Maps, Elevations & Summary
Distance: 4.8 milesMaximum Elevation: 1,304 ft.
TRAIL REPORT
This was the prefect day for a hike. Early morning temperatures were 37 degrees so no ice, trails were dry and the temp was supposed to rise up into the mid 60's. Also, it might be the last weekend that there were few mosquitos about so I decided to head up to the Rattlesnakes for a big loop hike. I heard that these were very poplar hiking destinations so I decided to leave early, arriving at the trailhead just before 7:30 a.m. The lot was absolutely empty, so I parked and donned boots and pack and set off up the Old Bridle path. The path is very wide with lots of very convenient steps and water breaks. In no time at all a spur is reached at 0.9 miles which leads to a small granite ledge with the first views of Squam Lake.
I imagine that in the summer, most of this view is blocked by leaves. Getting back on the trail, I continued on to the second set of ledges which are just 0.2 miles farther. These are wide open and afford a beautiful unobstructed view of the lake. Bennett and Veerie Coves were a beautiful blue color in the morning light and the air was still, making the lake look like a mirror.
Looking further to the southeast, the first views of Red Hill are experienced.
Looking straight out, the first thing that I noticed was the peninsula immediately below the ledge. This was Five Finger Point. There are trails at the base of the mountain that circle this mall spit of land jutting out into the lake. Almost Due South are the Bellknap range with Mounts Major, Piper and Bellknap the leftmost summits in the picture. The water immediately at their bases is Lake Winnepasaukee.
The views from East Rattlesnake are not quite as open as those from the West Rattlesnake summit, but pretty nonetheless. The open ledges were very sunny and warm so it seemed like a good place to hand the pack, stretch out and have a sandwich and some water. It was still early and I has seen absolutely none on my whole trek so far, which was positively delightful.
I imagine that in the summer, most of this view is blocked by leaves. Getting back on the trail, I continued on to the second set of ledges which are just 0.2 miles farther. These are wide open and afford a beautiful unobstructed view of the lake. Bennett and Veerie Coves were a beautiful blue color in the morning light and the air was still, making the lake look like a mirror.
Looking further to the southeast, the first views of Red Hill are experienced.
Looking straight out, the first thing that I noticed was the peninsula immediately below the ledge. This was Five Finger Point. There are trails at the base of the mountain that circle this mall spit of land jutting out into the lake. Almost Due South are the Bellknap range with Mounts Major, Piper and Bellknap the leftmost summits in the picture. The water immediately at their bases is Lake Winnepasaukee.
After a short water break, it was time to move on. Feeling pretty well, I decided to head over to East Rattlesnake Mountain. The trailhead was found just opposite the ledges so I quickly started down the Ridge Trail into the Armstrong Natural area managed by the University of New Hampshire.
UNH has a nice pamphlet available online which describes the flora and fauna you can find in the area. Since it was very early in the season, most plants were just emerging and it was tough to ID any ground plants. It was nice to see the maples actually starting to push out their leaves in some of the smaller samplings.
The trail rapidly descended into a shady col. About 0.5 miles from the summit of West Rattlesnake, I reached the saddle between the two summits and the intersection with Col trail. Instead, I continued on the Ridge Trail. about 0.1 miles beyond the Col Trail junction, thhe Ridge tail makes a very abrupt 90 degree turn to the right which is very poorly marked and easily misses. The trail began it's ascent up the side of East Rattlesnake almost immediately and reached the ledges after another 0.1 miles.
The views from East Rattlesnake are not quite as open as those from the West Rattlesnake summit, but pretty nonetheless. The open ledges were very sunny and warm so it seemed like a good place to hand the pack, stretch out and have a sandwich and some water. It was still early and I has seen absolutely none on my whole trek so far, which was positively delightful.
I headed back sown the trail to the junction with the East Rattlesnake trail and began a pretty steep descent toward the lake. The trail was not very rocky but was rather relentless with few switchbacks. about halfway down, it did zig-zag through a number of pretty large boulders in the forest.
Almost 0.5 miles from the beginning of the East Rattlesnake trail junction, I came across a small stream which was very easy to cross. In the summer it would be a very convenient water source. Very close to the stream crossing is a junction of the Five Finger Point trail, the Col Trail and the Pasture Trail.
Continuing on a short distance, the trail passes a barn and winds up on Pinehurst Rd. which is paved. After a level 0.2 mile stroll down Pinehurst Rd., there was a sign for the Ramsey Trail on the right. I headed up the Ramsey Trail for some distance looking for the Undercut path but could not find the intersection of the trail. Instead, I headed back down Pinehurst Rd. for another mile until it intersected with Route 130.
The walk up to the trailhead along Route 130 is not recommended. It is not very steep but a relentless climb up 0.5 miles of blacktop. Traffic was steady and there are no real shoulders to walk on so I found myself stepping off the road frequently to let vehicles pass. On reaching the trailhead parking, I was surprised to find both parking lots full with cars pulling over to park along Route 130; quite the contrast from the seclusion I experienced on most of the trip. I used only 1.5 liters of water so the 3 liters I carried was overkill, especially considering the stream which was available to refill my water container. I'll lighten the load next time.
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