TDawg
Well-known member
This is a hike I have been thinking about for some time now. I see this Sandwich Mtn. sub-peak nearly everyday from the Campton/Thornton area, just there begging to be climbed. So yesterday after work I had my mind set on it. Here is a look at it from Jennings Peak. And here's one from the area around the Algonquin/Black Pond Tr. junction.
Set off on the Smarts Brook Tr. at 2:30 and high tailed it up the logging road to the area of the beaver ponds where I took a minute to poke around and check out some beaver engineering. Pretty impressive beaver dams up there! I was pressed for time so I kept up a good pace through a logging clearing where someone had fashioned a 8 foot diameter peace sign on the ground out of birch limbs. Soon after this clearing I noticed a small cluster of Round-Leaved Yellow Violets poking through the leaf litter next to the trail. Being the first wildflowers I've observed this spring, I stopped for a picture.
From here until the wilderness boundary there were some pretty muddy areas that could be carefully rock-hopped, although I went in once pretty deep. After the boundary I started to see patches of fading monorail on the trail. Then bigger monorail patches, until at about 2100 ft. it was pretty consistent although it could be avoided still by rockhopping over or finding ground beside it. I started to see the cliffs of my objective through the trees. At around 2200 feet the snow became unavoidable and fairly rotten so I switched to snowshoes which made life easier.
At the last Smarts Brook crossing at roughly 2300ft. I set a bearing to due North and went straight up the slope off the trail. In this area there are a number of LARGE boulders strewn about the woods. At first the snow remained constant but then faded when I reached an area of many downed limbs and trees. Stopped to take off the snowshoes, there was a TON of moose droppings and prints all around from here to ridge, never saw any moose though. Fought my way through large boulders, down trees and limbs, and thick undergrowth till the snow began to reappear and postholing became an issue. I waited a bit to put back on the snowshoes, picking my steps where the snow looked thinnest and rockhopping where possible, just thinking the snow might disappear again. It never did. Snowshoes went back on again and the woods opened back up again to where I reached a broad flat area I deemed to be the col between Jennings and Sachem. Again, lots of moose sign, but no moose.
From here I turned to the west and began climbing to the summit of Sachem. The going got pretty thick, and deeper snow slowed my progress, it was about 5:15 by this time and I began to worry about time. I told myself if I wasn't on top by 5:30 I was gonna call it. Onward I fought, curse words I uttered as I got scratched by sharp spruce, until I began to see open ledges to my left. I reached a crux where I ditched the snowshoes and climbed 10 feet up the rock ledge using foot and hand holds. About 30 more feet of fighting spruce and I was out on a ledge maybe 30 feet vertical below the summit. It was very windy so I scurried up the ledges to the summit which I tagged, I told Sachem she "was a real pain in the ass" before I found a spot in the lee of the wind to wolf down a sandwich.
Stayed long enough after this too look around quickly, take a few pictures, but then I was hurrying to get back into the woods and out of the wind. Down climbed the 10 foot ledge by doing the "crab-walk" and found my snowshoes which I put back on for the decent. Got back to the col and set a bearing due south. Got to the spot wear the snow ended and took off the shoes for good here. While descending to the trail I passed a massive boulder that was as tall as the trees sitting by itself in the woods. I kept on my due south bearing and it put me back on the trail at exactly the last Smarts Brook crossing, couldn't have planned it better!
The walk out was pretty uneventful, never felt the need to put back on the snowshoes or microspikes, poles were enough. Got back to the wilderness boundary where it became apparent I would not need to use the headlamp this trip. So from here on out I took my time, it was easy walking, my right ankle still bothers me sometimes, while descending mostly and only if I step on it wrong. This is lasting effects from a car accident I was involved in back in December, I think my ankle ligaments are still loosening up a bit. My right heel pad was blown wide open in the accident, requiring 25 stitches to close up, spent 2 months on crutches and another month of taking it easy on it. It took 4 full months for the wound to heal completely, it was brutal wound. This was my first hike of any real length (over 4 miles) or difficulty since the accident. The foot performed pretty well and any pain I experienced was pretty manageable and short term.
I'm lucky to be alive and doing the things I love doing because the driver (Adam) passed away at the scene and my friend KC is still recovering at Northeast Rehab in Salem from a TBI he suffered sitting shotgun in the car. The second tree we hit and came to rest against was less than 2 feet from my door, this tree killed Adam. So how I think of it, I was less than 2 feet from being more seriously injured or killed, I'm not too religious but I must of had an angel with me. I got back to the beaver ponds and just sat in silence watching the beaver swimming in circles across the pond, just thinking about how lucky and thankful I am to be sitting where I was, with a functioning foot. I mean, for a month we didn't know if my wound would heal, if it didn't I would have lost my heel pad. Not having a heel pad I'm sure would have put a damper on my future hiking plans. I said a quick prayer for Adam and KC's recovery before moving on, it was dusk and getting cold and windy. The last 1.5 to the car was kind of surreal, just thinking about all the bull$h*t I've dealt with the past few months to get to where I am now. I heard two separate owls in this stretch which was cool, I stopped for a minute to listen to each. I got back to the car kind of chilled and blasted the heat on my 5 minute drive back to my house. A successful afternoon in the woods, glad to be back on the trail!
Pictures are here.
Set off on the Smarts Brook Tr. at 2:30 and high tailed it up the logging road to the area of the beaver ponds where I took a minute to poke around and check out some beaver engineering. Pretty impressive beaver dams up there! I was pressed for time so I kept up a good pace through a logging clearing where someone had fashioned a 8 foot diameter peace sign on the ground out of birch limbs. Soon after this clearing I noticed a small cluster of Round-Leaved Yellow Violets poking through the leaf litter next to the trail. Being the first wildflowers I've observed this spring, I stopped for a picture.
From here until the wilderness boundary there were some pretty muddy areas that could be carefully rock-hopped, although I went in once pretty deep. After the boundary I started to see patches of fading monorail on the trail. Then bigger monorail patches, until at about 2100 ft. it was pretty consistent although it could be avoided still by rockhopping over or finding ground beside it. I started to see the cliffs of my objective through the trees. At around 2200 feet the snow became unavoidable and fairly rotten so I switched to snowshoes which made life easier.
At the last Smarts Brook crossing at roughly 2300ft. I set a bearing to due North and went straight up the slope off the trail. In this area there are a number of LARGE boulders strewn about the woods. At first the snow remained constant but then faded when I reached an area of many downed limbs and trees. Stopped to take off the snowshoes, there was a TON of moose droppings and prints all around from here to ridge, never saw any moose though. Fought my way through large boulders, down trees and limbs, and thick undergrowth till the snow began to reappear and postholing became an issue. I waited a bit to put back on the snowshoes, picking my steps where the snow looked thinnest and rockhopping where possible, just thinking the snow might disappear again. It never did. Snowshoes went back on again and the woods opened back up again to where I reached a broad flat area I deemed to be the col between Jennings and Sachem. Again, lots of moose sign, but no moose.
From here I turned to the west and began climbing to the summit of Sachem. The going got pretty thick, and deeper snow slowed my progress, it was about 5:15 by this time and I began to worry about time. I told myself if I wasn't on top by 5:30 I was gonna call it. Onward I fought, curse words I uttered as I got scratched by sharp spruce, until I began to see open ledges to my left. I reached a crux where I ditched the snowshoes and climbed 10 feet up the rock ledge using foot and hand holds. About 30 more feet of fighting spruce and I was out on a ledge maybe 30 feet vertical below the summit. It was very windy so I scurried up the ledges to the summit which I tagged, I told Sachem she "was a real pain in the ass" before I found a spot in the lee of the wind to wolf down a sandwich.
Stayed long enough after this too look around quickly, take a few pictures, but then I was hurrying to get back into the woods and out of the wind. Down climbed the 10 foot ledge by doing the "crab-walk" and found my snowshoes which I put back on for the decent. Got back to the col and set a bearing due south. Got to the spot wear the snow ended and took off the shoes for good here. While descending to the trail I passed a massive boulder that was as tall as the trees sitting by itself in the woods. I kept on my due south bearing and it put me back on the trail at exactly the last Smarts Brook crossing, couldn't have planned it better!
The walk out was pretty uneventful, never felt the need to put back on the snowshoes or microspikes, poles were enough. Got back to the wilderness boundary where it became apparent I would not need to use the headlamp this trip. So from here on out I took my time, it was easy walking, my right ankle still bothers me sometimes, while descending mostly and only if I step on it wrong. This is lasting effects from a car accident I was involved in back in December, I think my ankle ligaments are still loosening up a bit. My right heel pad was blown wide open in the accident, requiring 25 stitches to close up, spent 2 months on crutches and another month of taking it easy on it. It took 4 full months for the wound to heal completely, it was brutal wound. This was my first hike of any real length (over 4 miles) or difficulty since the accident. The foot performed pretty well and any pain I experienced was pretty manageable and short term.
I'm lucky to be alive and doing the things I love doing because the driver (Adam) passed away at the scene and my friend KC is still recovering at Northeast Rehab in Salem from a TBI he suffered sitting shotgun in the car. The second tree we hit and came to rest against was less than 2 feet from my door, this tree killed Adam. So how I think of it, I was less than 2 feet from being more seriously injured or killed, I'm not too religious but I must of had an angel with me. I got back to the beaver ponds and just sat in silence watching the beaver swimming in circles across the pond, just thinking about how lucky and thankful I am to be sitting where I was, with a functioning foot. I mean, for a month we didn't know if my wound would heal, if it didn't I would have lost my heel pad. Not having a heel pad I'm sure would have put a damper on my future hiking plans. I said a quick prayer for Adam and KC's recovery before moving on, it was dusk and getting cold and windy. The last 1.5 to the car was kind of surreal, just thinking about all the bull$h*t I've dealt with the past few months to get to where I am now. I heard two separate owls in this stretch which was cool, I stopped for a minute to listen to each. I got back to the car kind of chilled and blasted the heat on my 5 minute drive back to my house. A successful afternoon in the woods, glad to be back on the trail!
Pictures are here.
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