A Quiet Walk in Evan's Notch

Most walks & hikes in Evan's Notch are quiet! So which one did we take?* Probably a more well known one: Shell Pond Loop. 

*This is a mega flashback to the summer, my picture-taking efforts have been weak!

The trail lies almost entirely on private property but corteous hikers are permitted. Parking is down Stone House Road off of Rt 113 in Evan's Notch and there are a few spots just before the gate - though as we left, vans were lining up along the side of the road as well.  We didn't see a soul until the end of our walk but the lot was full when we returned, though I suspect many were there for other hikes: the property also offers access to Blueberry Mountain, a great little hike with a gorgeous view. 

With the heat, I opted for the much flatter option. All hikers begin by passing the gate and beginning their walk up the dirt road. Shell Pond Loop Trail diverges to the right shortly afterwards. It weaves and winds; my first time almost losing the trail was where it seemed to hook left but there was a bridge straight ahead. Continue over the bridge and then to the left to stick with it. The trail then climbs a bit but there were a few small drinking holes for the girls. The trail follows the shoreline of the pond - but not in the manner I'd hoped. It's never reachable on the south side, as the trail climbs into the woods, creating a steep slide to the water. 

 

The water: so close, yet so far!

As we came around the east side of the pond and started traveling north, we finally got some good wallowing spots, much to the girls' excitement. It also looked like it could get very muddy (it does shortly afterwards)! There is one spot with a nice view of the pond and a stone bench but no easy access. The girls found where wildlife have parted the brush and enjoyed their last dip in the pond before we continued.

Where the loop turns west, there is an intersection with a trail that leads out to Evergreen Valley/Shell Pond Rd - we kept left but apparently there's a fabulous emerald green swimming hole to the right before the road. From here to the grassy fields, I found some difficulty navigating the trail proper, as it was overtaken with water and the grasses had grown wildly tall. Nevertheless, we linked together the obvious sections until we crossed a bridge and arrived in the field where the trail signs eventually picked back up.  

This is where I reeled the girls in from their long lines, as the trail passed by the residences and I wondered if I had erred again. Looking back over the photos, we were on the right track... which also serves as an air strip.  All's well that ends well!

After the pretty but scorching walk through the field, we enjoyed the partial shade of the road and final small stream/water opportunity for the girls before returning to the car, which was no longer alone in the lot; the early bird gets the empty trails - again!. 

Summary

While there's nothing particularly outstanding about Shell Pond, it is an undeniably enjoyable walk in the woods. Different sites put it at 3.4-4.0 miles in length. The trail is wide and easy to maneuver, the girls found ample water to stay hydrated, and there was an intriguingly wild element to navigating the flooded north side of the trail. I recall thinking the loop would be a very nice snowshoeing location - if the road is open in the winter. In the moment, it was also perfect for walking with Arya, who continues to improve in her reactivity but sometimes it's nice for all to simply walk without any triggers or training! Others may use the beginning of the trail as a means to an end (Blueberry Mountain); we were more than satisfied with our walk around the pond and its limited but very Maine-y views. 

Avoiding the crowds on Gunstock

We recently had the great fortune to take a weekday hike with our friends, beginning under cloud covered skies and ending with sunshine, summiting Rowe and Gunstock in Gilford.  

Route: (loosely) Access Rd to Rowe summit (1680') - Belknap Range Trail - Access Rd/ski trails - Gunstock summit (2244'), Access roads/ski trails to the base.
Mileage: appx 4.3 miles

Favorite features: great footing, variety of open meadow and wooded environments, blueberry bushes, ledgey ridge walking without the crowds. 

Another not-so-precise trip report!  From the parking lot for the ski area, follow the road that skirts behind the main building, towards the playground and take a left - up the hill.  Here begins the unpaved access road that we took all the way to the summit of Rowe.  It begins fairly steep but easily navigable, even for clumsy feet, over gravel and packed earth.  There are bypasses that go through the woods but we opted to stick with the road.  It's a nice treat to be able to talk with your hiking companion without having to crane your neck back or have your doggo on a long line without constantly untangling yourself from trees!  

The summit of Rowe has some cell tower equipment but is otherwise, no offense Rowe, unremarkable.  However, upon re-entering the woods (watch for the post and blazing), we began a pretty, low ridge walk that eventually opened onto blueberry ledges. They were perfectly ripe and it was very difficult to avoid lingering!  After some nice views of our target summit and the lake, we re-entered the woods but again, were repeatedly treated to blueberries and smooth ledge walking surfaces.

Eventually - probably earlier than intended by trail managers - we popped out onto the ski trails, which we took for the remainder of the hike.  We were lucky and some of the water bars had just enough to re-hydrate the dogs.  This is a brutal section under sunny skies but we were protected by the clouds this time.  As the chair lifts come into sight, the grade steepens and the thought "oh yeah, 'up!'" comes to mind. To be sure, there are short breaks in the grade that are just as appreciated going up on foot as they are for novice skiers like me going down!  

We bailed shortly before the lodge, following the road around to the right and stopping for a snack, before opting to head down the ski trail in front of us (looking down the mountain - left of the one we took up).  It looks like we followed the dotted blue line on the map below but I can't be certain.  This one was a little less gravel road and a little more meadow-y.  The upper 2/3 or so are mostly packed dirt and grass with some slick ledgy rocks - and narrower than the trail up.  We noticed flagging in a couple of places that indicated small footpaths that led back to the wooded trail.  Eventually, Hannah noticed the large sign to the left that notifies hiker of the Belknap Range trail system but we decided to stick with the pretty, open meadow walk with the lake views that eventually curved around to the access road to finish our descent to the base - further center and closer to the parking lot than where we embarked from.  

 

It was the perfect afternoon hike for our crew!  

Summary and thoughts:

I love this hike; the Belknaps in general are a go-to that I best not take for granted.  While Gunstock is open for summer activities, it was easy enough to skirt around the families and head straight up. While I have been caught off guard by the number of other hikers encountered on a couple of occassions (still single digits), we passed exactly zero others today (not counting the handful of folks at the summit, many of whom took the chair lift, who we never interacted with).  Bonus feature: there are many other trails that start from Gunstock, allowing for on the fly target modifications, if needed.

The footing, even when damp as it was on Monday (and why we sought a hike with good footing), is as good as it gets for a hike in NH with elevation changes.  While the beginning of Rowe and summit of Gunstock are steep, they're not Tuckerman steep and could be compared to the Mt. Major Trail on its namesake trail (without the ledges) or Hedgehog.  I'd say this hike is one of the best as far as consistently good footing goes - while the gravel can be a little loose, there's no rocky sections, no scrambles, nothing my arthritic dogs can't do comfortably - and while I deeply miss Caps Ridge, it just doesn't get any better than Rowe/Gunstock these days.  The fact that there's some choice in when to pop on and off the wooded and ski trails is also nice, allowing us to be flexible without changing the overall plan - it all meets back together.  Whether it's to be able to make a quick bail or simply switch up the scenery, that's a feature I've come to love in a hike!

Online resources: 

Belknap Range Trail Tenders: https://belknaprangetrails.org/belknap-range-trail-map/

Gunstock trail map: https://www.gunstock.com/upload/photos/page_111_hiking-trail_map-8.5x11-compressed.pdf

Gear Review: Groundbird Gear Harness

We recently made another addition to our niche gear collection - Tango has a new Groundbird Gear harness!  

Groundbird Gear is a cottage shop specializing in tailor-made dog packs + harnesses and now camping quilts.  They're especially popular for long distance hiker pups and dogs who don't fit the "traditional" sizes.

While Tango is still kicking trail butt for a 12 year old, he's getting a little gimpy in the back end and prone to taking the less-than-easiest route when it comes to obstacles.  He's generally fine on his own but with our rugged New England terrain, there's times when I want to support him up or down a trail hazard rather than watch him do the 'shaky-legs finish' after landing a jump.  So I choose our hikes carefully and bring the old man. And a Solvit hip support harness, Pack-a-Paw rescue harness, and an assortment of pain relievers.  People wonder why my pack is stuffed to the gills!   

With that context, it was clearly time to put health & safety over his disapproval for "clothing."  I decided to talk to Marie at Groundbird Gear about their tailor-made harness as an alternative to linking our existing Web Master Pro and hip harness together.  Fast forward a few weeks because we know how that conversation ended!

The harness fits so perfectly, it's like the GB team came up to New Hampshire and took the measurements themselves.  I swear they looked at my numbers & the photos I sent and knew exactly how they should've read! 

And the ultimate approval: Tango doesn't try to bow out of the way when I approach him to get dressed.  He moves freely in any situation and appears confident when receiving support, even when it's a quick, unexpected grab because he made a questionable choice like hopping onto a slippery boulder (making me super glad we made the investment - the fact that it's so comfortable and easy to put on means he's in it more than he would be in another brand, increasing the chances I have the ability to assist him).  We're in the wrong season to test how he does with it in hot and/or humid weather but it should be far more comfortable than his other gear, even the lightweight hi-viz vest, being only 7oz of breathable fabric.

The benefits of a custom GB harness (over our experience with other harnesses):

- super breathable (Tango is pretty heat-sensitive for an Arkansas native)

- buckle clips all around - most convenient for both of us when dressing and undressing

- unrivaled fit, i.e. shoulder straps that don't inhibit shoulder motion & belly pad straps that don't ride up on armpits.  I'm fortunate that Ruffwear fits both of my dogs pretty well but this harness is next level.

- two handles - perpendicular, rather than the parallel style I like from Ruffwear, but well-suited to our needs

That narrow chest strap tho!

Special features for Tango:

- extra narrow chest strap with added flex for the dog that has no "gap"

- a longer body to accommodate the primary support function of the harness

- wide belly pad for extra comfortable support

- D-ring at the back to connect a hip harness

I also splurged on upgrading to the Help 'em Up hip lift harness to complement the GB since it's Tango's lower back that I'm most focused on protecting.  The Solvit works just fine but is heavier and a little clunkier overall.  He doesn't wear it often but I think it should fit as comfortably as the rest of his gear.  I've also added a short rope attachment so that I can continue to provide assistance when I can't be immediately behind him.  Right now it's just something I had laying around that happens to work really well but I may MacGyver a new lead soon.  

Comfortable in motion and at rest

With the Help'em Up hip lift harness

A final note on the GB harness: Groundbird Gear was exceedingly pleasant to work with.  I had so many questions, over-thought every little aspect, and took weeks to order after initiating the conversation.  Marie was patient, helpful, and showed how well she knows her craft from start to finish of the project. 

Now to the trails! 

Links are provided for convenience - no sponsorships or freebies associated with this post 

Mt Roberts - Castle in the Clouds

Location: Castle in the Clouds, Ossipee Range, Moultonborough, NH

Elevation, gain: 2570 ft, 1350 ft gain

Trail: In and out via Mt Roberts Tr

Distance: 4.6 mi - 5.5 mi, depending on your source of info*

Difficulty: Moderate

Hike duration: 3 hours, including stops at vistas - easily a good trail running summit or introduction to hiking.

Management agency: Lakes Region Conservation Trust

Parking: Plenty of parking on the Castle in the Clouds property, some lots closer to the trailhead than others.  *This is where I'm guessing the mileage discrepancy comes in.  

Summary:  Mt Roberts is one of my favorite underrated hikes and checks a lot of boxes for us.  The terrain and distance is very Tango-friendly with gentle footing and elevation gains.  But there's plenty of excitement for the wild one within its open hardwood forest, old stone walls, and ledges.  It's closer than the Whites for us but I don't feel cheated out of a "real" hike - there's appreciable elevation gain, solitude from civilization, and beautiful views that we don't have to share with the hoards like on nearby Mt Major.  Worth noting for owners of doggos like my Tybee is that we always hear distant gunshots on this one and there's always moose tracks near the summit.  The Lakes Region Conservation Trust has a kiosk packed with information and a donation box at the first parking lot. 

The trail starts past the horse barn (moved home for the winter but otherwise a welcome site and yes, we've met them on the lower trails).  I believe most of the trail follows an old  carriage road - it's broad, climbs gently, and has excellent footing. 

At about 1 mile is a short spur (was well-marked but the tree has fallen) to  a view out to Winnipesaukee and the Belknap Range.

Then begins the "climb."  The elevation increase comes more steadily and steeper, though still moderate in my opinion for the grade and duration.  Footing remains good, though a little rockier.  On this day, this where I started seeing a few patches of ice. 

One of my absolute favorite parts about Mt Roberts is the amount of time spent on open and partially open ledges, which begins after about another half mile.  For the remainder of the hike, one gradually weaves in and out of the trees, encountering the only evergreens of the hike, and over gentle rock ledges, offering an array of views.

Left: looking up the ridge, right: looking back down from the top.  Note the granite spine of the trail.

In the patches of woods, the ice became more prevalent and there's some hard, crunchy snow that seems to be sticking for the season.  

The trail pops out on the summit loop, you can go either way to reach the summit but I found keeping right easier for orientating myself.  For the descent, we continued on the loop - be sure to keep left and keep an eye out for the Mt Roberts Trail (signage below the actual junction).

Summit:

Is it just me or is she looking directly at Mt Washington?

And that's a wrap! Not much to report about the descent since it's via the same trail, though the views are that much more enjoyable since one is facing them!

Helpful sources:

Places to visit - LRCT
NH Family Hikes

Hiking and Fishing