INTRODUCTION:
In mid-May of 2016, I was looking for a "Goldilocks"
hike. One that was not too short; not
too long; less than an hour's drive to trailhead; and one that I had not done
in a while. After mulling over several
potential candidates, I chose to drive
to the Unknown Pond trailhead on Mill Brook Road (Stark, NH) to launch a simple
'out and back' trek to Unknown Pond, and to the nearby ledges located NNE of
the pond.
Unknown Pond is a tarn that rests on a high
plateau (about 3,170 ft) in a relatively remote area of the White Mountain
National Forest. Regarding the origin of
its name, I've never read any documented explanation, but can only speculate
that this body of water was "unknown" to the general public for most
of its existence. It wasn't included in
the White Mountain Guide as a hiking destination until the 1940s.
The map shown below will provide a general
idea of the location of this hike. The
trails I hiked are highlighted in yellow.
The hike to Unknown Pond itself is a little
over 2 miles from the Mill Brook Road trailhead. The trek to the ledges above the pond
involves hiking about 0.2 mile along the Kilkenny Ridge Trail (northbound),
followed by an off-trail trek of about 0.3 mile. And so, the overall distance for this
little adventure is a little over 5 miles, round-trip.
Further regarding the 0.3 mile off-trail
segment to the ledges, be advised that there is a sketchy bootleg-trail. However, also be advised that as of the time
this report was written, this pathway can be challenging to locate. Therefore, you should attempt to reach the
ledges with the mindset that it might entail a bushwhack.
PHOTOS:
PHOTO 1: If you use the Rt. 3/Rt. 110
combination to drive to the Unknown Pond Trailhead on Mill Brook Road, then you
will get several roadside peeks of Percy Peaks along the way.
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| PHOTO 1 |
PHOTO 2: Looking across Unknown Pond toward
The Horn.
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| PHOTO 2 |
PHOTO 3: The view from ledges located NNE of
Unknown Pond. From L to R, it includes
peaks in Carter-Moriah Range; Crescent Range; Presidential Range; Pliny Range;
Pilot Range (namely, The Horn and The Bulge, as seen above the south end of Unknown
Pond).
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| PHOTO 3 |
PHOTO 4: Judging from the numerous piles of
moose poop (like the one at bottom of next photo) on the ledges, one could speculate
that the moose use this place to conduct "their business" while
enjoying the views! :-)
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| PHOTO 4 |
PHOTO 5: From the backside (north side) of
the ledges above Unknown Pond there is a nice view of the huge cliffs on Square
Mountain and Greens Ledge, both of which are fantastic bushwhack destinations!
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| PHOTO 5 |
PHOTO 6: Also on the backside of the ledges
is a small forest of oddly shaped birch trees.
According to a friend who is a knowledgeable outdoorsman, these trees
might be the Heart-Leaved Birch (Betula cordifolia). They are found only in the Eastern part of
North America (northern NY State; northern New England; eastern portions of
Canada).
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| PHOTO 6 |
PHOTO 7: While standing on the bridge
located just a few feet from Unknown Pond trailhead, there is an interesting
view of the confluence of Mill Brook with its West Branch.
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| PHOTO 7 |
PHOTO 8: A couple hundred feet west of the
Unknown Pond trailhead, there is this little cascade. It sort of looks like it could have been a
dam. However, it also looks like a huge
tree might have fallen perpendicular to the brook which has created a
"dam-like" appearance.
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| PHOTO 8 |
PHOTO 9: With Unknown Pond being located in
the northern reaches of NH, the wildflowers were just beginning to pop out. I only saw a few Trillium here and there along
the route to Unknown Pond.
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| PHOTO 9 |
6 comments:
Great report John. I've had those very ledges on my list for several years. I'd completely forgotten about them. Hopefully I'll remember, and make it there soon.
Thanks for sharing,
Joe
I agree with JustJoe that this is a great report! This not-too-short and not-too-long hike includes a wealth of stunning scenery, not to mention the Heart-Leaved Birch (never heard of this tree!), the pretty trillium, and the opportunity to perhaps see moose—or at least their droppings!
I'm thinking of purchasing a solo kayak and Unknown Pond looks like an excellent destination for a paddle!
Hi Joe,
Thanks for your kind words.
When you come up north to visit the ledges, chances are you will want something that is a bit more aggressive than my “Goldilocks” hike. One idea would be to do an 11+ mile loop starting at Unknown Pond’s south trailhead on York Pond Road, then trek up to the pond and the ledges, and then continue onward to the Kilkenny Ridge Trail (southbound) to The Horn, The Bulge, Mt. Cabot, and then complete the loop via the Bunnell Notch and York Pond trails.
Happy Trails!
John
Rita, thanks ever so much for reading my report and for taking time to post your comments.
Kayaking at Unknown Pond is something I’d never thought about. Considering that the only way to reach this destination is by hiking to it, I suppose one would need to use one of those “backpack-able” kayaks that I’ve read about. Regardless, if you follow through with your idea of purchasing a kayak, I’ll be most eager to read your postings about your waterborne adventures!
John
Great report, John! Those ledges are a "top 10" whacking destination and Photo #3 is the best I've ever seen from that vantage. Stunning!
Steve
Steve . . . thank you for your very generous comments about this report.
You would likely agree that we are very fortunate to live in an area where so much natural beauty exists. This type of environment is ideal for a person like me who engages in “point and shoot” photography. It’s sort of difficult NOT to get a few notable images when tramping through the woodlands of New England and Upstate New York. :-)
John
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