Trip/Event Location: Center Sandwich , NHUS
Trip Leader(s): HikerLegs
Max # People: 10
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Moderate
We'll meet at 11AM at the Mead Base Camp for the 2.1 moderate hike to the summit of Mt Israel via the Wentworth Trail. The ledgy summit of Mt Israel offers views to the North and East of
Mead Base Camp parking lot is located 2.8 miles from the five-way intersection in Center Sandwich. If coming from I-93 take Exit 24 at Ashland and follow Route 3 / 25 to Holderness. There turn left on to Route 113 and follow it to Center Sandwich. Once in the village make a sharp left on to Grove St. At .3 miles bear left on to Diamond Ledge Road. at 2.4 miles Sandwich Notch Road bears to the left. You will bear right to the Mead Base Camp. There is a large parking lot. Signs to Mead Camp are generally well marked.
If coming from the South or East take 109 from Mountonboro to Center Sandwich and go through the village. At the intersection take Grove and follow above directions.
I encourage car-pooling as it will be a busy weekend in the area and the fewer cars the better!
Sunday October 9th dawned clear and cool, with forecasts of record highs for the day. I special ordered it for our hike up scenic and out of the way Mt Israel. While other trailheads and mountain peaks in the area were crowded with holiday hikers, we had the trail up Israel almost to ourselves. Why this peak is not more popular is beyond me, but I'm glad it wasn't that popular on Sunday!
Our group of nine met at the Mead Conservation Center trailhead at the end of Diamond Ledge Road in Center Sandwich and started up up the Wentworth trail, 2.1 miles to the summit. The trail is crisscrossed by stone walls and signs of past settlement. This was once part of the Sandwich Notch community, now a ghost town. The trail is moderate with some steep sections, but nothing terribly difficult. We reached the summit in about 90 minutes and were rewarded with sunny ledges and views of the Sandwich Range. We ate our lunches on the ledges and napped in the warm October sun. It was difficult to rouse ourselves for the decent as the sunny ledges were so inviting and sleep inducing.
The descent was quick and uneventful. We stopped at one viewing ledge that offered a glimpse of Red Hill and Squam Lake. The foliage in the forest was no where near peak color, as this year the trees have been slow to change color. Still the forest was quiet and beautiful, with little wind to stir the trees.
Once at the trailhead we took a scenic five minute detour to Beede Falls. a beautiful cascade and swimming area just off the Sandwich Notch Road. Evidence of post-Irene flooding could be seen but the falls were as beautiful as ever. The water was was warm enough for swimming as Brad showed us!
Following the hike six of us visited the Sandwich Fair. Frankly it was a bit lackluster as compared to years past. Brad and I enjoyed petting and visiting the farm critters, goats, oxen, pigs and cows. We watch a tractor pull and an oxen demonstration. The fair food was disappointing and expensive but the people watching was free and fun!
Monday I did a solo hike up The Zealand Trail and the Twinway to bag Zealand Mountain, #36 out of the high 48 for me. It was for me a very rewarding day of hiking, with waterfalls and beautiful views from Zeacliff, and the thrill of bagging another peak.
Thanks to all the guys who participated in my first hike as trip leader. You made it easy. Hope it was as fun for you as it was for me.
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate
Outdoor Fitness Level: Easy to Moderate
Outdoor Fitness Level: Strenuous
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous
