Hiking in the Squam Lakes Region

Bog on the Blue Trail descending East Rattlesnake

Depending on what state you reside, you are most likely under some order to stay in your home and limit social contact due to the threat of the coronavirus. These are trying times and the uncertainty of how long this self-quarantine will be can be distressing. Most Americans living today have never experienced conditions of a pandemic such as exists today with COVID-19 since it has been over  100 years since the last pandemic to impact the United States which was in 1918 when the flu killed over 20 million people world-wide. The restrictions being put into place today are designed to prevent such a devastating death toll.

For those of us that love the outdoors, being sequestered inside can feel like a prison. That is why, while it was still allowed, I headed north the past two weekends to the Squam Lakes region, which is filled with hiking trails for all ages and abilities.


Our first hike was supposed to be a loop over Mount Percival and then Mount Morgan. However, the Mount Percival parking area was closed, so we decided to hike up West and East Rattlesnake instead. (It was only afterwards that we realized that there is parking area directly across from the Rattlesnake  parking lot on Route 113 which I he trailhead for Mount Morgan and the winter parking area to Mount Percival!

Rattlesnake Mountain has one of the most rewarding family hiking trails in New Hampshire. In particular, the trail up West Rattlesnake is only about a mile and offers a most rewarding view over  Squam Lake. It is a steady climb, but is doable for most people. And, if you want some additional exercise, you can continue on to the East Rattlesnake summit, which we did.

View of Squam Lake from West Rattlesnake

We decided to return by a different way, but it did not take us back to the parking area, walk about a half mile on Route 113. After we were done, it was still early, so we decided to drive to the next exit north and hike Mount Prospect. 

Other than finding the trail head on Prospect Road, as there is no designated parking area or sign, the trail itself was easy to follow. We were fortunate that there was someone coming out of the woods at the same time we arrived, who confirmed that we were at the right spot. The hike was fairly easy at about three miles round-trip. Right before the top, there is a nice view of Squam Lake in the distance.

View along Mount Prospect Trail

This past weekend, we decided to drive back to Center Sandwich, to the correct parking area for  Mount Morgan and Mount Percival. The weather was again perfect for a hike.

Mount Morgan Trailhead

By the time we arrived around 9:30 AM, the parking area was almost full, a testament to people's desire to be outside and get some exercise. Unfortunately, as the weather has warmed, the past couple of weeks has seen overcrowding at state parks and beaches. This is creating a health and safety hazard. As many cars as there were, we encountered only a few people, and most were keeping the appropriate social distance.

Spring hiking can be a challenge since you can encounter a variety of conditions from snow, ice, mud and open water. There were many parts of the trail that were dry, but microspikes were still beneficial in certain areas that were icy. Snowshoes were definitely not needed due to the overall lack of snow this winter. After reaching the peak of Mount Morgan, we encountered another hiker who had ascended Percival first and told us that our spikes would not be needed on that descent. This was useful information, as taking traction on and off can be a pain.


On the trail we saw some needle ice. It is always cool to see and is not uncommon in early spring or late fall when the saturated soil temperature is above freezing, and the air temperatures is below 32 degrees. As water rises through the soil by capillary action, it freezes and then pushes itself through the surface forming beautiful needle-like crystals.  

Needle Ice

Before reaching the summit of Morgan, there is a split in the trail. To the left was an option of hiking up some ladders, entering some caves before a rock scramble to the top. We opted to bypass this approach, taking the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail.

The views from Mount Morgan were fantastic and there were plenty of space on the top to relax while eating lunch away from other people.

Open view atop Mount Morgan at 2220 feet

After a rest, we took the Crawford-Ridgepole trail across a ridge to Mount Percival. This trail is actually over eleven miles and passes by several mountain peaks within the Squam Range. The trail to Percival was icy and involved some rock scrambles. Interestingly, we observed numerous piles of moose droppings. I imagine moose climbing the mountain and standing at the top, enjoying the view just like we were doing.

Another interesting site was this lush green fern, surrounded by snow.

 
Although most ferns found in New Hampshire are deciduous, there are are a few that are evergreen. I did an internet search to try and identify it. I first checked out northernwoodlands.org, which listed three evergreen ferns in our area: the Marginal Wood Fern, Spinulose Wood Fern and the Christmas fern. However, according to my fern identification booklet contradicted this, stating that Spinulose ferns are not evergreen, but instead shed their leaves late in the season. I then went to one of my favorite bloggers site NHGardenSolutions. Here there were several postings showing the evergreen Rock Polypody fern (Polypodium virginianum). Since the fern above appears to be growing on a rock, I believe it is Polypodium virginianum. 

Eight feet shy of Mount Morgan, the view from atop Percival was also gorgeous.

View from Mount Percival

After a short rest, we began our descent. A word of caution, just as with the ascent to Mount Morgan, there are two trails up Mount Percival. Our first choice down almost proved disastrous. If we had ascended Percival first, we would have seen a sign that provides two options - on goes through caves and then ascends a steep ledge. The right option provides a more moderate climb to the summit. There was no sign at the top going down, so not knowing about the two options, we attempted to descend down the steep ledges. About halfway down it proved too challenging, so we had to reverse direction and climb back up the ledge, which was no picnic either. In the process, one of my poles, which were stored on my pack, caught on something and snapped in half, before disappearing down a crevice. A reminder, that anything can happen while hiking and not to take one's safety for granted. Whenever possible, read trip reports ahead of time to be better prepared. After returning home, I read this about the trail "Descending through these caves is quite challenging and requires several tight squeezes; you also have to descend very steep ledges before the caves."

Here is a view from our attempted descent down Mount Percival.

In spite of this misstep, the hike overall was great and I am so glad that we were able to get outside. Sadly, conditions and restrictions are changing daily as more public spaces are closing. The Covid-19 situation is serious and more and more people are being infected and hospitalized. Therefore it is important to follow government orders and guidelines, but it is also important for mental and physical health to stay active and get outdoors as much as possible and absorb the healing power of nature.

Great Backyard Bird Count 2020

Mourning Doves and Juncos during the Great Backyard Bird Count weekend.

The international Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) occurred over President's Weekend. We had beautiful weather in New Hampshire with some recent snow which encouraged a good number of birds to seek food at our feeders. The four day event began with my seeing a bald eagle on Friday during my lunch break. Although it was high in the sky, its white head and tail were clearly visible. It was a great inspiration for a weekend of birdwatching. I always enjoy the GBBC as it encourages me to pay extra attention and appreciate the variety of feathered visitors that stop in our yard. Here are  the species that I recorded.

The House Finch is a popular winter visitor bird feeders in New England, but I often overlook them except during this event.

House Finch

American Goldfinch love our thistle feeder in the summer. They used to fly south for the winter, but with milder winters, it has become a year-round resident. In the winter, its bright yellow feathers turn an olive grey. But the white-banded black wingers are still prominent.

American Goldfinch

Blue Jays seem to always make a lot of racket. Some years they are more plentiful than others, and for the past two years there have been fewer in our backyard. This weekend, I only saw two.

A stoic Blue Jay

We usually have one pair of cardinals as a year-round resident, but this winter two males and two females have been hanging around. They all seem to get along, so it will be interesting to see if they split apart into different territories once the breeding season begins.

Female Cardinal picking up loose seeds

Male Cardinal watches from above

The suet feeders were very popular with all sorts of birds. In addition to three kinds of woodpeckers, the blue jays, nuthatches and juncos all enjoyed the high protein snack.

Male Downy Woodpecker on the left and larger male Hairy Woodpecker on the right.

Whereas last year the Red-bellied Woodpeckers were absent, this year they returned. Although try as I might, I could not see any red on its belly.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Each year, one species stands out in numbers more than the others, and this year it was the juncos with thirteen counted at one time. They were always busy, flying from one feeder to the next, up in the trees and then down to the ground.

Dark-eyed Junco

In addition to the birds above, I also observed Wild Turkeys, Mourning Doves, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and a White-breasted Nuthatch.

Finally, to add some variety to the weekend, a few grey and red squirrels appeared. Sometimes they were at the feeder, but they also spent a lot of time eating the remaining fruit from a Crabapple tree.

Squirrel eating a crabapple.

All in all it was a great weekend for bird and wildlife viewing. If you want to read about the specific results of the GBBC, visit their website at https://gbbc.birdcount.org/