INTRODUCTION:
Yawn! A bushwhack adventure just to get an overview
vista of Elbow Pond located near Woodstock, NH . . . this requires some
explanation!
So, here
goes! Oftentimes I will search Google
Earth in various areas that are within a reasonable drive from my home in
Bethlehem, NH. While doing this a few
years ago, I made note of what appeared to be a rock slide located a short
distance south of Mt. Waternomee. It appeared to be large enough and steep
enough and situated such that it could provide a view of Elbow Pond in its entirety. This
was of significance to me since my previous explorations at other locations had
yielded views that only included segments of the pond.
And so,
this rock slide was put on my list of places to visit some day. Then, in August 2017, this spot worked its
way to the top of my list, and I sat off to find it!
To access
this slide, I opted to begin the adventure by following an unofficial trail
that leads hikers to the wreckage of a WWII B-18 bomber that crashed on the
side of Mt, Waternomee in 1942. And
then, from the end of that unofficial trail, I would continue onward to the
slide by bushwhacking a few tenths of a mile in a SSW direction. For anyone interested in more information
about the WWII B-18 bomber crash, there are details contained in one of my
older blog postings (click HERE).
The
unofficial trail to the crash site was as easy to follow as most official
trails that I’ve hiked. And, the
bushwhack itself was relatively easy with open woods for most of the way. However, the final approach to the rock slide
was a bit steeper than expected, but the footing was overall pretty good.
With no
further ado, shown below are some photos taken on this adventure.
PHOTOS:
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| Seen above is a map which shows the general location of the slide. |
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| The slide appears to be quite old since the surrounding forest has grown in and diminished the slide’s footprint. Regardless, there is still a rather decent view from some sections of the slide. |
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| Zooming in a bit closer . . . Elbow Pond is in foreground, with Sandwich Dome prominent on horizon at left (and if look closely, the open ledges on Welch-Dickey can be seen in front of Sandwich Dome). Peaks in the Ossipee Mountain Range are seen on the distant horizon behind Elbow Pond. |
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Extreme zoom view of Elbow Pond.
(The greenish layer around the circumference of the pond is the result of lily pads growing in shallow water along the shoreline - SEE NEXT PHOTO.)
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| Photo was taken during the autumn season a couple of years ago, and it shows the lily pads along shoreline of Elbow Pond. |
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Since the B18 bomber crash-site wasn’t my primary target, and since I’d been to this site on other occasions, I only snapped a few photos of the WWII plane wreckage before heading for the slide.
(For anyone interested in more information about the WWII B-18 bomber crash, there are details contained in one of my older blog postings . . . click HERE).
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| Also, while hiking the ‘B18 Crash Site Trail’, I stopped to take a snapshot of Airmen Falls (a.k.a. Bomber Falls). This waterfall requires a strong flow of water to be attractive. Very little water was flowing on this particular day. :-) |
It’s completely understandable that this adventure might be unappealing to some readers since it lacked the allure of hiking to a destination included on one of the many recognized hiking lists. Regardless, the view (and the challenge of finding it) was something that provided me with personal satisfaction. And so, for off-beat adventures such as this, I sometimes remind myself of a John Fogerty song entitled “Garden Party” where there is this refrain: “. . . you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself.” :-)
