Bucks Ledge Community Forest 5/1/2026

After a bit of rain yesterday, today went back to the dry, sunny, and windy weather that we have been seeing a lot of lately. We took advantage of another beautiful day by heading over to Bucks Ledge Community Forest in Woodstock. Starting from the main parking lot, we walked up the improved gravel road to the accessible trail and its viewpoint, from which are great views of Bucks Ledge. We then cut over to Mann Road, before ascending Bucks Ledge from the west.

Trailhead

Viewpoint on the accessible trail

Sampson at a trail intersection

At the top of Bucks Ledge

After pausing to enjoy the great views from the top of Bucks Ledge, we continued along the ridge line on the J n J Trail to the top of Moody Mountain. This section of trail was especially enjoyable with its multiple viewpoints along the ridge.

View along the ridge

The summit of Moody Mountain

View from the top of Moody Mountain

After another break at the top of Moody Mountain, we descended the steep trail to the logging road. Before heading up the north side of Lapham Ledge, I took a short out-and-back detour down the Echo Lane Trail, which I hadn't been on yet. It's an easy walk to Rumford Avenue and back, and makes a nice alternative entrance or connection with the elementary school. We enjoyed lunch at the top of Lapham Ledge and then headed back down to the car via the Bucks Ledge Alternate Trail.

Lapham Ledge summit sign

View from Lapham Ledge

Bryant Pond & Mount Christopher

It was an excellent day for a hike, and the trails are all in good shape. Even with a number of cars in the parking lot, we passed only one person on our entire hike, which is rare for this busy trail system!

AllTrails Activity

 

Tumbledown Dick Mountain 4/26/2026

Continued perfect weather today meant that I was able to get a second mountain hike in this weekend! After previously hiking Tumbledown Dick Mountain in Peru from both the east and the west, today we returned to do both on the same hike. We parked on Pulsifer Road where it splits, and started by hiking up the trail in the saddle between The Pinnacle and Tumbledown Dick Mountain. Upon reaching the logging road, we descended to the west to reach the end of Hammond Hill Road. From here, we headed up to the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint, taking a detour on the way to visit the mine below the viewpoint. Although Hedgehog Hill is actually a peak slightly further west, the viewpoint is signed as such and provides a nice view to the south for relatively minimal effort.

Mine near the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint

 

View up the valley between Tumbledown Dick Mountain and Black Mountain form the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint

View south from the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint

From the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint, we connected back to the logging road that we had previously descended. Following that road up the mountain, we turned onto the eroded trail leading to the summit of Tumbledown Dick Mountain. We made good time up to the summit, and it was an absolutely perfect sunny spring day, so we ended up spending over two hours relaxing on the summit. We even saw a Forest Service helicopter fly below us in the valley between Tumbledown Dick and Black Mountains twice.

Start of the trail to the summit

Memorial plaque at the summit

Sampson at the summit

 

View southeast from the summit

View southwest towards Black & Speckled Mountains

After the extended break, it was a relatively quick and easy descent back to where we parked on Pulsifer Road. Tumbledown Dick Mountain is always a fun hike, and it was especially nice because we had the entire mountain to ourselves today! It was also the first hike of the season that we didn't see any snow.

Forest Service helicopter

Speckled Mountain

The Presidential Range

AllTrails Activity

 

Oversett Mountain 4/24/2026

 Although it is a rather popular hike, today we had the trails on and around Oversett Mountain completely to ourselves! Located within the Crooked River Headwaters Conservation Easement in Greenwood, this trail network consists of very well marked and maintained trails along the Sanborn River, around Oversett Pond, and up Oversett Mountain.

Sanborn River Trail

Sanborn River

Oversett Pond 

We did today's hike as a figure-eight; starting by going clockwise on the Sanborn River Loop, taking the connector to the pond, going counterclockwise around the pond and over the mountain, and then finishing by connecting back to the Sanborn River Loop. 

Sampson at the top

View northwest

The trails were in great shape (I think there was only one blowdown the whole way!) and mud was minimal. We only saw one small patch of snow near the pond. It was great weather for hiking and there were beautiful views from the summit!

Oversett Pond

AllTrails Activity

 

Mercer Bog 4/18/2026

 

On Saturday, we went canoeing for the first time this season at Mercer Bog Wildlife Management Area. Starting from the dam on Main Street in Mercer, we paddled south into the bog. We passed under Route 2 and continued until we reached a spot where small beaver dams and a very narrow channel made it difficult to go any further.

Sign at the put-in

Mercer Bog

Because of the high water and lack of aquatic plant growth, this is a great time of year to paddle Mercer Bog. There are a variety of nice landing spots along the way, and we found a good one to eat lunch at, near where we turned around. We saw lots of wildlife along the way, including turtles, fish, a beaver, waterfowl, and other birds.

Sampson enjoyed being a passenger

View of the bog from our lunch spot