Situated Between a Wildcat and a Baldface (06-Sep-2010)

Looking at a topographic map, there is a 2,941 ft peak that is situated nearly due east of the Wildcat Ridge and nearly due west of North Baldface. It is unnamed on topographic maps, but some peak-baggers refer to this mountain as "West Peak, North Baldface". However, I think of it as simply West Baldface.

I decided to go to this little mountain not for peakbagging purposes, but rather because it looked like a spot to get some interesting views, particularly of the Baldfaces. My trek was launched from the end of East Branch Road (Jackson/North Conway area). I hiked northward along the East Branch Trail for several miles before turning eastward to follow old logging roads for another mile or so. Eventually, I left the logging roads and bushwhacked up the west slope of West Baldface. It was an easy whack through ferns, birch and other hardwoods.

There is no single spot on the summit where there is a 360 degree view, but views in all directions are available by moving around from spot to spot on the summit area.

Below are some photos from this trek.

Looking eastward toward North & South Baldface

Looking westward over Wildcat Ridge toward Mt. Washington (Slightly zoomed photo)

Looking northward toward the rocky ridge of Mt. Moriah that extends into the Wild River Valley

Looking southward toward peaks in the Sandwich Range and other surrounding mountains

Summit area of West Baldface

The East Branch was gently flowing in many spots, but at other spots, it was still and "reflective".

This was a quick & easy trek since most of it was on-trail and on logging roads, both of which were relatively flat with only an occasional slight pitch here & there. The only significant climb was the short buswhack to the top of West Baldface. I'd guesstimate the hike to be about 10 miles round trip.

Just as a side note, the portion of the East Branch Trail which I hiked was marked with the metal blue-diamonds used for XC trails. I'm assuming that during the winter months this portion of the trail is part of the trail system maintained by the Jackson Ski Touring Club?

1HappyHiker

John,
A great find and views to match! You correct in that the East Branch Trail is maintained by JST as one of their wilderness cross country ski trails leading to the No Ketchum Pond Shelter.

Donna

Jimmy Legs and Little D said:

A great find and views to match! You correct in that the East Branch Trail is maintained by JST as one of their wilderness cross country ski trails leading to the No Ketchum Pond Shelter.

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Thanks Donna for confirming this. If anyone is interested, click HERE for a link to the website for the Jackson Ski Touring Club.

I'm jealous. I love that area, but I live too far away to do this sort of exploring.

Thanks for the pics. Looks like a great trip.

1HappyHiker said:

Just as a side note, the portion of the East Branch Trail which I hiked was marked with the metal blue-diamonds used for XC trails. I'm assuming that during the winter months this portion of the trail is part of the trail system maintained by the Jackson Ski Touring Club?

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When we did a similar hike years ago, there was what we took to be a snowmobile trail parallel to the hiking trail. Are they still both there, or has the wider path basically replaced the old trail as at Greeley Ponds?

Taconic said:

I'm jealous. I love that area, but I live too far away to do this sort of exploring.

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Taconic . . . it wasn't that many years ago when I was "you"! Before moving to NH (almost 7 years ago), I was stuck working a job in Delaware. I rarely found the time to come to NH for even a hike, much less off-trail exploring! So, I can truly empathize!!

RoySwkr said:

When we did a similar hike years ago, there was what we took to be a snowmobile trail parallel to the hiking trail. Are they still both there, or has the wider path basically replaced the old trail as at Greeley Ponds?

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Roy . . . hmmm . . . that's interesting! Obviously, I don't know if you hiked the entire length of the East Branch Trail or only a segment. But regardless, I hiked the segment of trail from the end of East Branch Road up to nearly the spot which is identified on some maps as "height-of-land". While hiking that segment, I saw no evidence whatsoever of a snowmobile trail on either side of the hiking trail.

Take a look at the map below. I've marked two spots with a label that reads "Possibly in this area?" What I'm attempting to show are two areas where the hiking trail comes in close proximity to a current road or an old logging road. Do you think that perhaps somewhere around either of those areas could be where you saw a snowmobile trail running adjacent to the hiking trail?

1HappyHiker said:

Taconic . . . it wasn't that many years ago when I was "you"! Before moving to NH (almost 7 years ago), I was stuck working a job in Delaware. I rarely found the time to come to NH for even a hike, much less off-trail exploring! So, I can truly empathize!!

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I'd love to make that happen, but I don't ever see any way of actually doing it. The best I can do is to drive up to NH at 11 at night so I can be back home the following evening whenever I can... which is rather tiring, but all I can manage these days.

I don't comment much, but I really do enjoy your TRs. You seem to climb an awful lot of obscure things that I've looked at and said, "I bet it's worth going up there."

1HappyHiker said:

Do you think that perhaps somewhere around either of those areas could be where you saw a snowmobile trail running adjacent to the hiking trail?

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The snowmobile trail came in from the L approaching the height of land then ran parallel down to the Wild River Trail - if you didn't see it, I'll bet it's the hiking trail not the snowmobile trail that went away although the WMG says the opposite

RoySwkr said:

The snowmobile trail came in from the L approaching the height of land then ran parallel down to the Wild River Trail - if you didn't see it, I'll bet it's the hiking trail not the snowmobile trail that went away although the WMG says the opposite

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Roy, I left the East Branch Trail a few tenths of a mile shy of the "height-of-land", and so that could possibly explain why I saw no evidence of the snowmobile trail that you described. But, I don't doubt for a second that you are correct about there being a snowmobile trail in that general vicinity. I've heard some folks say (perhaps "tongue in cheek"?) that the Perkins Notch Shelter possibly receives more traffic from snowmobilers in winter than it does from hikers during the summer!

1HappyHiker said:

Roy, I left the East Branch Trail a few tenths of a mile shy of the "height-of-land", and so that could possibly explain why I saw no evidence of the snowmobile trail that you described.... I've heard some folks say (perhaps "tongue in cheek"?) that the Perkins Notch Shelter possibly receives more traffic from snowmobilers in winter than it does from hikers during the summer!

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Yes, sounds like you turned off sooner. Wilderness designation will tend to keep the snowmobiles out. The WMG calls the snowmobile trail "abandoned" but I wonder if it really was the hiking trail that went.

I was on that back in November and it did have evidence of snowmobile use. The litter of snowmobilers is distinctive, such as plastic body parts and sparkplugs to accompany the beer cans. Coming in from E Branch Rd, I found it before the shelter and south of West Baldface. I followed a moose path that lead to it. From memory, I think the trail runs basically n/s, just west of West Baldface, but I only followed it to a point before WB and left the trail.

The litter would have been from the prior season or earlier. I wonder if they are still in there now that it has designated wilderness.

Great TR, John!

Thanks for this trip report. We did South and North Baldace on Saturday. Interesting perspective of the mountains we hiked!

Thanks John.