The Jefferson Dome Region: Cherry Mountain to Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge

The Owls Head Trail is closed from Route 115 to the White Mountain National Forest boundary because of a landowner request. Therefore the direct route over Mt. Martha and Owls Head has been cut off. Because of this, you must detour down the south side of Cherry Mountain (Mt. Martha) down the south branch of the Cherry Mountain Trail to Route 115 in Carroll township. Mt. Martha summit with its fine views is close to the junction, so trekking to the summit is a must and takes no time at all. If you spend just another half hour running northwestward from Mt. Martha summit along Martha’s Mile, you will reach the superb ledges atop Owls Head. They offer the finest views of the western wall of the Presidential Range that can be had in the Whites. I’ve camped up there several times to watch the sun rise over Adams, Madison and Jefferson.

Retreat back to the junction with the Cherry Mountain Trail just below Mt. Martha summit and descend into the valley on a trail that is moderate and even moderately steep in places. Reach a parking lot alongside Route 115. Cross directly across the highway to Lennon Road. Walk about a quarter mile to a road on the right (will check the name for you shortly). Walk that road to the west for two miles until it ends at a long abandoned railroad line. Turn right northward on the old railbed and walk about a mile out to Airport Road near the biomass powerplant. Cross Airport Road directly and enter a parking lot for the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge. Continue to walk the old railbed in pleasant country until you reach Waumbek Junction in the vicinity of Cherry Pond. You are back on the CT now. Continue straight ahead along the tracks, or turn right 300 feet or so to the refuge observation deck for a fine view of the region. Moving straight ahead along the tracks, cross over the source of the Johns River, soon pass the great view of the marsh and the Presidential Range, and reach the cross trails junction. Turn right and get out on the Ice Ramparts Trail in a few seconds. You are headed for the Col. Whipple Trail and eventually the Whipple Road, Route 115A and Jefferson village.

SLIDE BROOK TRAIL: (Jefferson) just north of Route 115, this trail is still closed. Work is still scheduled to begin in 2010. A long string of bog bridges are being developed to carry the trail over beaver flowage.

To bypass the closed trail, northbounders must turn east (right) on Route 115 and follow it to Route 115A. Turn north (left) on Route 115A and walk a quarter mile and go under a powerline. Look on the left now and watch for a gate 100 feet to the south (left). Once you see the gate, turn toward it and pass through or around it. You are on the old B&M Railroad bed headed toward Moorhen Marsh and Cherry Pond in the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge. That's exactly where you want to be.

Southbounders will have come around Cherry Pond and will be headed east toward the Presidential Range in the distance, walking on the old B&M Railroad bed. The trail used to cut south just after the big trestle bridge over Slide Brook, but now the trail will continue on the railbed to Route 115A. Reach 115A and turn uphill (right) and walk a quarter mile to Route 115. Turn right,(south), and walk a long half mile to the Owls Head trailhead on the left side of the highway. You are where you should be.

THE KILKENNY

During dry seasons, there is very little potential for getting water after you pass the spring on Mt. Starr King and before you get into the notches between the two prominent mountain ranges, the Pliny and the Pilots. Be sure to carry lots of water with you over the Pliny's or run the real risk of serious dehydration. The only spring you will find beyond Starr King is a small seep on the southeast flank of Mt. Weeks. Unfortunately, it dries out often.

In the Pilots, the water situation is much better. However, on the trek up Mt. Cabot, you should bring plenty of water with you for the overnight at the Mt. Cabot watchman's cabin. There is a spring near the summit of Cabot, but it is very difficult to find and a long, arduous way off the trail downhill.

SUGARLOAF ARM CAMP:

This campsite was never built. However, the site is designated as a permissible spot to camp, if you can find it. To find it (no signage whatsoever), you must climb Sugarloaf Arm. Northbounders will come over the Arm and descend down the east side until you reach a snowmobile bridge over a small trickle of water. The camp site is now behind you, uphill (from whence you came) about 250 feet. Turn around and go uphill until the terrain levels a bit. The site is off the trail here about 200 feet in the woods. There is nothing there to designate it as a camp site. However, the site is very level and a good spot to set up a tent.

Southbounders: Climb the Sugarloaf Arm to the point where you cross a snowmobile bridge in the trail high on the Arm. Go uphill 250 feet beyond the bridge. The camp site will be on your right here, 200 feet into the woods. There is nothing here to tell you this is a designated campsite. However, the site itself is very level and quite suitable to pitch a tent.

Most years, there is water in the little brook beneath the bridge in every month except August. In dry years, the brook dries up completely.

SUGARLOAF MT. TRAIL:

Extensive work was done on this trail in July, 2008. DRED, the NorthWoods Stewardship Center and the Cohos Trail Association worked to get this trail upgraded. The NorthWoods Stewardship Center installed over 70 rock waterbars.

BALDHEAD LEAN-TO:

There is a tarpolin in the lean-to, plus a hammer and nails. If you are caught in a freak storm that rams wind and rain into the lean-to, pull down the tarp, set it with nails and take shelter. Before you leave, pack up the tarp, stow it away, and pull the nails out and put them back in the tin can.

DIXVILLE PEAK

On the south flank of Dixville Peak, you are exposed to full sun and heat for as much as two hours on the long push up the mountain. Be sure to prepare for this possibility during hot weather.

LINK TO THE BALSAMS WILDERNESS SKI AREA

Well down the slopes of Dixville Peak as you trek north, the wide old service road eventually makes a S-turn uphill to the right and then downhill to the left. In the left turn, the Cohos Trail cuts right and uphill. Be sure not to follow the old service road into the valley. Be sure to watch for the link trail in the tight left turn, and climb out uphill going northbound toward the ski area summit about a quarter of a mile away...

LINK TRAIL TO TABLE ROCK

About 500 feet north and below the ski lift towers on the wide ski trail, the Cohos Trail link out to Table Rock (a mile away) cuts right at a shallow angle. Watch for the trail drifting to the right and take it. The trail stays with the ridgeline and does not descend into the valley as the ski trails do.

WEATHER TOWER ROAD ON NORTH SANGUINARY RIDGE:

A dirt road has been built along some of the distance of north Sanguinary Ridge, between Mt. Sanguinary's true summit and the summit of Mud Pond Ridge. The Cohos Trail now pops out of the woods onto that trail. There is yellow blazing in the trees where it comes out of the woods, so those moving in the opposite direction can see the trail entrance off the road readily.

Walk this ridgeline lane for more than a quarter mile. There's a wind tower at the head of the lane. Northbounders will reach a hard turn downhill. Follow around the turn and watch on your right for two yellow-topped stakes. That's the trail leaving the road and going off to the Panorama lean-to.

MUD POND ACCESS:

On some older maps and the old guidebook, there is incorrect information about the access to Mud Pond once the trail comes off the High Route onto the Spruce Trail north of the pond itself. In the old info, it indicated the pond could be reached by making a 50 foot jog to the left and then follow a trail to the right. This way actually takes the hiker below Mud Pond and up onto the flank of Van Dyke Mt. and Sugar Hill.

To reach Mud Pond's north spillway pipe and dam (nice place for lunch), come down off the High Route onto the broad Spruce Trail. Turn left (southwest) and walk 700 to 800 feet on the old gravel lane (no traffic). Pick up the access to the pond on the right and descend gradually to a little earthen dam with a spill pipe in it. This is a great spot for lunch and a fine spot to watch wildlife. If you camp here, you are sure to be rewarded sometime during the evening or early morning with wildlife sightings. Moose, black bear, loon and barred owl are common in the area.

SHORT CUT TO COLEMAN STATE PARK:

Many people take the shortcut (green line on the maps) to cut off the long loop trek around Nathan Pond. We recommend this unless the weather has been very dry. The route south of Nathan Pond is notoriously low and wet and the lane north of the pond sports some of the heaviest grasses and weed growth on the CT. Although the trek to Nathan Pond is worth the effort (in my opinion), it is not when conditions are anything less than perfect.

SUGAR HILL TRAIL:

There is a snowmobile trail spur up to the summit of Sugar Hill now. You can find the spur near the height of land in Tumble Dick Notch. The route up is a short steep trek. The views are wonderful of very remote country.

FINDING THE CT IN COLEMAN STATE PARK: (southbounders)

Trekkers report having some trouble finding the south entrance to the CT in the campground at Coleman State Park in Stewartstown. Here's how to find it. South of the main building in the park is a loop lane with camp sites arrayed along the route. Walk that loop to its bottom. There is a very large yellow birch tree at tentsite # 11 at the very base of the loop. Just behind it is a yellow blaze and an obvious woods lane southbound into the forest. That's the CT. Within a few feet, watch for the trail bearing off sharp left.

NORTH OUT OF COLEMAN STATE PARK:

The Haynes Hill Trail just beyond the southern lip of Coleman State Park cuts right off the CSP main road. This trail is a snowmobile trail. In its lower reaches it is wet and it was logged several years ago. Trekkers report it is in very tough condition in the summer. Bypass this trail by walking half a mile downhill on the main road until you reach the lowest section of the way. Turn right downhill at the first well-built lane you come to. That will put you on the route toward Bear Rock Road.

CLARKSVILLE BOG AND BEN YOUNG HILL: The New Deadwater Trail

The by-pass of Ben Young Hill is open (The Ben Young Hill Trail is permanently closed!)
Stay on the snowmobile trail (Trail 21) from Weirs Tree Farm out to the Deadwater Loop Road *****.

When you reach the Deadwater Road (Trl. 131), you have two options.

Option 1: Turn left to go out to the Cedar Stream Road (1.9 mi) then turn right, cross the paved bridge and continue on for approximately 4.5 miles to the Bog Branch Cut-off (left) to the Lake Francis Trail at the kiosk (Signed).

Option 2: If you prefer a better chance to see wildlife, turn right onto the Deadwater Loop Road (Trl. 131) and bear left at two well-worn junctions, staying on the main road. Where the road forks at a triangle junction take the left fork (7.5 mi). and stay left...You are now on the Cedar Stream Road again. Pass through the open orange gate and watch for a CT sign and mowed path that takes you down to the State kiosk, cross the gated bridge, stay straight at the fork - pass 'Stolgis' Camp and cross the next gated bridge onto The Lake Francis Trail (3.1 Mi.) to Carr's Ridge Bridge.

FROM THE LAKE FRANCIS TRAIL TO BEAR LEDGE CAMPGROUND - MOUNTAIN BUNGALOW - RAMBLEWOOD - MOUNTAINVIEW OR SNOWFIELD CABINS

Option 1: From the River Road at Carr's Ridge Rd. (if you're northbound) - turn left and follow the River Road down (less than a mile) to the Lake Francis State Campground. The Campground Store has snacks & drinks, maps, good company & lots of information on the area.

Option 2: From the River Road at Carr's Ridge Rd. - turn right and follow the River Rd. .7 mi and watch for the Minnon-Young Trail on your left which is a 1/2 mile spur to Young's Store where you can re-supply. Cross Rt. 3 at the northernmost end of the parking lot and take Mountainview Rd. and either stay in Mountain View Campground or continue up through the campground to a short spur in the woods, taking a right onto Danforth Road. Follow Danforth, staying straight past Kingsfield** and Covill Rd. and Danforth Rd. dead-ends at a white house and turn-around. At the last mailbox on the left (266-Castine), take the steep drive up and at the next fork, you'll see Bear Ledge Campground on your right. If you're looking for 'the Mountain Bungalow' continue climbing on the right fork and You're There!

**If you'd like a nice cabin and hot showers at this point, Snowfield Cabins is located on Kingsfield Road. Their rates are readily affordable!

Option 3: From the River Road at Carr's Ridge Rd. - turn right and follow the River Rd. one mile to the end where it intersects with Route 3. Turn right and follow Route 3 North up to 1st Connecticut Lake passing the dam and West Bay. Ramblewood Campground is on your left on Ramblewood Drive across from West Bay and is very hiker-friendly - also has cabins for rent. Paul also has snacks & drinks, maps and information.

THE ROUTE 5 SNOWMOBILE TRAIL TO THE BORDER

From Deer Mountain Campground, northbounders should keep right at virtually all turns all the way north along the route around Moose Flowage and up to Third Connecticut Lake and the border. In short, stay in the vicinity of the river. Do not branch left anywhere and wander into the uplands to the west.

Southbounders should stay left at virtually all turns and junctions on the way south from the border to Deer Mountain Campground. (One left may take you a few feet into a sandpit. Just backtrack and head south). Do not turn right anywhere along the route and move into the uplands in the west. Stay in the river valley.

REMINDERS:

1. The White Mountain National Forest Trails have no CT signs whatsoever. Blazing may be white, light blue, yellow or other colors. Some of these trails are well maintained by other organizations, such as the Randolph Mountain Club, the Appalachian Mountain Club and, of course, by the Forest Service. To get a complete picture of the White Mountain National Forest trails, see the guidebooks that the Randolph Mountain Club and the Appalachian Mountain Club make available to the public

2. The Trails in Northern Clarksville and Pittsburg... Most of the trails in this region do not carry CT signs yet, nor yellow blazing. Ownership transactions on vast acreage, land use planning, conservation easement work and other legal requirements make it necessary for the Cohos Trail Association to bide its time in this region.

The CT uses many existing ways in this region, so moving along the route is not difficult if you have the new CT maps in hand. There are two gaps in the trail in this region, as stated above.

3. For Southbounders: The guidebook is written as if one is northbound on the CT. Southbounders must reverse ALL turns to make the trek. Now, if you walk the trail backwards....

4. Fire Nonstarters: In Coos County and elsewhere around the state, to build a fire out of doors, you must have permission from the landowner and a written permit from the town fire warden. That sums up the TCTA fire policy pretty well. We at TCTA cannot and do not condone the building of campfires.

5. No Phoning Home: If you reach the Canadian border without some arrangement to get out of the area, you are in a pickle. You cannot use phones at the U.S. Customs Station. Your cell phone has long since been out of reach of a cell tower. There is no phone at Deer Mountain Campground four miles to the south. The nearest phone is at Young's Store in Pittsburg, so plan accordingly.