Leaping Brook is a mountain stream that’s fairly near the geographic heart of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. It drains the western slope of Mts Guyot, Zealand, and the Bonds, earlier than it meets the North Fork of the Pemigewasset River. The closest path is the Thoreau Falls Path. If you happen to enterprise on the market, it’d be a miracle when you run into anybody else with the identical vacation spot in thoughts.
Would you imagine it? I did. I used to be standing on the Thoreau Falls Path checking my location on GaiaGPS and attempting to resolve the perfect path to the confluence of Leaping Brook and the North Fork. I used to be shut, however I knew I’d must bushwhack to get to the precise level. Once I felt one thing furry brush up towards my leg and a noticed a flash of white! I will need to have jumped 4 ft within the air.
It was Paxton, who seems like a poodle sheepdog cross, and Jim, a crusty outdated hiker who was out on the lookout for Camp 23 (an outdated logging camp) and a memorial plaque to 2 Dartmouth professors whose airplane had crashed close by. (Chris Dailey has a great journey report about his explorations out right here.) Neither of these actually me, however we teamed as much as discover the confluence of Leaping Brook and the North Fork, which was their vacation spot too.
I’d backpacked to get to this spot that morning, climbing up the Kedron Flume Path (not the best ascent) from Crawford Notch, then following a piece of the Appalachian Path, after which mountain climbing south alongside the highest of Thoreau Falls. As soon as throughout, there’s just a little rock scramble to get to the southern portion of the Thoreau Falls Path that requires leaping onto a boulder over a stream of water dashing over the falls. You don’t need to miss that crux transfer or you may simply plunge over 50′ to the rocky gorge under. It’s a marvel extra folks don’t die there, however then once more the path isn’t properly marked, so most individuals in all probability don’t notice the path continues south for one more 4 miles.
It’d been about 5 or 6 years since I’d hiked this portion of the Thoreau Falls Path and I actually didn’t keep in mind a factor (I’d hiked the decrease part earlier in the summertime to Bushwhack South Shoal Pond Peak.) However I’ve had an urge to begin mountain climbing all of the 653 trails within the White Mountain Information once more (previously referred to as White Mountains Redlining) and needed to hike a 1-night loop that might supply some solitude, good fly fishing fishing, and to make some headway on the path listing.
I even have this multi-year venture that I began final yr referred to as “blue-lining” which includes (Tenkara) fly fishing the blue strains on the map that correspond to distant streams and brooks, each alongside trails and off. The White Mountain Nationwide Forest was created to protect the purity of the rivers and streams of the area, so combining mountain climbing and Tenkara fly fishing is a pure mixture. Tenkara is a type of fly fishing finished with an ultralight telescoping rod, a line, a fly, and no reel which makes it very simple to move by backpack.
My purpose on this journey was to fish the North Fork of the Pemigewasset River and the East Department of the Pemigewasset River. The North Fork is only a stream that’s simple to ford, however the East Department is often too harmful to cross under the Bondcliff Path Junction as a result of it’s an even bigger, wider, deeper, and sooner river.
Solely this yr, the Pemi is operating actually low resulting from a horrible drought. Usually, I keep away from fishing rivers the scale of the East Department with a Tenkara Rod, since you merely don’t have the attain required. I fish with a 12′ rod, with a 12′ line, and a 3-6′ tippet which makes for an intimate fishing expertise that’s greatest fitted to medium-to-small streams and brooks, however not rivers. However with the low water, the East Department is fishing loads like a small stream with easy accessibility to unbelievable fish habitat. Water ranges often enhance in October, so I needed to get out to the East Department one final time earlier than hurricane season begins up (mid-September) and the water stage goes up once more.
Jim, Paxton, and I got here to the purpose on the path closest to the Leaping Brook confluence and headed off-trail to bushwhack as much as it. This required a straightforward however thigh-deep ford though Paxton managed to cross on prime of the river rocks with ease: the benefit of getting 4 legs as a substitute of two.
The confluence of the 2 streams was very completely different than I’d remembered it, however I wasn’t stunned as a result of huge rain occasions and erosion are constantly reshaping the White Mountain’s panorama. There’s a pleasant pool the place the 2 streams merge, which is all the time a great place to fish for trout. The turbulence oxygenates the water which trout like and the focus of vitamins is greater so they have a tendency to cluster there.
I caught my first brook trout in lower than a minute and caught ten extra within the area of 20 minutes with out having to maneuver greater than 20 yards. I’m a catch and launch fisherman, particularly since New Hampshire brookies are on the small facet, but when I needed to complement my backpacking meals with trout like Colin Fletcher, I actually may.
When my “hit” charge tapered off, I made a decision to pack it up and head south once more to the East Department to fish it after which discover a place to camp for the evening. I had a campsite I’d used earlier than in thoughts, nevertheless it all trusted how a lot headway I made mountain climbing and what the fishing was like alongside the way in which. In different phrases, I had a reasonably unfastened itinerary.
I bushwhacked again to the Thoreau Falls Path and headed south, fording the East Department on the outdated Thoreau Falls Bridge website, which has been not too long ago eliminated. The outdated bridge was an extended tree with railings that spanned the river. The river could be very slim and shallow right here, so it’s a straightforward ford now besides in excessive water. Being in a Wilderness Space, the bridge dismantlers couldn’t drive the stays of the outdated bridge out (powered instruments and autos are prohibited), in order that they lower it into sections and left segments of it on the south facet, organized right into a Stonehenge-like circle. It’s an odd sight.
After crossing, I turned onto the Wilderness Path and headed upstream within the course of Mt Carrigain on a piece of path that I hadn’t hiked in a very long time. I used to keep away from mountain climbing the identical trails twice, however I’ve discovered that I neglect them after about 6 years, so the novelty isn’t misplaced! That stated, I did keep in mind parts of the panorama from earlier journeys and skilled a way of aid within the course of.
However backpacking with a fly rod is a really completely different expertise than mountain climbing with out one since you discover a variety of issues that you just wouldn’t in any other case discover, like:
- when the river turns away from the path
- what the river gradient is like
- what the “topographic form” of the encompassing panorama is
- the place there are islands within the river that cut up the circulation
- and so forth.
It’s a heightened state of situational consciousness that’s fairly immersive not not like bushwhacking (mountain climbing off-trail).
The will to fish for trout is tougher to place into phrases and it’s a extra encompassing pastime than you may think, with a physique of data and lots of actions that happen earlier than you even get to the water. Catching fish, or attempting to, is a small a part of the motion actually. Sure, there’s an electrical connection that happens if you maintain a dwell trout in your palms, however that’s gone in a second. The actual satisfaction comes when you’ve gotten extra good days than unhealthy ones.
I finished a couple of instances as I headed upstream, bushwhacking out to the river to fish spots that regarded like they’d maintain trout. This part of the river has a noticeable gradient with falls, rapids, and swimming pools in abundance. The fishing proved good and I continued to land a variety of brookies.
That’s till I took a fall on a boulder alongside the facet of the river and tore up my shin. It was a shallow wound nevertheless it generated a variety of blood. I scrubbed it out with an alcohol pad, which smarted. I attempted to staunch the blood circulation with some rest room paper after which gave up and slapped a giant Hydroseal bandage over it which remains to be connected to my leg. These bandages can keep on for as much as every week. They’re actually good for treating mountain climbing blisters however can be utilized for any sort of wound care. I carry a bunch in my first help package. I’ve written extra about Hydroseal Bandages right here.
By then, the day was waning, and I began to consider discovering a campsite since sundown was round 7:00 pm. The times are getting shorter quick. As I neared Stillwater Junction, I got here throughout a faint herd path resulting in a campsite the place I’ve camped earlier than. I pitched my tent after which headed all the way down to the Carrigain Department (one other stream) to filter water and cook dinner up a hearty dinner.
I used to be famished. I ate my dinner, cleaned up, and hit the hay shortly after sundown. Sleeping a very long time is considered one of my favourite elements of backpacking. Bodily exhaustion makes an incredible sleep help.
It was surprisingly chilly the subsequent morning and I wanted I’d packed a hotter insulated jacket as a substitute of only a fleece hoodie. I cooked up a scorching breakfast and took a flip alongside the Carrigain Department with my rod, however the trout have been nonetheless sleeping. I broke camp, packed, and was quickly following the Shoal Pond Path again north to the Appalachian Path and again out to Crawford Notch.
The Shoal Pond Path has an actual wilderness really feel to it and that could be an understatement. It’s completely secure to hike and it’s fairly simple to observe, however it’s closely overgrown and muddy as hell. It has a definite, highly effective odor, that’s pervasive like aftershave, however organic in nature from all of the rotting biomass alongside its flanks.
I put the legs again on my convertible pants for this part of the hike, which borders on bushwhacking. I additionally began calling out “Whats up Mr. Moosey” and clicking my poles collectively to ward away any of the moose or bears that have been undoubtedly watching my passage with amusement.
I additionally observed one thing that I’d by no means observed earlier than on this path as I hiked north: Shoal Pond Brook has the look of a great trout stream. The water could be very low now however the brook is stuffed with boulders and rapids and drops which might make good trout habitat if the water stage was greater. This was the primary time I’d hiked this path from the south to the north, which can clarify why I’ve by no means observed its trout potential, nevertheless it in all probability deserves a return go to subsequent yr to search out out.
It took two hours, however I made it again to the Ethan Pond Path (the AT) and hiked again towards Crawford Notch, staying on the AT to the Ripley Falls trailhead. I walked down the street to the Notch after which headed up the West Facet Path which parallels Rt 302 again to my automotive on the Willey Guests Middle.
This was a brief journey, however I nonetheless managed to cowl a variety of floor in pursuit of bagging trails and trout. Most of my yr till now has been taking over with Gridding the 4000-footers and there’s been much less time to backpack, which I miss. I solely have another peak to climb this month for the Grid and hope to make use of the additional time to get out on some extra “blue lining” journeys earlier than summer season ends and the autumn peakbagging season resumes.
Distance: 22 miles, w/3300′ of elevation acquire.
Route: Kedron Flume Path, Ethan Pond Path, Thoreau Falls Path, Bushwhack, Thoreau Falls Path, Wilderness Path. Shoal Pond Path, Ethan Pond Path, Ripley Falls Entry Rd, West Facet Path.
Advisable Guidebooks and Maps:
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