straight up to Harrington Pond from the Reel Brook Trail.

Trailhead Sign for Reel Brook Trail
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There were a few short-lived thick spots at various points along the way, but the majority of the whack was through open woods. And although there were some moderately steep sections, overall the grade was pretty mild-mannered.

Bushwhacking Through Open Woods
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We popped out of the woods at the far western end of the pond. It's probably a case of where you have to be there in person to get the full impact, but it was truly an awesome sight to see! Below is a photo which shows a sizeable portion of the pond along with the ledgy outcroppings on its northern shore. And off in the distance, near the top-center of the snapshot, you can see snow-capped South Kinsman. It was from that spot that I took the bird's eye view of Harrington Pond less than a week ago.

Looking Nortward Across Harrington Pond
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After we finished soaking in the views from the sunny shores of Harrington Pond, we sat off on another bushwhack to one of the lower ledges on the north shore of the pond. What a difference just a few feet of elevation can make! This ledge provided a very unique view. Harrington Pond in its entirety is seen in the foreground, and clearly visible on the horizon is Loon Mountain along with several peaks in the Sandwich Range.

View From a Ledge Above Harrington Pond
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Just as an interesting sidelight, during a short segment of our hike we were whacking up a frozen brook bed. On the frozen surface of the brook was a lot of moose sign. Someone such as Forestgnome could certainly offer a more expertise opinion than me, but it's my theory that this is a hangout spot that the moose use as a place to rest from trudging through the deep snow in the woods.

So, there you have a thumbnail sketch of our journey to Harrington Pond. I still plan on re-visiting the pond while doing the on-trail loop outlined at the beginning of this trip report. However, this particular trek to the pond will always stand out in my mind. Thanks Steve for suggesting this outstanding adventure!

1HappyHiker
 
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Beautiful trip! It made me scurry to the map to check out the terrain around there. Nice how the pond is set into its own little bowl.
Audrey, thanks for your reply. And hey, you're not alone about having to scurry to a map. When this idea was first floated to me, I did some scurrying myself! A quick glance at the map showed me what an obvious and direct route this would be. And, as they say, the rest is history!

HarringtonMap.jpg
 
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Interesting report, John. And great picture of S. Kinsman from the pond! What a great stretch of weather we've had.
 
That looks like great fun, John! I've only been to Harrington Pond once, and it was on a cloudy day. Great to see these nice shots of the pond on a nice day in the winter! :)
 
I've been told by Mohamed Ellozy and Steve Smith that a very scenic and interesting on-trail way to visit Harrington Pond is to begin on the Reel Brook Trail and exit via the Mt. Kinsman Trail. Most likely, I'll be doing that loop this summer using either a car-spot or bike-spot.
I've done both that hike (with excessively long roadwalk return) and the whole KR Trail, both times I thought the pond was a mudhole so you hit it right :)
 
TDawg; NeoAkela: Todd and Chris . . . thanks guys for your nice comments!

RoySwkr: Roy, I think you're correct on both counts!;) Your comment about it being a "mud hole" at many times of the year seems to go along with what I've heard from others. And so, when you say that I "hit it right", yup . . . I think you're on target about that as well!
 
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