Sandwich Mountain
Where: Smarts Brook
When: May, 1991
With: Seth, Chip
When: May, 1991
With: Seth, Chip
This was the hike Chip and I should have taken back in March of 1990, when we were rained out. We could have dried our gear out and gone in here for a nice weekend. It was the last unhiked trail into this area for me, so I kept it on my list and when we needed a hike, I suggested it.
We got a late start due to the delivery and setup of a table at Chip's house, but we were in no hurry this day. We arrived at the trailhead in Chip's car, took some pictures, and headed into the woods. The trail was a no-brainer, following an old road and a stream up into the mountains. I even wore sandals instead of boots the first day. The trail came to several pools in the stream that were probably packed in mid-summer. The trail narrowed after passing a beaver pond and the bugs came out. As usual, while we moved they were no problem, but when we stopped they feasted.
We moved a good ways back into the forest before finding a nice spot by the stream for a camp. We set up the tents and then climbed into our orange Stupid suits for bug protection. A man with a dog came by and must have thought it strange to see three men dressed in fluorescent orange jump suits standing by high tech tents.
We played in camp, climbing trees, cutting wood, etc., before getting dinner going. In a change from our usual menu, we had rice and vegetables for dinner. Since it was near Seth's birthday, I attempted to bake a cake over the fire. It turned out pretty good, and Seth never noticed what was going on. A good surprise. We stayed up around the fire, making music and taking pictures, and then went to bed.
The next morning, we explored the site a bit before packing up and heading out. We planned to hike to the top of the trail and then I figured we could bushwhack back to the trail. Depending on where we came back to the trail, we might have been able to leave the backpacks and save ourselves the weight, but we really didn't know, so we carried them up. I switched to boots this day.
The trail was easy at first, then started climbing steeply, but it was quickly at the top of the ridge and a short time later we were at the summit of Sandwich Mountain. We met a couple of guys up there who had spent the night there. We enjoyed the view of Mt. Washington and the valley and enjoyed the beer the two guys gave us. They'd carried it up and didn't feel like carrying it back down. They left and then we did also.
We headed down the Algonquin trail, figuring that, at worst, we could follow Sandwich Notch road out to the main road and the car. We headed down the trail, stopping at several viewpoints to search yet again for my long-lost pipe and finally found ourselves in a pretty, wooded glade in a col on the ridge. We consulted the map and realized we might be able to bushwhack down from here, so we went off-trail and down through the woods. It wasn't bad going, mostly ferns for undergrowth. We followed a streambed for direction and were encouraged as it grew into a good-sized brook. Finally, we started to see signs of civilization and suddenly found ourselves back on the trail, pretty near where we'd camped. We might have been able to leave the packs after all. Oh well. We congratulated ourselves on a good bushwhack and headed back to the car.
More photos
We got a late start due to the delivery and setup of a table at Chip's house, but we were in no hurry this day. We arrived at the trailhead in Chip's car, took some pictures, and headed into the woods. The trail was a no-brainer, following an old road and a stream up into the mountains. I even wore sandals instead of boots the first day. The trail came to several pools in the stream that were probably packed in mid-summer. The trail narrowed after passing a beaver pond and the bugs came out. As usual, while we moved they were no problem, but when we stopped they feasted.
We moved a good ways back into the forest before finding a nice spot by the stream for a camp. We set up the tents and then climbed into our orange Stupid suits for bug protection. A man with a dog came by and must have thought it strange to see three men dressed in fluorescent orange jump suits standing by high tech tents.
We played in camp, climbing trees, cutting wood, etc., before getting dinner going. In a change from our usual menu, we had rice and vegetables for dinner. Since it was near Seth's birthday, I attempted to bake a cake over the fire. It turned out pretty good, and Seth never noticed what was going on. A good surprise. We stayed up around the fire, making music and taking pictures, and then went to bed.
The next morning, we explored the site a bit before packing up and heading out. We planned to hike to the top of the trail and then I figured we could bushwhack back to the trail. Depending on where we came back to the trail, we might have been able to leave the backpacks and save ourselves the weight, but we really didn't know, so we carried them up. I switched to boots this day.
The trail was easy at first, then started climbing steeply, but it was quickly at the top of the ridge and a short time later we were at the summit of Sandwich Mountain. We met a couple of guys up there who had spent the night there. We enjoyed the view of Mt. Washington and the valley and enjoyed the beer the two guys gave us. They'd carried it up and didn't feel like carrying it back down. They left and then we did also.
We headed down the Algonquin trail, figuring that, at worst, we could follow Sandwich Notch road out to the main road and the car. We headed down the trail, stopping at several viewpoints to search yet again for my long-lost pipe and finally found ourselves in a pretty, wooded glade in a col on the ridge. We consulted the map and realized we might be able to bushwhack down from here, so we went off-trail and down through the woods. It wasn't bad going, mostly ferns for undergrowth. We followed a streambed for direction and were encouraged as it grew into a good-sized brook. Finally, we started to see signs of civilization and suddenly found ourselves back on the trail, pretty near where we'd camped. We might have been able to leave the packs after all. Oh well. We congratulated ourselves on a good bushwhack and headed back to the car.
More photos
Found in the files, some notes from the trip (no edits for spelling, etc.):
[John] Chip, John, + Seth. Smarts Brook Trail
[Chip] 900 ft. Altitude
[John] Nice, flat trail, along a dirt road mostly. The black flies are out, so it's Stupid Suits and headnets here at a nice, though small campsite by the stream. 5 kinds of alcohol, so the evening should be interesting.And stir-fry for dinner, NOT pasta. Cool, not cold. Clear skies.
[Seth] Smoke everywhere. "Im communing with Nature" - Frank Sinatra accappella rap - repeating mantra "I'm communing with nature"...(finale)..."&your communing too!!" Cymbol crash...remember, write it down. John sings...says Im going to dance into the fire - jump the firs in polyester suite...he does it Chip does it...burn up John wants to do it later too...Chip agrees..."Thats going to be a good little bed of coals, eh?" says John, jovially.
[Chip] Theme: "I'm out of context." (AN ALBUM BY RHD - M.S.S. LATER) 9:50 P.M. 1760 ft Altitude WE ARE ALLOWING THE FIRE TO SETTLE DOWN TO RED COALS. THE LIGHT IS FADING SLOWLY. THE SUN LINE ON THE HILLSIDE HAS MOVED UP AND AWAY FROM OR STREAMSIDE CAMPSITE. RITZ HAS PREPARED THE BOILED WHITE RICE KETTLE. HE WILL PUT IT ON THE COALS SHORTLY TO BOIL. RS
[Seth] ANNOO-Lemon Beanpot purple gurple NON NINI NUNNONONO VOONAMPOONA PooPieeyi doll dingle Bit razzlefrazz willy putt pooh-dick Ric Nic Wiggie titgiz rim tinnytintin Pin din win win nin nin coogle nick nock Paddy wack Piggle Piss Poot?
[John] THE DRINKING RHYME - MAY 8, 1991
- To being here, men of good cheer - C.
Hear, Hear - S.
Another Year - J.
- To donning orange suits
To drinking all the loot
We're a very strange crew
- Theories of stupidity we espouse
We flew the coup and don't know how
We're eating veggie - there ain't no cow
- [Chip] MANY SPECIAL WEEDS DID WE CONSUME
[Seth] OUR BRAINS EXPLODED ON THE MOON
[John] We're dressed like three guys in cartoons
- [Chip] IN SUMMARY, I MUST SAY
[Seth] to all a good night & to all a good day
[John] Yabba Dabba Do, is what Fred would say.
[John] 5/19/91 - COLD! 35°F at dawn. Bagels + eggs for breakfast and a fire. Seth is a bear.
