Cardigan and Firescrew 6/13/09

[mtruman]

We were supposed to be spending the weekend camping at Cardigan but at the last minute our daughter decided she didn't want to go. The weather forecast was sounding iffy as well so we shifted our plans to a dayhike instead. Turned out to be a good decision...

Got up at 4:30 to have time to walk the dog, get ready and on the road by 6:30. No traffic (except for the about 1000 motorcycles on their way to the first day of Bike Week in Laconia). Made great time and were pulling into Cardigan at 9:45. Weather was absolutely beautiful - high 60s and sunny when we started. We'd never hiked Cardigan when it wasn't covered with snow (which is also great) and were really looking forward to this.

Decided to take the counterclockwise loop up Manning to Firescrew and then Mowglis to Cardigan and down Clark and Holt. We would up being glad we went that direction. The ledges on Firescrew were definitely better to be going up than down. Trails were all in great shape. A little muddy from all the rain lately but no big deal. Very few bugs (a pleasant surprise) other than a friendly group of black flies that decided to join us for lunch (or should I say have us for lunch) on Cardigan. Was getting pretty warm in the woods but once we reached the ledges below Firescrew we had a beautiful breeze the rest of the way. The view from the top was a little hazy but spectacular. The mountains to the north were laid out in green, blue and purple layers through the haze. We really love open ridge walking and this has to be one of the nicest places in New Hampshire for the effort. Being on top sort of has the feel of the mountains in Acadia (except without the ocean views).

The wildflowers were all in bloom. The walk from the beginning of the ledges below Firescrew all the way to Cardigan were just covered with flowers. There were also some interesting fauna (see pictures below). Saw a very fresh bear print on the Manning trail (see the photo album link at the end). Wonder how long ago he was here...

On the way between Firescrew and Cardigan we met several people who were trying to find the Grotto Cave. I followed the cairns and make-shift blazes down with them from the sign but we never did find the cave. Anyone been there and have any hints for next time?

After a nice lunch and what seemed like way too short a stay on top we headed back down via the Clark and Holt Trails. Nice easy descent which happily didn't do my knees in (always an issue with the first few hikes of the season). We took the Nature Trail at the bottom which was a lovely way to end the hike. Wanting to check out the campsites we wandered around for a while and fond the one we want when we get back (sorry, can't give out the number - don't want any competition). The meadow and gardens around the lodge were beautiful and we got a couple of final treats with more flora and fauna. The thunderstorms that had been predicted never materialized and it was a beautiful drive back home. In the pool with a frost Sierra Nevada in hand at 6:30. Couldn't have found a better way to spend the day!!!

Nat surveys the views from Firescrew

Enjoying the view

Great day to be on a mountain

Flora

Blueberry

Blue Bead Lily

Labrador Tea

Help - can't identify these - they were everywhere!

More of the mystery flower on Cardigan summit

Fauna


Milk Snake (right before he disappeared into the rock)

Pretty good camouflage (almost got him stepped on)

A final farewall in the meadow by the lodge

Rest of the pictures are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/mtruman42/Cardigan61309#

 

[Tom Rankin]

Wow, if I had known about the cave, I might have continued on, when we went a few weeks ago! Nice pics!

 

[mtruman]

I'm not sure whether or not you have the AMC map of Cardigan Mountain, but if not, know that when looking for the Grotto Cave you follow the cairns and blazes straight down (to about 2840 feet) and then, after a bit more than a tenth of a mile from the Mowglis Trail, the trail to the cave hooks left. The trail goes another 100 yards or so (?) and the cave is on the left, in the mountainside.

Note that you can see large floes of ice in the cave in the middle of the summer -- nifty!

(We were up on Cardigan on Saturday, as well. We took another route up, though -- the Clark Trail all the way from Shem Valley Road [the road that approaches Cardigan Lodge], over to the Vistamont and up Cardigan by way of Orange Mountain. The Clark Trail starts about a half mile before the Lodge and you can park on the side of the road. Very few people seem to go up this way; we never see anyone until just a bit before the summit.)

I had the AMC map. Saw the cairns from the sign on the Mowglis trail for the caves and followed them and the blazes down till they ran out. The trail seemed quite well worn further down but I think perhaps we missed the turn since I'm quite sure we went further than the 0.1 you mentioned. We ended at a fairly steep section of mossy/muddy ledge that had some apparent foot marks on it but it certainly didn't seem to be trail. Gave up and turned around at that point since my wife had decided that finding the cave wasn't worth the effort and had stayed at the top. We'll definitely give it more of a go next time. Sounds pretty interesting from the description. How big is it? Can multiple people actually get inside or is it just a small, tight squeeze?

I like the suggestion on the alternate trail head. Lots of trails at Cardigan and I'd really like to give more of them a shot in the future.

 

[mtruman]

That would be awesome (especially the pics). I envy you being close enough to hike it once a week. Of course I'm jealous of anyone who's close enough to hike any mountain once a week

 

[Amicus]

mtruman:

Saturday was quite a busy day on Cardigan and Firescrew, it would appear. With McRat and his 9-year old son, I hiked a route much like yours - ascending to Firescrew from Cardigan Lodge by the Manning Trail, following the ridge trail south to Cardigan and its tower, and returning by the Clark, Cathedral Forest and lower Holt Trails. I'm not sure how we missed your party and Barkingcat, but probably we were later - started around 11 am and didn't finish until 4 or so.

Cardigan had been at the very top of my to-hike list for quite a while and it lived up to my high expectations, even on a day when visibility was decent but not great. I particularly liked the view shown in your "Enjoying the View" photo, of Moosilauke to the north, with Mt. Carr in front of it to the right.

 

[arghman]

Help - can't identify these - they were everywhere!

definitely rose family (Rosaceae), probably a cherry (Prunus sp.) or chokeberry (Aronia sp. = Photinia sp.), ID can often require more than just a casual glance, so I usually don't even bother with those. This is true with many genera of the rose family (e.g. also Amelanchier, Rubus, Rosa, and especially Crataegus; out west add Potentilla to the list), so sometimes it is good to Learn to Accept Ambiguity.

edit: p.s. I didn't realize there was Labrador tea on Cardigan, I guess that makes sense given the altitude/acidity. Were you in the small boggy area between the summits?

 

[mtruman]

definitely rose family (Rosaceae), probably a cherry (Prunus sp.) or chokeberry (Aronia sp. = Photinia sp.), ID can often require more than just a casual glance, so I usually don't even bother with those. This is true with many genera of the rose family (e.g. also Amelanchier, Rubus, Rosa, and especially Crataegus; out west add Potentilla to the list), so sometimes it is good to Learn to Accept Ambiguity.

edit: p.s. I didn't realize there was Labrador tea on Cardigan, I guess that makes sense given the altitude/acidity. Were you in the small boggy area between the summits?

Looking at the photos Black Chokeberry looks right. Some sites show a different leaf shape (more pointed) and others rounded like these. The flowers definitely look the same.

The Labrador Tea was between the summits right before the last ledge up to Cardigan. Wasn't in the boggy area though - it was up on the ledges in a bit of cleft right off the path.

 

[Amicus]

I'm wondering if you saw a group of folks headed up the Clark Trail around 2:00 pm or so, with one of them wearing this...?

We found it a bit odd, given that the person was moving, that the thing might actually work...?

I didn't notice such a device but sympathize with its wearer, as the Clark Trail had a lot of blackflies as we were descending it around then. Checking the time-stamps on a few snaps I took, I see that we arrived at the fire-tower, after hiking south from Firescrew, around 1:35, so I guess we just missed you. Too bad, as it would be nice to cross paths outside a bar.

 

[Jonni]

While I've never seen these on the trail I did meet someone (in Wal-Mart of all places) that swears by them. I was picking up some Bens 100, and this woman said that she and her husband go hunting with these little fan things. The one she had wasn't OFF brand, but something else. She swore by them and tried to encourage me to buy one. Thinking about it for a while I opted for the more chemical based, lighter approach of sticking with the Bens 100 spray. Figuring that the lighter the load, even if it's just minus a little fan thing like that, the happier my legs and feet will be.

Cardigan was a great hike when I did it a few weeks ago. Made it a nice afternoon hike up the West Ridge Trail. Never hiked it before then, and loved every minute of it!

 

[McRat]

Quite a busy day here for Cardigan. Hiking with Amicus, I noticed someone wearing that clip on fan thing, but had no idea what it was.

I figured we ran into them around just above the Cathedral Forest trail, if that gives any indication of how close we were.

Nice TR and pics of a great little mountain.

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Nice TR, Mark!

We've been meaning to make the loop over Firescrew for some time now. This gives us new ambition!

KDT

 

[RoySwkr]

The Clark Trail starts about a half mile before the Lodge and you can park on the side of the road. Very few people seem to go up this way; we never see anyone until just a bit before the summit.)

If I recall correctly, the early portion of Clark Trail has been removed from the AMC guidebook which may reduce visitation. But it is a public right-of-way to at least one parcel of land.

I wasn't that impressed with Grotto Cave, it's really more of a shelter.

 

[RoySwkr]

Perhaps because of the rotting bridge the AMC folks want folks to avoid using the Clark Trail before its intersection with the Woodland Trail?

I think the AMC only cares about loops from the lodge if you look at the conditions of the other trails

Note that the Woodland Trail has also been relocated to a rougher route to stay on state/AMC land instead of crossing the field like it once did

The last time I hiked the lower Clark, I met a guy who owned property beyond the orchards I think who hoped to build a cabin there