The tapestry of nature's color


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Published: November 11th 2013
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Lake Winnipesaukee in fallLake Winnipesaukee in fallLake Winnipesaukee in fall

The central portion of New Hampshire's largest lake, surrounded by foliage, from Mount Major
Autumn in New England is truly special.

Every fall as the days grow crisp, leaves lose their green chlorophyll, revealing the natural colors underneath.

They turn an already memorable landscape into a kaleidoscope of beauty.

The leaf display appears across the temperate zones of the world, but New England’s combination of hot humid summers, chilly dry falls, and range of deciduous tree species makes ours rank among the best of them all.

The scenery is world famous.

So many people travel here this time of year that our high tourist season, which in most of the United States ends in early September, lasts nearly two months longer.

That popularity creates an obvious downside, lots of people and clogged roads anywhere near a view.

Decades ago, I found a solution: put on boots and hike.

Invariably, I end up climbing some mountain to a huge vista.

Today ranks with the best.

I went to Mount Major overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire.



To climb it, I first had to find it.

All I knew was that the mountain was somewhere along the southern lakeshore.

Lake Winnipesaukee has been a visitor
Mount Major parkingMount Major parkingMount Major parking

The foliage from the trail head parking lot!
haven for nearly two centuries now, so that meant many encounters with little towns crowded with visitor infrastructure, some of the region’s tackiest amusements, and vacation condos sprouting like weeds.

Thankfully, between them are long stretches of still rural areas which showed off the foliage beautifully.

Of course I had the convertible top down; a chilly drive is well worth the views.



Winnipesaukee is one long lake.

After an hour plus, I was beginning to think I had missed my trailhead.

That’s about when a scenic view appeared on the left.

It provided a nice view of the lake, although trees got in the way.

More importantly from my perspective, it has a signboard with major landmarks.

I’m practically on top of what I need.

Ten minutes later an unmarked but obvious turnoff quickly reaches a parking lot with a signboard for Mount Major.



Even before starting the hike, I have a taste of the glory to come.

The parking area is surrounded by trees in full foliage.

Bright yellows, vivid oranges, and the rare red: welcome to the wonder that is a rural
Boulder LoopBoulder LoopBoulder Loop

Glorious foliage along the Boulder Loop
New England autumn.

Perfect hiking weather too: clear skies, moderate temperature, and no humidity.



Mount Major has a tricky trail network compared to many.

Early in the 1800s, this mountain had a hotel at the top, like many major summits in the area.

Loggers worked the rest of the land.

After the hotel closed, the owners’ heirs ultimately gave their land to the state for a park.

Unlike other mountains, the state never purchased the remainder.

Most of the trail network is actually old logging roads, which form a complex network few can navigate.

Three major trails to the summit are marked and mapped at the trailhead, and most hikers should stick to them exclusively.

I chose the two longest, which form a nice half-day loop.



The scenery starts immediately, and rarely lets up.

My initial trail, the Boulder Loop, leaves the left corner of the parking lot and crosses a bridge over a brook.

Immediately afterward, it enters a wonder world of birch, beech, and pine; the first two in full yellow.

Gray granite rocks sit around the bases.

The trail
Ridge climbRidge climbRidge climb

Believe it or not, this is the trail
proceeds to twist through the rocks, heading slowly and steadily uphill through an endless parade of yellow leaves alternating with pines.

I wish this view would last forever, and the hike has just begun!



In reality, the initial scenery continues for a remarkably long time.

The land is active timber land, so I’m passing through a vast collection of relatively young trees that all look similar to each other.

I would normally find this depressing, but not when half of them are a carpet of yellow!

The only changes are groups of big granite boulders found occasionally along the trail, about the only way I can tell I’m getting anywhere.



After an hour or so, the trail reaches the network of logging roads.

As the map at the first junction shows, it’s extensive.

It’s also a confusing maze where anyone without local knowledge will get thoroughly lost.

Everything looks the same!

Thankfully, the main trail is well marked.

Slowly and steadily, it works its way up the southern ridge of the mountain, through an endless carpet of yellow and green.

At this time of
Mount Major ridgeMount Major ridgeMount Major ridge

Foliage along the ridge close to the summit of Mount Major
year, I love it.



Although slow enough to be nearly imperceptible, the scenery does change.

The trees get smaller and further apart.

The boulders get larger and closer together.

I’m reaching the site of an old granite quarry, and the boulders are the refuse.

The rocks ultimately form what appears to be an enormous pile with trees growing in cracks.

The old logging reaches the bottom and the trail and seemingly disappears.



Anyone not used to hiking in New England will doubtlessly get confused at this point.

The path likely goes up the rock pile, but where?

The only thing visible is lots of rocks and some trees.

Where’s the well defined trail with erosion bars?

Where are the cleanly built rock step switchbacks?

Rural New England natives like to state (only half in jest) that not knowing how to get somewhere is a sign someone shouldn’t be there; and our trails, some a century old, fulfill that expectation well.



The key is to observe, carefully.

The trail markers painted directly on the rocks eventually stick out.

The path
Lake WinnipesaukeeLake WinnipesaukeeLake Winnipesaukee

The lake, looking almost directly north from Mount Major.
they lay out looks no different than anything else, but it’s the way to go.

The hike becomes a careful rock scramble, moving hand and foot up the boulders.

The markers show the least steep way up with the best available footing.



Along the way, the trees change.

Before, all of them had yellow leaves (or were pine trees).

Now, many have orange.

The wind exposure further up means a different mix of species and thus different colors.

They’re also shorter.

Bushes now appear between the trees, some of which have turned a dark red.



At the top of the ridge, the environment changes yet again.

Now the trail rambles over flat granite between stubby trees.

Depressions along the way are filled with grassy plants called sedges.

Other parts are covered in moss.

These mountain meadows form crucial environments for local wildlife.

Sadly, the trees are high enough to block most views of the surrounding area.

One of the few overlooks shows a long thin body of water with mountains on the far side, the southern arm of Lake Winnipesaukee.
Lake bay and foliageLake bay and foliageLake bay and foliage

Foliage tapestry from high above on Mount Major



Up here, navigation should be easy.

It is, at least near the meadows.

On the rocks and in the pine trees, on the other hand, the path could be anywhere.

Cairns help with finding it, along with worn paint splotches on the rocks.

More pines appear, meaning less foliage, but what does exist is glorious.



Another gap in the trees appears, with a majestic view.

It shows the end of a huge lake in the distance, with mountains beyond it.

An obvious built up area sits on the far shore.

This is the western end of Lake Winnipesaukee, and the view is just a teaser.



Past the view, the trail rambles through more trees.

Slowly, they are getting shorter and further apart, with more areas of bare rock.

Beyond them, more views of the absolutely huge lake, always screened by trees.

A view eventually appears in the other direction, more hills close by.

They are covered in a tapestry of colored trees.

Nice as this scenery is, I push on through.

These are just appetizers and I want the
White MountainsWhite MountainsWhite Mountains

The southernmost portion of the White Mountains behind the western portion of Lake Winnipesaukee, from Mount Major
feast!



On Mount Major, hikers can’t possibly miss the final vista.

The trail breaks onto bare rock for good, and quickly reaches the summit.

An obvious stone foundation sits at the left, the remains of the former hotel.

Low summits covered in yellow appear behind.



The truly jaw-dropping view appears on the right.

Much of it, a full 180 degree sweep, shows an enormous blue body of water, Lake Winnipesaukee.

It’s the largest lake in New Hampshire.

The western end is quite wide, receding a long way in the distance, with a narrower eastern section.

Sprinkled within are hundreds of islands.

The shoreline contains dozens of bays and inlets, some of them quite large.

All around the lake sit low mountain summits.

Behind them in the distance to the north is a wall of taller mountains leading to a bare summit, the Sandwich Range, the southernmost portion of the White Mountains.

The view appears to stretch forever; in reality it’s about forty miles in every direction but west.



This view looks amazing, but it appears every day the weather cooperates.
Foliage from aboveFoliage from aboveFoliage from above

More fall foliage from the top of Mount Major

What sets this one apart are the trees.

Every surface except the lake is covered in them, in every color imaginable.

Foliage up close is a quilt, groups of color constantly changing.

Foliage from a distance is a giant tapestry, endless blotches of color combining into a glorious whole.

Add in the huge blue lake and it becomes one of New England’s best views.

This is the New England autumn that takes people’s breath away, and comparatively few people experience this vista.

I honestly want to spend the rest of my day here, staring at it.



Sadly, doing so in real life would lead to a condition called “freezing outdoors all night”.

Very reluctantly, I’m leaving enough time to get back to my car in daylight.

The summit has three trails, including the one I arrived on, and all are poorly marked.

Looking at the map shows the wanted trail leads along another ridge heading directly away from the lake, the Brook Trail.

I soon found cairns, indicating I’m in the right spot.

The trail passes yet more mountain meadows, and some nice foliage.

The
Brook TrailBrook TrailBrook Trail

Early ridge along the Brook Trail
view shows the other close by mountains.



As the ridge descends, the trail passes more mountain meadows.

Unlike those earlier, these contain water.

They’re actual vernal pools that form after rain storms and then dry out.

They are a rare and crucial environment for many insects and amphibians.

It’s very important to stay on the rocks near these.

Since some have leaked onto the path, that requires dexterous rock hopping.



The path reaches the end of the ridge and drops back into forest.

Unlike the huge boulder pile going up, here it just drops steeply through increasing trees.

The leaves are orange and pretty.

Then comes the surprise, another open ridge!

The wind is responsible for this one, carrying winter ice that stunts the tree growth.

The ridge provides one last overlook of the lake, plus the obvious stream valley the trail will soon reach.

Soon afterward, the trail forks.

The right branch, toward the valley and the lake, is the one I need.



The trail now reenters a world of yellow trees.

Many of them are birch.
CascadesCascadesCascades

Cascades along the Brook Trail

These trees are all roughly the same age, and even smaller than those on the climb up.

It’s another active timber land.

The trail drops steeply through them on another old logging road heading for the bottom of the valley.

The only changes in the scenery are clumps of pines.

There’s no undergrowth either.



Soon enough, the path reaches the valley floor.

There, it encounters an obvious string of boulders along the valley floor.

These boulders emit a continuous rushing noise that sounds like rain.

It’s a cascading brook, the first I’ve seen on the hike.

Getting close reveals the stream between the rocks.

The water level is very low, typical for autumn.

Surrounded by newly fallen leaves, it’s quite beautiful.



The brook starts small, but it grows.

The stream gathers in other brooks.

The path, in the meantime, becomes a rock strewn logging road.

Any other time of year, I’d probably hate it; dodging rocks is hard on the feet.

With the foliage all around, I learned to live with it.

Eventually, the road crosses the stream.
Brook and leavesBrook and leavesBrook and leaves

Newly fallen leaves surround the stream at the Brook Trail crossing

It’s shallow enough that the rocks in the road are high and dry, and easy to hop.



Past the stream, the scenery doesn’t change much.

Still lots of young birch trees with glorious yellow leaves.

Here and there, an orange tree now breaks up the monotony.

The path has also become nearly completely flat.

Aside from all those rocks to step over, it’s a wonderful hike.



Eventually, the road curves back to the stream and crosses it again.

This crossing is much trickier than last time.

The stream is much wider for starters, and there are fewer dry rocks in the crossing.

A tricky rock hop gets across.

The immediate area, for some reason, has a surprising number of pine trees mixed in with all the birch.



After the stream, the logging road becomes a true dirt road, and an easy stroll through all those birch trees.

That’s a good thing, because daylight is starting to fade.

The last tricky bit is where it hits a final down slope.

Here, storms have eroded the road into a rock filled gully.
Brook trail foliageBrook trail foliageBrook trail foliage

Glorious foliage along the Brook Trail


It is deep enough to expose the roots of the pine trees above it.

Soon afterward, the road reaches the parking lot and my hike is over.

That was fun!



Today had a sweet nightcap, literally.

I went to the Red Arrow Diner in downtown Manchester.

They serve exactly what one should expect: breakfast all day, cheap comfort food, and desert pies so addictive they should be regulated as a controlled substance.

It’s the most famous diner in the state, partly because presidential candidates campaigning for the primary (first in the United States) always make an appearance to show their solidarity with ordinary voters.

The diner has a tableau of pictures on the wall.

Thankfully, the food quality matches the fame, and it’s very good.

Visit during a pie sale at your own risk.

Fantastic foliage followed by comfort food; I love autumn in New England.

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12th November 2013

Lovely lake
Your hiking tour of Lake "Winnie" was delightful to read. Having visited the area several times, I enjoyed reading about it from a different point of view.
14th November 2013

Thanks for the comments!
Glad you liked the blog. The guidebook where I found the trail called it the best in the area during October, and the description was accurate.

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