Bald Mountain Open to the Public in The

Lake Willoughby Region NOTE: All three trails on Bald Mountain . cross przvat l reaching th e state-owned summit parcel l'i'h e ands before . h h . ese routes . the public t roug varzous, long-standing b are available to ver al and . h agreements, h owever access in not guaranteed Pub/' rzg t-of-way been threatened on a number of occasions a d . zc access has .kers use goodjudgment on these trails Pleasn lt zs imperative that hl · e respect · and landowners,· leave no trace and clean un ,ri private lands r a.l'er1 others• di block woo ds road s, gates or driveways. no ov . h , 0 not , ermg t camnin fires,· and encourage oth ers to be respectful as w ll ,.,,'h. r g or d h 'k l ,,.J • e . i j zs wzll not on! ensure goo 1 er- anuowner relations now but .11 l Y Mountain open to the public in the future. ' wz a so keep Bald TELEGRAPH TRAIL- The Telegraph Trail (also kn h , T ·1) b · own as t e Lookout s rat egms at the gated terminus of Tower Lane, a small Class 4 road located off of Cole Road in Westmore. It can b h d . h H. e reac e b~ fo 11 owmg t e . mton Hill ( sometimes referred to as westmore Hill) Road from either Westmore or Charleston. While not formall maintained, a small signed par~ing area, located on the left, provide~ room for a small number of vehicles. Please be advised that the Tele graph Trail crosses private land. Hikers should respect private prop erty and make every effort to ensure good landowner relations. NOTE: The Telegraph Trail is the least maintained route on Bald Mountain and varies greatly in terrain and quality. Be advised that the route can be rugged and difficult to follow. From the road gate and parking area (0.0 mi.), the trail route, marked infrequently with signs and light blue blazes, proceeds on the gravel timber road and almost immediately turns left at an intersection. The trail continues easterly, crossing a branch of Bald Mountain Brook before reaching an overgrown log landing (0.1 mi.). Here, the trail turns south and climbs steadily for some time on the wide-open haul road until reaching a second, larger log landing (1. 1 mi.) with local views of Blan Mountain, Echo and Seymour Lakes to the north a~d the backside of Bald and Goodwin Mountains to the south. A heavdy wooded prominence, known as Little Black Knob, looms to the eaSt Leaving the southeast corner of the log landing ( 1.2 mi.), the trail fol lows a skid path littered with slash and debris and climbs unevenl~ south and east towards the saddle between Little Black Knob an h Bald Mountain. Just below the saddle (1 .4 mi.), the trail turns sout 39 Lake Willoughby Region streams before rea h' aga l·n , crossing several. .slash-filled . seasonal , c mg a distinct woods edge ~nd1catmg the approximate 2500-foot elevation line (1.5 mi.). The tratl bears left at a poorly defined but flagged junc tion and climbs away from the cut through an opening in the forest. Entering the more mature woods, the old trail immediately begins to climb steeply up an eroded gully before stabilizing somewhat and crossing into Willoughby State Forest (1.7 mi.). Occasional evidence of past trail use- steps,_ markings, c~rduroy logs- can be recognized along the path and, whtle almost enttrely absent from the lower trail remnants of the telegraph line system are still visible on the large; trees found on the upper trail. Continuing onward, the trail continues up into the montane spruce-fir forest that blankets the summit. Occasionally following short sections of sidehill, the trail winds upward as the land falls steeply away on the right. Eventually emerging into a small, wet 'mountain meadow' that offers limited views to the north (2.1 mi.), the trail turns south and makes a final climb towards the summit clearing (2.2 mi.). The former ranger's cabin and recently restored fire tower is straight ahead while remnants of the former lookout station- wood, metal and debris-are scattered throughout the summit forest. The Long Pond Trail leaves the summit clearing on the right (west) while the Mad Brook Trail descends on the left ( east). Total distance: approximately 2.2 mi., elevation gain: 1575 ft. MAD BROOK TRAIL- The Mad Brook Trail accesses the summit of Bald Mountain from the north and northeast, beginning on a gated and graveled drive that gradually fades into a grassy lane and, finally, the wooded access trail. The trail is rumored to have been cleared with a bulldozer many years ago and is still quite wide in places. The route follows a prominent northern ridgeline that gradually gains the summit; however, several steep pitches are present as it climbs the upper mountain. The gradual pitch and relatively wide trail corridor, coupled with relatively lax enforcement, has led to increased A ~V use on. t~e trail in recent years, despite efforts to block access. Still, the tratl ts an excellent hike and is relatively well-maintained. The trail begins at the gated terminus of the Mad Brook Road near the l 41 Lake Willoughby Region Jeston/W estmore town line. A small signed p ki Ch~~e right, offers limited parking and is used in :~t:; :rea, located on as a turnaround. Please respect the property a d _Y the snow ploWby home· do not block the gate, road or drivewayn pnbvacy of the near ' near y. from the parking area (0.0 mi.), the un-blazed trail leads u the l road (go around or be sure to close behind you) pd gated grav e h d . an ' after a walk soon reac es a secon pnvate home at the Id W sh o rt ' · ) Th . 0 estmore Town lot. No. 9 (0.5 Illl. e mam building, and an assembly of ...,all cabms, serves as a retreat and may be occupied A • Su• . · gam, p1 ease help to mamta1~ good hiker-landowner relations by respecting private property and bemg courteous to landowners and guests. Recent clearing around the housesite has restored an old meadow a d released several old apple trees but it has also obscured the route :f the trail. Bearing slightly left at the main building. the trail continues southeast, through the ~dd_le of the meadow towards an opening at the far woods edge. A tratl sign, located on the far side of the meadow (0.6 mi.), marks the entrance to a grassy woods road and the begin ning of a gradual ascent leading through mixed hardwoods. Leaving the meadow behind, the trail soon crosses a red-blazed prop erty boundary near an old piped spring (1.0 mi.) and, skirting the edge of a recently logged area, crests a height of land ( 1.3 mi). From here, the trail descends to the first of two low stream crossings and the state forest boundary (1.5 mi.). Observant hikers may notice the eroded signs of a 'bootleg' ATV trail approaching from the south (left) a short distance before the stream crossings. From the stream crossing and forest boundary (1.5 mi.), the trail quickly climbs uphill and then, at more moderate grades, winds uphill on a large switchback turn before reaching a boulder barricade in stalled to discourage motorized use (1.8 mi.). From here, the trail de scends briefly before turning left and climbing up a steep, rocky slope ont~ the mountain's north ridge (2.0 mi.). The trail continue~ on and begms to narrow as it enters the higher elevation mountam foreSt where, increasingly, balsam fir, white birch, mountain maple and mountain ash dominate. A number of sturdy waterbars a~d check st eps, constructed by North Woods Stewardship Center trntl c~ews, serve to dtvert · runoff, reduce eros10n. and reverse re cent . environ- mental damage on the section of trail leading up to the summit. 43 Northeast Kingdom Mountain Trail Guide As the trail continues upward, it passes over a number of g . h 1 t I . I ran1te crops, carved smooth durmg t e as g acia advance, and 0ut~ glimpses of local views northward towards Echo and Seymo LOffers (2.2 mi.). Approaching th~ summi~, the surrounding spruce-~: ri~es opens up and the path _widens sl~ghtly before, rounding a be d ~t reaches a split in the trail that enctrcles a small dense island ofnt ' it just east of the summit· cI earmg. I~e d. iate 1Y h ad ea , the trail gainsrees the summit and reaches a small clearing marked by the summit fire tow and forester's cabin (2.8 mi.). er Total distance: approximately 2.8 mi., elevation gain: 1495 ft. LONG POND TRAIL- The Long Pond Trail is the most popular and well-used trail on Bald Mountain and one of the more popular trails in Westmore. It begins near Long Pond and approaches the summit from the southwest, crossing private land before reaching the Willoughby State Forest parcel at the summit. The trailhead is located on the Long Pond Road, approximately 2-miles southeast of Vermont Route SA and a short distance ( 100 yards) past the State-owned Long Pond Fishing Access Area. A large signed parking area, situated on the left, provides ample room for vehicles. Be careful not to block the gated access road. From the parking area (0.0 mi.), the trail follows a large, graveled timber haul road and soon bears right at a forked junction (0.2 mi.).

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