Vacation (Day Four) Mine Above The Pond

    So plans kind of changed today. We decided to try to find Mascot Pond and Mine in Gorham. The problem is trying to find information on the trail which is mostly on old utility roads currently used by snowmobiles and ATVs. I had an idea where it was but directions were too confusing to follow which is strange considering part of the trail is actually on the Appalachian Trail but it’s a part known for being confusing.

    We crossed the old railroad bridge around 9:00 and headed right where it looked like it’d be a quicker route to the actual trail. And it would have been, if the fenced off dam and building weren’t in the way. So we walked on the dirt road out around a mostly dried up reservoir, doubled back on the other side of it and finally found what appeared to be the trail. We met a couple of confused Appalachian Trail hikers who said they thought the pond was in the direction we were going and wanted to know how to get to the main road. I went ahead a couple times to see if we were going the right way whenever the trail split. After enough of these we questioned if we were even in the right place.

    There were multiple unmarked or poorly marked paths so I ran ahead to make sure we were going the right way while the other three waited by a cute little stream beneath some power lines. Luckily the power lines didn’t last for long because I hate those sunny sections of trail. After that I hit a shady forested area along the stream and started jogging. A few tenths of a mile later I saw the sign that pointed down a side trail to Mascot Pond and could just barely make it out between the trees so ran back to get Jaime and my parents.

    Jaime was a little mad because it was so much longer than originally anticipated and probably wishing she hadn’t told me to do it, knowing I’d regret it if I didn’t, seeing as how it was on last year’s itinerary but I didn’t have time to get to it. But she kept going.



    We finally reached Mascot Pond with its incredible view of the Presidential range. Behind the pond is a steep open hillside covered with talus scree beneath rock ledges. Carved into the ledges are the old mines which are unfortunately gated in order to protect the large bat population that hibernate there. The rockslide was extremely difficult to make it up but I made it while the others waited at the bottom. Some slides aren’t as bad because there’s larger rocks to support you but this one was mostly sand and small pebble sized stones with nothing to grip onto. Slowly but surely I made it up. The views from the mine entrance were incredible and the mine looked awesome. I wish it was possible to get inside it. I’ve never been in a mine before but hopefully soon. It’s always been a life goal of mine.

    After exploring a bit and grabbing some cool rocks we were on our way. We ended up finding the trail we should have taken, right where I thought it should have been. The problem was that the trail used to cross over the dam but is now blocked off to public use. The trailhead is even aimed in the wrong direction so its clear it once came from the other way. Had we been able to cross the dam the way the maps showed it would have been a 1.2 mile rather than the over 2 mile walk it actually was. We accidentally found a shorter way back which was nice.

    We ate at J’s Corner restaurant in Gorham, where the old Gypsy restaurant had been which was one of our favorites long ago. Since the Gypsy was where I first started eating buffalo wings dipped in blue cheese, I decided to get that for old times sake but didn’t expect much. Turns out they were absolutely delicious, some of the best I’ve ever had, as was the clam chowder. Jaime got Lobster Mac N Cheese which was amazing as well.

    My parents and I headed up the start of the Tuckerman Ravine trail to Crystal Cascade while Jaime waited in the car. Which is good because it was steeper than I’d anticipated but the falls were breathtaking. There was a lot more water than I expected. Doing this part of the trail definitely makes me want to go up Tuckerman Ravine again at some point since I haven’t done it since I was five years old but certainly isn’t easy.

    We went to the gift shop there afterwards and I was looking at a geology book of New Hampshire where I saw pictures of Mascot Mine as it once looked when the mine was in operation as well as a picture of the Woodstock Silver Mine. I’d never heard of it before and have been researching it tonight to try to find. I ended up finding a couple others in the area as well, now we’ll see if I can locate them in the real world and not just where they might be on Google Earth.

    The three of us went to Glen Ellis Falls next, a place we used to go to all the time. I didn’t have any recollection of it but it was gorgeous. The water was raging, mist filled the ravine which was nice because I expected it to be mostly dried up. I can’t believe I didn’t remember these falls as they are quite memorable. Its strange how some places I remember vividly having only been there once but here, where I had been numerous time, I couldn’t remember the least bit.

    That was our last walk of the day as we headed to Lincoln. We’re all checked into our hotel. We have a big room with two beds and a view over the river out back. I went to town alone to get some things. It’s weird how it feels right being here, like this is where I belong, this town. It made me realize I’m definitely ready to move here. In my heart, this is home.