Hike or ski Wonalancet

View from Rollins Trail, looking south to Mt. Wonalancet

By Gordon Dubois

Sandy and I pulled into the parking area at Ferncroft in the Wonalancet Intervale. Whiteface Mountain dominated the skyline. It stood like a sentinel scanning the countryside. The sky was crystal blue and the fresh snow on the ground, along with little wind made the day perfect for a winter snowshoe hike to a 4,000-ft. mountain. The day stood in sharp contrast to the previous several days when we were engulfed in an Arctic cold front that kept temperatures below zero. We were eager to hit the trail as we had been cooped up at home due to the abnormally cold and windy weather of last week.

Sandy’s plan was to hike Whiteface and Passaconaway, the neighboring mountain to the east of Whiteface, but we were running about an hour behind our original start time. That plan was thrown to the wayside because of our shortened timeline. We hurriedly set off on the Dicey’s Mill Trail, which would take us to the Rollins Trail and eventually to the summit of Whiteface. A hike of about 6 miles. No easy task with having to break trail in some places and hoping to finish the hike before sunset.

The Wonalancet Intervale is a picturesque area of open fields, cleared during the early 1800s, when this area was first settled. The village was named Birch Intervale, but in 1893 was changed to Wonalancet in honor of the Pennacook Sachem, son of the famous chief and elder Passaconaway. The Intervale provides striking views of the Sandwich Mountain Range. It’s an unincorporated hamlet and falls within the boundaries of the town of Tamworth. The area known as Ferncroft, which lies within Wonalancet, derived its name from the Ferncroft Family Inn, which stood for many years as a vacation destination for New England families. Ferncroft is the axis for numerous hiking and cross country ski trails, located directly off Route 113A, on Ferncroft Road.

On this beautiful day with sun blazing above, we followed Ferncroft Road walking past several houses, until we reached an open field and the trail head of the Dicey Mill Trail. The trail gradually climbed through the drainage between Mt. Wonalancet and the Whiteface Bowl Natural Resource Area. At about 2 miles we crossed a stream near the site of Dicey’s Mill. We easily stepped across the stream on a snow bridge and began the steep climb to the junction of the Rollins Trail. Here, we rested, ate lunch and re-evaluated our time. It was critically important that we agreed to a turnaround time, even when it meant our plan to summit would have to be aborted. Winter is no time to be benighted and having to spend the evening in the woods. This is not a desirable option, especially if you not equipped to do so. Sandy and I agreed to turn back at 1:30, knowing it would take us three hours to return to Ferncroft and our waiting vehicle.

After our short break, we began our trek along the Rollins Trail. Snow was piled high on the fir trees lining the trail. The overarching branches hung low with the weight of the snow, creating a tunnel for us to wind our way through.  As we got to a clearing, we looked down into the deep depression below, known as the Bowl Natural Research Area. This is a glacial cirque that was carved out of the mountains by glacial activity. The area was never logged and the old growth forest is rare given the logging activity in New Hampshire over the years.

According to Steve Smith, co-author of the White Mountain Guide, in 1915 it was saved from logging by Kate Sleeper Walden and members of the Wonalancet Outing Club. Kate was an active trail builder and conservationist who had two trails named after her (Walden and Sleeper Trails), a ridge and a mountain (Mt. Katherine). This distinction is unmatched in the White Mountains.  The 1,500-acre Natural Bowl has been used to study old growth forests, its flora and fauna. The Bowl is stunningly beautiful, especially with Whiteface Mountain towering above, with its sheer cliffs and ledges descending into the floor of the cirque. I look forward to spring when I will plan to hike into the Bowl and explore the old growth forest, which is a rarity in the Northeast.

It was now time to begin our return down the trail without summiting Whiteface. We knew our time had run out and we needed to make haste to be off the trail by dark. On our way back, I knew I wanted to return to this beautiful mountain and ski the trails of the Wonalancet area.

 Within a week I was back at Ferncroft with two friends, Dave and Dick, with our back country skis in tow. The Tamworth Outing Club grooms over 5 miles of Nordic ski trails including one trail that follows the old carriage road to the summit of Mt. Katherine, providing fine views of the Sandwich Range. The trails are groomed after a snowfall of over 2 inches, and are easy to moderate in difficulty. They are great for a family outing or a short workout on the weekend or after work.

Dave, Dick and I spent the first part of the day exploring the groomed trail system that wound over fields and through the forested landscape. We then skied our way along Ferncroft Road to the Mt. Katherine Trail. This was not the groomed trail to the mountain, but a hiking trail that was not broken out. Our route tested my skill and resolve. Dick, a much more accomplished skier, sprinted ahead, while I floundered in the deep snow and struggled on the steep climbs. At a point about a half mile from the summit we were forced to turn back as the trail took a route that neither of us were able to climb. This ended our foray for the day, but I look forward to returning again to this idyllic setting in Wonalancet. The area has an extensive network of trails, maintained by the Wonalancet Outing Club.  Maps of the area are available from the Tamworth Outing Club, the Wonalancet Out Door Club and the AMC.

Gordon would like to hear from you, especially if you would like to recommend a trail for him and Reuben to explore. He can be reached at

forestpd@metrocast.net.

Trail sign on ski trail in Ferncroft