25 June 2010 Eagle Crag, New Hampshire
I entered the Wilderness very early in the hike
For some time I’ve had my eye on a fairly obscure stretch of trail deep in the Wild River Wilderness. Hardly anyone ever even mentions it, much less does anyone actually set foot upon it. It’s at least a five-mile walk to either end of it and it doesn’t go to any famed 4000-footer nor to any summit, really. It is precisely this remoteness and obscurity that called to me. The name of the trail is the Eagle Link. I’ve passed by its termini on several occasions. It’s upper end meets one of the ridge line trails to the spectacular Baldfaces; it’s lower end meets the Wild River Trail in the upper reaches of the valley where the Wild River is little more than a babbling brook. I envisioned making a 13-mile loop by ascending from the Wild River Campground to Rim Junction and then on to Mt. Meader and then Eagle Crag. From the Crag I would descend along the Eagle Link and then take the Wild River Trail back to my car at the campground. Doing the route in this direction got the climbing done early and I would finish with a fairly easy five-mile river walk.
I hit the trail at 8:45, later than I’d wanted but not too bad considering I’ve started bigger hikes at the crack of noon. I soon entered the Wilderness and climbed gently to the stream crossing where I took my first break to admire the lovely little cascade into a shallow pool. From here the ascent is a little more noticeable but the beauty of the trail as it hugs the brook and its many little waterfalls and pools was a fine distraction from the effort. Soon enough the trail leveled and I found myself at Rim Junction. I took a few steps beyond to a break in the trees overlooking the Basin and its eponymous pond. The last time I was here was last autumn and the view was drastically different. I didn’t linger as I knew that many more views - and another 1700 feet of climbing - awaited me.
Cow Wheat
I continued on and the trail passed over many thinly wooded ledges where interesting plants such as rhodora (Rhododendron canadense), bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), and cow wheat (Melampyrum lineare) were flowering. The soundtrack was provided by many swainsons thrushes, dark-eyed juncos, golden-crowned kinglets, and black-throated green warblers. The occasional hermit thrush and white-throated sparrow chimed in. Shortly before the trail junction with the Mt. Meader and the Meader Ridge Trails I stopped to absorb an excellent view north to the Royces and Speckled Mountain from an open ledge. A few more steps brought me to the trail junction and its teasing view of South Baldface. Despite the forecast for a dry, clear, and sunny day it had been growing increasingly cloudy and hazy. I stopped to check the trail description and seeing that it was mostly wooded and sheltered I decided to continue on into new territory. The Meader Ridge trail that I was now on is clearly little-used. All the small branches that get kicked aside on busier paths lay strewn about on the treadway and in places the plants along the side encroach. After a short while I came to a very worthwhile spur trail leading to an expansive view. Here I could see that although the sky to the north and east looked threatening it was quite clear to the west and south.
South Baldface through a window in the fir
I moved along from the view and passed a single white lady’s slipper. Soon after I heard a rustle and looked up just in time to see the white flag of a doe as she bounded down the trail away from me. I walked in her tracks along the trail but didn’t see her again. Her tracks were gone when the trail climbed a short but steep outcrop. I heard another rustle and thought perhaps another deer but instead it was another hiker. We surprised each other as neither of us had expected to see another person on this lonely stretch of trail. We chatted a bit - we were each the first hiker the other had seen all day - and he told me he had come across the Baldfaces and would head down the Mt. Meader Trail. We continued on and I shortly came to an interesting view of South Baldface through a narrow gap in the trees. A minute later I found myself on the mostly open knob that is Eagle Crag. Two more hikers were taking a break at the signed trail junction so I chose a different spot to eat my lunch. Most of the birds had stopped singing by now and a light breeze kept the bugs down. They headed down the Bicknell Ridge Trail and I headed over to the trail junction to make a video of the panorama. There I saw a sweet party of tiny lemon-yellow butterflies, Clouded Sulphurs. They fluttered around me and the sign, often pausing for a moment on a leaf or a stone. I stayed with them for a few minutes before setting out on the Eagle Link.
A ferny glade on the Eagle Link
The Eagle Link wound around the west side of the ridge heading south. I stopped to take some vitamin I to quiet a cranky knee and took in an interesting view of the “backside” of the Baldfaces. Before that had a chance to kick in I was picking my way down a steep section, rare on this hike, that had been worn to slick, bare ledge. The grade then eased again and I found myself in open birch and fir forest with a carpet of lush, sweet-smelling ferns. This is a place to return to in autumn when the ferns are at their most fragrant. I paused to take it in. It was so quiet; the breeze had stopped and the birds were mute. Only the occasional ruffle of feathers in the leaves or a rare chirp reminded me that I was not alone in these woods. I continued on and the woods remained open, the sunny forest floor rich with growth. This is my favorite type of forest: sheltered and protecting and yet airy and bright. I took my time through this section, not wanting it to pass too quickly. Near the bottom the woods closed in a bit and I crossed the merest trickle of a stream that hosted a luxurious blanket of moss over the ledgy stream bed. The moss was not even worn away where the trail crossed it, a testament to the very light visitation this trail sees. Not long after I made a short, steep descent to cross a tributary and then the Wild River just before reaching the junction with the Wild River Trail. As I moved through this section I looked for any sign that I had spent several nights camped here this past winter with a group of girls. I could find none. I could not even identify with any certainty the small plot where my own tarp was pitched.
Wild River at Black Angel Trail junction
Having reached the Wild River Trail I was in the home stretch of this hike. I had 4.8 gently descending miles to go along the beautiful Wild River. This is another bit of trail that sees little traffic and I was again stepping over small obstacles that would have been kicked away already on more popular routes. The Wild River here is modest and boulder-choked and quite stunning. The trail stays close to the river for much of its length. The two crossings of tributaries were easy rock hops on this day. After the second one I passed the site of the former Spruce Brook shelter. There are tent sites now and no privy. The shelter site has been brushed in and looks pretty bad. I hope that the forest repairs the blemish soon. Further along I came to the junction with the Black Angel Trail and my trail bent down to the shore of the river to cross it just above the site of the Spider Bridge which washed away in a spring flood a few years ago. After crossing I found a sunny boulder on the edge of the water and had another snack while enjoying this scenic spot, one of my favorite places.
Moriah Brook Trail bridge across the Wild River
The last couple miles of the Wild river Trail follow an old - and well hardened - logging grade. The trail keeps the river company as it grows wider on its way to the Androscoggin. This section always feels like a bit of a slog. The trail here is nice enough but has a history of heavy traffic and it shows. Near the end, however, it passes through a sweet little meadow that is home to a variety of wildflowers, including some early asters. Soon after it passes near a very excellent suspension bridge that carries the Moriah Brook Trail across the Wild River. I spent some time on the bridge looking up and down the river. No one else was around so I took the opportunity to bounce on the bridge, making it vibrate with a number of different frequencies and modes. It was a rare treat as usually there is someone else on it who does not care for oscillating bridges. I was back at the campground in just a few minutes and paused by my car to admire a vividly colored flower. I don’t know what it is and I don’t quite know how to call its color - is it burgundy? red? pink? purple? I thought it was quite lovely and a sweet way to end the hike.
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