Brief Report of a Trek to Bayle & Bald Mountain in the Ossipees: (20-Nov-2008)

[1HappyHiker]

It was a treat to accompany two very experienced and skilled hikers (Keith and Steve) on a trek to the Ossipees. We hiked the blazed trail up to Bayle Mountain, and from there we bushwacked to Bald Mountain. We eventually whacked our way off Bald Mountain down to Gilman Valley Rd where we had spotted a car.

Bayle Mountain provided some very fine views, and it alone was worth the 1.5 mile on-trail hike!! The bushwhack portion over to Bald Mountain was also extremely enjoyable as we hiked through beautiful open forest, intermingled with some excellent view-ledges. There are no views from the actual summit of Bald Mountain itself. However, owing to the expertise of Keith and Steve, some fantastic views were discovered on a small north-facing ledge, just a few minutes away from the summit.

OK, here’s just a brief geology lesson. Bear with me, there is a point to it! Apparently, the Ossipees are considered by many geologists to be the best example in the world of a “ring dike” formation. These structures form when an underground bubble of magma collapses, leaving a circular crack on the Earth’s surface. Then, when magma erupts through the crack, it creates a ring-shaped mountain range like the Ossipees.

The point of the geology lesson is merely to say that a portion of this ring-shaped formation is clearly visible from Bayle Mountain as you look southward toward peaks such as Shaw, Flagg, etc. I was unable to adequately capture this photographically. However, I’m certain that others with photographic equipment & skills better than mine have done so.

Below is just a very small sampling of photos from our adventure.

SAMPLE VIEW FROM BAYLE:

SAMPLE VIEW FROM LEDGE OFF BALD MOUNTAIN:

PORTION OF CIRCULAR “RING-DIKE” FORMATION:

UNUSUAL BOULDERS:

FROST FLOWERS:

1HappyHiker

 

[Jazzbo]

Summit Basalt Assault

John

Great TR! Sardog1 once posted this link to this Geology Field Trip webpage. I know enough about geology to know basalt when I see it. Those dark colored boulders appear to be basalt. And it coincides with area on the gologic map in the report as being in Bald Mt portion of your hike. Although those looked like they may have been deposited downstream of glacial flow as erratics on Bayle ledges of other materials.

Check this field trip out ... although geologists are way worse than meteorologists when it comes to coining esoteric terminology.

http://faculty.uml.edu/nelson_eby/Field%20Trip%20guides/Ossipee%20NEIGC.pdf

Jazzbo

 

[rocket21]

Great trip report! In the "Unusual Boulders" photo, I see a shadow - was that the big foot we've read about?

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Nope

Aliens for sure! They might be out looking for MJ and McRat to bring home.

Love the frost shot!

KDT

 

[MichaelJ]

Aliens for sure! They might be out looking for MJ and McRat to bring home.

Onna dese days!

 

[1HappyHiker]

Great trip report! In the "Unusual Boulders" photo, I see a shadow - was that the big foot we've read about?

Well Jeremy, you are absolutely correct! Didn’t want to be the one to let the cat out of the bag. But now that you’ve opened the door, here’s the scoop!

The two black boulders are actually cleverly disguised traps (notice the bait scattered about on the flat rocks in front of each boulder). The shadow is indeed “Big Foot” approaching the trap. But, I must report that the trap failed, and so the legend lives on!

 

[rocket21]

The two black boulders are actually cleverly disguised traps (notice the bait scattered about on the flat rocks in front of each boulder). The shadow is indeed “Big Foot” approaching the trap. But, I must report that the trap failed, and so the legend lives on!

Crikey! Maybe next time!

 

[carole]

“In 1931, Louise Kingsley and Marland P. Billings characterized the unusual geological story that sets the Ossipees apart from the rest of the state in an article in the American Journal of Science, Cauldron subsidence of the Ossipee Mountains. The “cauldron subsidence” of this ring dike complex is almost unique in the world, and it is certainly the finest example of such a formation in all of North America. The range forms an almost perfectly circular ring nine miles across, with a resistant rim of bedrock in all but its easternmost part. Because of its remoteness and steep slopes, the Ossipees have withstood much of the development that the remainder of the region has been subjected to over the last 200 years. The lack of stone walls and mature forest types attest to the wild character it still retains. The Ossipee Mountains provide a unique opportunity to study and preserve a large forested area that has received very limited use by humans. It contains a remarkable complex of uncommon bedrock types, very steep and erosive soils, five major clear water brooks, a diverse array of pristine forest types, a complete complement of upland furbearers, and a number of rare and exemplary natural communities. At present, it is mostly roadless and trail-less, and receives very little visitation by humans. Its remoteness and inaccessibility continues to ensure its protection from excessive human use.”

More recently:
“Initial bioinventory surveys have discovered groves of old-growth forests in excess of 400 years of age, and have identified dozens of rare, endangered, and threatened plant species. The Ossipees contain some of the finest undisturbed landscapes in central New England, shelter the highest diversity and density of rare plants in the Lakes Region, and include the most diverse group of contiguous old growth forests in New Hampshire. The Ossipee Mountains are living testimony to the unspoiled wilderness that pioneer families encountered on the New England frontier.”

http://www.gmcg.org/administration/pdf/2003-summer.pdf

Tread lightly and help preserve this special area.

 

[1HappyHiker]

Thanks Carole for the link, and for the very interesting & informative quotes relative to the uniqueness and very special nature of the Ossipees!

And, there can be no disagreement with your statement below. The 3 of us who did this hike & bushwhack all took special care to “tread lightly” in this special place, and to leave no trace of our presence.

Tread lightly and help preserve this special area.

 

[zman]

Fame has found you!

Since I've been stuck in the flatlands the last few weeks I've been trying to keep up with news from the top- Don't know much about geologoy but I figured I should know what a “ring dike” formation looks like in case I run into one- so I googled it and guess what- the 9th hit is 1Happyhiker's post!!! wow


Brief Report of a Trek to Bayle & Bald Mountain in the Ossip...
Nov 20, 2008 ... Apparently, the Ossipees are considered by many geologists to be the best example in the world of a “ring dike” formation. ...

www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php... - 12 hours ago - Similar pages

 

[1HappyHiker]

I figured I should know what a “ring dike” formation looks like in case I run into one- so I googled it and guess what- the 9th hit is 1Happyhiker's post!!!

But, we should all be careful about interpreting the hits generated from search engines (Google, and others). Search engines create answers of convenience rather than answers of authority because authority cannot really be indexed or optimized.

So, if my VFTT post generates a hit relative to “ring-dike”, then that supports the notion that the search engine has generated an answer of convenience, rather than an answer of authority! Because, I can guarantee that I’m not an authority on “ring-dikes”!

 

[NeoAkela]

Great report, John! The Ossipees are really exploding this year as an under-appreciated area, and all these excellent reports plus Trail Bandit's incredible map open so many possible hike opportunities! Thanks for the great photos and information!

It's gonna be hard getting used to actually driving a distance to hike, though!

 

[Tobit]

The Ossipees are really exploding this year as an under-appreciated area

Yup, we can thank carole, Rocket21, TB, and a few others. I'm taking my first trip to the Ossipees tomorrow and I have a feeling I will enjoy the day very much. Don't forget, there are some hidden gems in the Belknaps as well. Lately, the Belknaps have been my favorite but I have a feeling the Ossipees may change that or at least tie.