An early taste of Fall 9/21/11

[TDawg]

Took a little afternoon hike up the northern approach to Mt. Israel via the Guinea Pond and Mead trails. As expected, the red maples along the wetlands of the Beebe River were in their fall colors. The reds, oranges, yellows, and golds of fall were showing in the valley along with the smells of the season. Summer was still hanging on in the occasional Purple Aster along the Guinea Pond trail and away from the wetlands, where fall is still a week or two away. The Mead trail is a moderate (dare I say easy,) ascent to the beautiful summit ledges. Hung around for 1hr45min on the lower ledge below the summit, taking in the views and a short nap in the warm sunshine. Relaxing afternoon out messin' around.


Sandwich Range


From the old Beebe River railbed in the swamp

Album

Slideshow

Edit: On a side note, Sandwich Notch Road is in pretty (relatively) good shape from Thornton in to the Guinea Pond TH. The long uphill section in the beginning (usually the roughest section IMO) has be regraded and smoothed out, nicely. (For the time being)

The two paved sections were the roughest yesterday, the one just before Hall Pond road being a little worse than the one just before the "white house."

 

[bjc]

Nice! Your slideshow aptly tells the tale of an afternoon well spent.

 

[1HappyHiker]

Todd . . . very nice!
In my perfect world, it would always be Autumn!

 

[kltilton]

I love the Guinea Pond Trail in the fall. My wife and I usually go there to walk off all the junk we ate at the Sandwich Fair.

 

[TDawg]

Nice! Your slideshow aptly tells the tale of an afternoon well spent.

Thanks, I thought so.

Todd . . . very nice!
In my perfect world, it would always be Autumn!

Thank you, John. It is a great time of year to be a hiker.

I love the Guinea Pond Trail in the fall. My wife and I usually go there to walk off all the junk we ate at the Sandwich Fair.

This was my third visit in the fall, it's a pretty little corner of the forest.

 

[ksearl]

Very nice album. Looks like a great day up there. I like the huge toad and mushroom shots especially. Looks like autumn is certainly on its way.

Thanks for sharing!
Karl

 

[erugs]

Todd . . . very nice!
In my perfect world, it would always be Autumn!

Lookin' for the "Like" button.

 

[erugs]

Tdawg - my first hike up Isreal was about 8 years ago. We decided we'd return on the Mead Trail and then lost the trail when it entered the swamp and we kept going straight. Eventually we were up to our knees in water, but it was a nice fall day and we were laughing as we plunged along. Finally we turned sharply left and made it to the trail that runs beside the swamp. Another trail lesson learned.

 

[TDawg]

...lost the trail when it entered the swamp and we kept going straight.

Sounds like you lost the trail on Guinea Pond trail.

The trail is re-routed off the old rail line just west of the Guinea Pond/Mead/Black Mtn. Pond trail junction. Not sure then, but now there is a sign with direction arrows along with medium sized logs in the bed at the re-route point where this picture was taken looking down the dead end towards the swamp. The old rail bed goes straight into the swamp while the re-route goes left around to the south.

This pic was taken from where the old rail bed starts to sink into the swamp, probably right where you began to get your feet wet.

 

[erugs]

Sounds like you lost the trail on Guinea Pond trail.

That was it. If it didn't seem so "preposterous" to us, we wouldn't have been so giddy, and then might have had cold, wet feet about trying something like that again. One could say, a "dry sense of humor helps."