On this perfect late October day, we headed to Tumbledown Public Land for a loop hike over Jackson Mountain. Although it stands taller than its more popular neighbors, Jackson Mountain sees far less traffic, and, in my opinion, is one of the more underrated mountains in the area. We started at the Morgan Road Trailhead, and hiked downhill on the Little Jackson Connector Trail. After reaching the Brook Trailhead, we headed west on the Byron/Weld Road. After a road walk of a few miles, we turned onto the logging road following the Stockbridge Branch of the Swift River. Shortly before the bridge over the river, we turned onto the trail which follows the Stockbridge Branch along the north side of the mountains.
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| Road walk on the Byron/Weld Road |
This seldom used trail provides a longer, but more gradual approach than the busy trails on the south side of the mountains. It follows the stream valley up, following the route of an old tote road for a while, before diverging on its own path as it turns away from the main stream and heads south up the mountainside. Upon reaching Jackson Pond, we took a break at the cabin and enjoyed the beautiful high elevation pond before continuing.
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| Cabin on Jackson Pond |
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| Inside the cabin |
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| Jackson Pond |
After leaving the pond, we turned onto the Jackson Mountain Trail for the final ascent to the top. The Jackson Mountain Trail has got to have the most beautiful extended mossy sections of any trail around! We stopped to enjoy the beautiful viewpoint, offering a unique close-up view of Little Jackson, before reaching the summit clearing.
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| Little Jackson Mountain from Jackson Mountain |
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| View northwest |
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| View south |
With clear skies and no wind, it was a perfect day to lay in the sun on the helipad for a while, which we did while eating lunch. After lunch, we went back down the Jackson Mountain Trail before following the Little Jackson Trail on a much more direct route to our car. Surprisingly, we didn't see anyone else on the trails all day, even in the area of Little Jackson, and we were the only car in the parking lot both when we started and when we left.
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| Sampson at the summit of Jackson Mountain |
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| View towards Mount Blue |
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| View back towards Jackson Mountain from the saddle between Jackson and Little Jackson |
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