Another walk in the Park. I love Bear Brook SP :)
But ... the trails nearest me had started to look a little overly familiar.
I hadn't been to the old UNH OC Cabin for some time, nor on the Old South Rd trail. And I wanted to explore the Out And Back trail.
It looked like they would make a good loop.
Fortunately, I took the Old South Rd trail to the cabin first.
Water was high and rushing in the brook, and ice cold - literally. Exposed rocks were icy, and the ones underwater looked slippery.
I dont like wading, or, worse, dunking.
There is a plank bridge. I'm not sure of it's age. There is a span of around 20 ft, with a support at about 12 feet from one end. Very tempting.
But also sketchy. Runners are doubled up 2X4s; I couldnt tell whether they were full-length across the span or 8 footers cobbled together.
I decided the bridge was really not for Clydesdales , so I did some exploring up and downstream. I couldnt find a crossing I considered safe, so I eventually went back out to South Rd.
If I had gone the other way - i.e. in via the Out & Back trail , I'd have had a harder decision whether to go back 3 + miles or risk a crossing .... glad I thought of that before deciding which way to go :)
There has been a lot of logging on each side of the OSR trail since the last time I was there, but the trail is clear of slash and ruts, and has good footing other than a little mud here and there. It's a pleasant enough walk.
I went in the O&B trail from South Rd, it too is a pleasant walk, with a little mud at the top end of the trail. It descends gently toward Beaver Pond, eventually crossing a small brook ( easy crossing this one), thru a fairly open softwood stand , and skirts a ridge strewn with boulders.
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