'A grand walk' awaits
Mt. Monadnock can be seen from the Hedgehog Ridge Trail. Photos by Gary Samuels.
Gary Samuels, neighbor to the Forest Society's Hedgehog Mountain Forest in Deering, recently hiked along a new trail, the Hedgehog Ridge Trail, built last summer by Forest Society volunteers and staff. Among his hiking group was Ben Haubrich, who helped build the trail and cares for both the Hedgehog Forest and the nearby High Five Reservation as a volunteer land steward.
Gary shared this report about the hike along with his photos:
"It was cold, near freezing, but owing to our mild (thus far) winter, little pools and run-offs were not yet frozen. It had snowed 4 or 5 inches a few days previously, and we saw tracks of deer, porcupines, weasels, raccoons -- and dogs (probably not as romantic as coyotes). Mt Monadnock is a dominant feature from some points along the trail. There are many areas of exposed boulders along the spine of Hedgehog Mountain -- or Hedgehog Hill as it is also known -- and these support a rich diversity of lichens, including rock tripe and Parmelina species.
This is a grand walk. One might even call it a 'communing with nature walk' (except for the noise created by 10 booted feet breaking through the crust of the snow). We owe a debt of gratitude to SPNHF for developing this trail. The trail is well marked. Walking in the forest, through the snow, is a very different experience than walking in leafy seasons. The scene is monochrome black and white, broken by ferns protruding from the snow and lichens on rocks and tree trunks, and this enhances the sense of silence (despite the footsteps) and peace. It would be fun to make this walk with snowshoes but, at any rate, there is no need to wait for spring!
Here is a link to pictures I took on Saturday. Hopefully the pictures will give you a sense of this beautiful place."
https://picasaweb.google.com/109810330041153709055/AWinterSWalkOnHedgeh…
A new parking area for the Hedgehog Ridge Trail is located about ½ mile down Hedgehog Mountain Road from the junction with Old County Road. To reach the trailhead from the parking area, continue on foot down Hedgehog Mountain Road for about 600’ and you will see the trailhead sign on your left. Have fun!