Wachipauka Pond and Webster Slide Mountain via an Abandoned Route

INTRODUCTION:

Several times over the years, I've done the trek to Wachipauka Pond and Webster Slide Mountain.   In earlier years, my hikes were launched from the current-day trailhead located on Rt. 25 about 0.5 mile north of High Street in Glencliff, NH.

However, for my past few hikes (including this one in late July 2016), I've launched my trek from Rt. 25 at a point that is situated about a mile west of the trailhead described above.  I've done this in order to trek along an abandoned corridor that was once part of the Appalachian Trail (see red arrow on map below).

Red arrow points to abandoned corridor that was once part of the Appalachian Trail; the corridor highlighted in yellow shows my GPS track from a hike done in earlier years when I used current-day trails to access Wachipauka Pond and Webster Slide Mountain.

There are some indications that this old corridor is still being occasionally used by humankind, even though there are places where the old route can be confusing to follow.  Regardless, it sure beats the steep climb over Wyatt Hill via the current-day route!  (Just as a side note, I've thus far been unable to discover why this old segment of trail was abandoned and re-routed to its current day track.)

It should be noted that it's impossible to find this old corridor from Rt. 25 itself.  You stand a better chance of locating it from the multi-use Warren to E. Haverhill Railroad Grade Trail that runs in close proximity and parallel to Rt. 25.   Even knowing the GPS coordinates (N 43 59 43, W 71 54 55) for the start of the trail, it's still difficult to spot since it's extremely faint for first 100 ft or so.  But after that, the corridor is fairly apparent and remains relatively discernible to within a few hundred feet of the junction with the Wachipauka Pond Trail where the old corridor once again becomes faint.

Regardless of which route you use to reach the lightly-visited area of Wachipauka Pond and Webster Slide Mountain, you will enjoy some fine views in a peaceful location.  Shown below are a few photos taken on my most recent visit.

PHOTOS:

By trekking along a faint footpath along the western shoreline of Wachipauka Pond, you can get a view that includes Webster Slide Mountain (at left).  Immediately to right of Webster Slide Mountain (way off in the distance) you can see the band of cliffs that constitute The Hogsback.  Mt. Moosilauke is seen at far right.

A zoomed view of The Hogsback as viewed looking across Wachipauka Pond.

From locations below the main viewpoint on Webster Slide Mountain, you can get this overview that ranges from Moosilauke at left to Carr Mountain at right, with Wachipauka Pond in foreground.

By cautiously following some faint and steep pathways off Webster Slide Mountain's main viewing area, you can get this view which includes Moosilauke, as well as the massive Owls Head cliff above Oliverian Pond (not seen in photo).

Near the spot where the main trail ends, there's an unsigned side path that leads you to the Southwest View.  From there, you can get a view that includes a piece of Wachipauka Pond (foreground,left).  Mt. Mist dominates the scene (at center), and on the horizon to the right of Mt. Mist is Mt. Cube.  At the far right are slices of Lakes Tarleton and Armington at the base of Piermont Mountain.

This naturally-occurring lean-to (compliments of Mother Nature) was seen just slightly below the main viewing area of Webster Slide Mountain.

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