Lucas and I exclusively go for out-there and moderate car spots when we hike together, and today was no different. We got an early start at South Pond Recreation Site in Stark, leaving his car at the end and bringing mine to the nearby Mill Brook Road. Despite reports that the road was soft and difficult to travel, we had smooth sailing in vehicles with and without trail tires.
After tucking the car in the upper lot, just before the road "ends," we started with a beginning elevation of 1800 feet. The woods were open, quiet, and colorful throughout Northern Unknown Pond, resembling a lesser-traveled variation of its southern half. The footpath was consistently stable, hardly eroded, and only partially covered with leaves- always my preference this time of year!
As we passed from Stark to Kilkenny, marked with a bold blue Townline, we were startled by a grouse and a sudden jolt in elevation gain. While consistently manageable, the jump from 2400 to 3000 feet quickly yielded more snow than we had anticipated. As we neared the ridge, the woods changed into a mossy spruce hallway, and the grades eased to a gentle flat. Soon, we let the pond be known and stopped for a snack at Unknown Pond.
Unknown Pond was calm as ever, as was the gentle ridge we followed up until the height of land parallel to Unknown Pond Peak. As we began to drop 3300 feet to 2600 feet, we traveled a slippery-leaf and snowy sidehill. Elevation dissipated quickly, and soon enough, we entered a series of bogs covered with bridges of varying ages. While some bridges had been freshly textured, others had been reduced to fragments of beaver dams. This presented a fun challenge in navigating over wet sections without falling in!
As we climbed briefly to the top of Rodger's Ledge, I was reminded of that distinct left turn where the gain gets real for just a few moments. At the top, we enjoyed snowy views of the Presidentials, looks over the Pilot Range, and then over the Crescent Range we explored last month. Further, we shared some laughs as two hikers joked about attempting Eric Todd Sweet's famous headstand on the side of the ledge. Though no one was daring enough- it was yet another reason to stick around and soak in the view.
As we started our descent, I was wowed by how pedestrian this part of Kilkenny Ridge felt compared to the other ~18 miles. The footing was remarkably steady, and the rock-hop steps to mitigate erosion were impressive. As we neared Devil's Hopyard, we weighed our expectations- mine especially leaning towards it being a more-or-less paved path due to the proximity to the recreation area.
I soon remembered, however, that this trail was a terrifying 25 elective- and for good reason. Though just 0.3 miles long, the trail had frigid mossy rocks, with a spooky-sounding stream running beneath it. The agility and care it took to ascend the Gulch allowed me to take it in in ways I simply couldn't have had it been easier.
What grasped me most about Devil's Hopyard wasn't the moss, the sounds, or even the way light refused to enter. It was the chill of the area- there was almost a threshold we crossed that instantly dropped 15 degrees. And while I'm sure it was the lack of sun or the way the cold stream carried through the air... something about it leaned to the eerie side.
Okay now that the Halloween discourse is over, the next mile to the car was a breeze and we enjoyed several lake-side views of the gorgeous water neither of us had seen before. There were just two pontoons on the water, and the lake was calm as could be. What a great way to come out of spookier woods!
Final Stats:
10.87 miles
2,187 gain