Eastman Living Online Magazine

By Peter Hope

Snowshoe walks are a winter highlight. We meet on Wednesday mornings, usually at 8:30, at the Cross Country Center to carpool to the trailhead. Our Eastman and Upper Valley walks are Easy/Moderate. Because of unpredictable snow conditions, the trip destinations are announced weekly rather than in advance. the meeting time is in highlights each week. contact me at phope@worldpath.net or 863-6456 if you are willing to be a snowshoe walk leader.

Hiking in winter is a great sport, but it requires more advance planning than in other seasons. Proper, warm, layered clothing and good boots are essential, as are reliable snowshoes and/or shoe or boot traction such as micro-spikes. on eastman ski trails, snowshoes are required, and one should stay off the grooved tracks. Always take adequate food, water, and gear for comfort and for unexpected emergencies. This is especially important off-trail and in the backcountry. Always let others know details of your plans and never trust electronics in the wild but rely, instead, on a map and compass; self-rescue whenever possible. I had to do this myself this past fall, when I unexpectedly lost the flagging on a planned but not yet built trail.

My Winter Picks:
Phillips Preserve, New London
This conserved property has an excellent trail system. though near interstate 89, you will hear traffic noise only at the start of your hike. From exit 12 on I 89, turn left toward new london and take your first left onto little sunapee road. Bear left on Otterville Road. This leads under the highway and by Goose Hole Pond on your right. Turn right onto a bridge and take an immediate right, again, onto the narrow but easily passable Goose Hole Road. soon you will see the conservation area on the left. You can park in a vehicle pulloff a short distance beyond on the right, just before a house on the left. Walk back to the marked trailhead.

Start climbing on an old woods road but soon turn sharply right and continue climbing to a trail junction. (The Quarry loop bears right here, but this has a steep section that may be tricky in winter.) Bear left on the Summit Trail, which soon levels out. At the next junction, bear right and climb easily on the Ridge Trail, then bear left on the Ridge Loop Trail. You will soon reach the summit, from where you will see a picnic table a little below and to the left, at a spot with a great view towards Mt. Sunapee and Lake Sunapee.

For a longer hike, continue on a trail downhill from here, soon joining the Otter Pond Loop. Bear right and descend to the edge of Otter Pond. The trail follows the shoreline for quite a distance, affording numerous views of this attractive pond. Eventually, the route swings inland and climbs through pleasant woods back to the summit area. From there, descend on the Ridge Loop Ridge and Summit Trail back to the start of this adventure.

The longer hike is a total distance of 2-3 miles, with a 350’ elevation gain. Easy/Moderate

Northern Rail Trail, Lebanon
Many of you know this trail, which now extends south all the way from Lebanon to Penacook near concord. But it will soon be completed in the other direction, heading west to West Lebanon. Part of this section is already finished and more is a work in progress. This is the route I suggest you take. Starting from the kiosk behind the Carter Community Building Association (CCBA), the route extends through the large parking area, curving to the left behind downtown Lebanon. You will see stairs leading up, next to the recently closed rail tunnel. Climb these and walk above the tunnel until you reach NH-120. Cross on the crosswalk to the left and descend to mascoma street. Just beyond the real estate office on the right, turn into the parking lot to regain the rail trail. Just across the grade is a tiny pocket park above impressive rapids on the mascoma river. Cross the river on the rail bridge, now redone with hard- pack and decking, to reach the old grade crossing where mechanic, mascoma and high streets all meet.

Beyond the old crossing, there is a kiosk where the hard-packed rail trail takes off behind numerous back yards. After about a half mile, the completed trail ends for now, just before the underpass connecting mascoma and mechanic streets. But to reach the best parking at this point, continue walking just above the underpass to reach a large parking area on your right. This is an excellent point at which to spot a car in case you aren’t interested in walking back to the kiosk.

One can continue for almost a mile, as the rails, ties and plates have already been pulled. the footing is gravel ballast, so winter may be the best time to explore. the route crosses I-89 and overlooks some fairly wild areas. Just after a cut, you will reach the first trestle over the mascoma river. There are good views to be had in this area, but I advise against proceeding farther. The trestle has only rails and ties and is not safe for walking, and beyond this point the railroad grade is overgrown, with only a faint herd path to walk on. Save a longer walk for the time when more work will have been done to insure a safe trek. Return the way you came in order to access your car. The round-trip distance is about 2 miles. Easy

HAPPY WINTER! AND, 
AS ALWAYS: THINK SNOW!