Hike and/or Bike: Opportunities abound in the Lakes Region

Whether you own a gravel bike, mountain bike, road bike, hybrid bike, electric bike, a bike with training wheels or a tricycle there are unlimited opportunities throughout the Lakes Region for a riding adventure. There are rail trails, US Forest Service roads, abandoned logging roads, mountain bike trails (single and double track), snow mobile trails and class 6 town roads that are waiting to be explored. You just need to do some research: find out where these trails are located, and their condition.

Over the past few weeks I have checked out numerous biking trails. Most have been great rides, but a few have been dismal failures. But each one has been a path to discovery.

One dismal failure. I set out with my long time hiking and biking partner Beth to explore the abandoned village of Peeling, just south of Woodstock, NH. We wanted to search for cellar holes, relics from village life and the remains of the spruce oil factory.

We began our mountain bike ride on USFR 156 off of Route 118 in Woodstock. The trail was wide and smooth and we easily glided to Elbow Pond, a beautiful wilderness pond.

After spending a few minutes admiring the pond and watching water fowl swimming nearby, we jumped back on our bikes and forged onward. We continued on the USFS road, that’s also a snowmobile trail, leading to the abandoned village of Peeling. We walked our bikes around the gate, and soon afterward we encountered mud, high grass and deep trenches. The NH Bureau of Trails or the US Forest Service was doing major trail work, making it impossible to ride. We gave up and had another idea: find the old road into Peeling Village off Route 118. We located the abandoned road and attempted to follow it, but the ride soon turned into a walk. Eventually we were forced to turn around when the obscure road vanished into the deep woods; mission aborted by poor planning and research.

Two days later I hit the “jack-pot,” a snowmobile trail not too far from my home in New Hampton. I accessed the trail from Pinnacle Hill Road, near the overpass of I-93. The trail climbed a few moderate hills, wound through the forest, past the NH Fish and Game office and though meadows. A spruce grouse darted out of the woods, chasing me to protect her chicks. A broad wing hawk flew from a clearing, obviously on a hunting mission. The trail seemed to be miles from civilization, yet I knew I was just a short distance from Old Bristol Road. When I arrived at a split in the trail, a sign read “Bristol Right and Franklin Left,” I turned back and returned the way I came. This was a ride of discovery.

The next week I was invited by Doug to ride the Cotton Valley Rail Trail. This 12 mile, multi-purpose trail runs from downtown Wolfeboro, through Brookfield to the village of Sanbornville. The trail was once a branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, shuttling passengers to the lakeside resort of Wolfeboro, as well as Dockside, where passengers could board the MV Mount Washington and on to inns and hotels around the Big Lake. After the line was abandoned in 1936, it sunk into idleness, then was reborn in 1972 as a tourist attraction and freight operation that lasted 15 years. In 1986 the State of New Hampshire purchased the right of way and it was re-purposed as a recreation by-way completed in 2017.

Doug and I began our ride near the historic train station in Wolfeboro on a bright sunny morning. Joggers and walkers were already on the trail as we rode past signs that provided interesting historical information along the route: the power house, dam and factories, ice harvesting and storage barn on Goodwin Basin. We stopped at Albee Town Beach where many riders choose to take a cooling dip in Lake Wentworth. After hesitating to consider a swim we rode on to the Fernald Freight Station, home to the Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club, where we stopped to view the old freight station and chat with a “local” who told us a great deal about the history of the trail.

The trail took us through several miles of wetlands that offered us exceptional views of the wooded countryside. When we completed our 12 mile ride to Sanbornville we spent some time admiring the remnants of the railroad engine turntable, once used to reverse the direction of the locomotives. However, the biggest prize waited for us on Main Street in Sanbornville, The Poor Peoples’ Pub. Here we had lunch and cold refreshments before we began the 12 mile ride back to Wolfeboro.

The out and back ride is ideal for a family or just for a leisurely ride with plenty of eateries waiting at the end of your outing, either in Sanbornville or Wolfeboro. The trail is scenic with plenty of benches for resting and viewing. Kiosks are located at key road crossings, historic markers identify important landmarks and original granite railroad posts mark mileage.

A few days later I was heading for a very different experience, a bike-hike-bushwhack to Fisher and Hogback Mountains in Thornton. As with many northern communities that lie within the White Mountain National Forest, they are laced with well-maintained US Forest Service Roads. These roads can offer great rides for mountain, gravel or hybrid bikes. But conditions can vary as I found out earlier on the aborted mission to find the lost village of Peeling.

I met Doug, Barb and Dave at the Mad River Coffee House in Campton and from there we drove Rt. 175 to Millbrook Road. We followed Millbrook Road to the junction with Hazelton Road, where we parked, unloaded our bikes and began the ride. We biked to the end of Millbrook Road and found a woods road that we could ride all the way to the Fisher Mountain Trail, marked with blue blazes. The trail led us to a well-travelled USFS road (23A) and eventually back into the woods on a single track trail. When the trail began to climb the mountain large boulders were strewn across our track, forcing us to drop our bikes and begin the hike to the summit of Fisher Mountain.

Fisher Mountain, what a grand find this was! Less than a quarter mile from where we dropped our bikes we were hiking above treeline, climbing along open ledges. The trail was well marked with blue blazes and cairns were places strategically along the trail. The open views looked north into Franconia Notch and beyond. When we reached the summit I gazed over at Welch-Dickey Mountains. These two peaks are usually crowded with hikers yakking and craning their heads for views. We had Fisher Mountain (2,609 ft.) to ourselves: solitude, stillness and a spectacular 360 degree view: Mounts Moosilauke, Jim, N. and S. Kinsman, Canon, Lafayette, Flume, Liberty, Green, and Tecumseh.

After exploring the open summit I noticed a series of small cairns, more like small piles of rocks, leading down the northeast side of the mountain. I was curious to find out where the cairns headed, so we began following another trail, this one only marked with small piles of stone. It was clear, after a few hundred feet, that the bushwhack trail was leading us to Hogback Mountain (2,770 ft.). Reaching the col, the so-called trail disappeared and we began to bushwhack to the summit. It was a fairly easy whack and when we reached the summit we were again stunned by the vista. Both of these little known mountains have unsurpassed views.

We returned to our bikes the way we came and after mounting our steel horses we had a quick ride out, coasting downhill all the way to our vehicles. This concluded four bike rides in a couple weeks. All very different, each with their own challenges and unique rewards. Hopefully you’ll be able to hit the trails on your steel horse and find those special places. Remember, you never get lost, you only discover.

Next week I’m planning to explore the mountain bike trails of the Green Woodlands in Dorchester, NH. Maybe I’ll see you there. Be sure to always wear a helmet. Happy biking.

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For comments or questions you can contact Gordon at forestpd@metrocast.net