Two weeks after completing our three year section hike of the John Muir Trail, Jeff headed to northern New Hampshire to thruhike the Cohos Trail, a relatively unheard of long trail from the Canadian border to the White Mountains National Forest. Initially I was going to thruhike it with him, but was feeling exhausted from the JMT, and was battling some chronic ankle and calf pain. Instead, I joined him for the middle of his hike, and to help with car spotting.
DAY 1
On the first day of my hike, I met Jeff at a trailhead on Nash Stream Road. We left my car there and drove up to where he left off the Cohos Trail, at Young’s Store. This day mostly consisted of hiking ATV trails, overgrown snowmobile trails, and backroads. There were some highlights, like lunch on the shore of Lake Francis, and curious cows greeting us along fields in the middle of nowhere. But it was mostly a grind. At th end of the day we lucked out and found an empty campsite at Coleman State Park.
ROUTE
- Spotted car at Cohos Trail parking, 0.5 miles beyond Trio Ponds Road on Nash Stream Road in Groveton, NH
- Parked at Young’s Store in Pittsburg, NH
- Hiked south on ATV trails to McKeages Camp Trail
- Right on McKeages Camp Trail to Cedar Stream Road
- Right on Cedar Stream Road to Deadwater Loop Road
- Left on Deadwater Loop Road to ATC trails
- Right on ATV trails to Haynes Road
- Left on Haynes Road to Creampoke Road/McAllister Road
- Left on Creampoke Road/McAllister Road to Bear Rock Road
- Left on Bear Rock Road to Heath Road
- Left on Heath Road to Diamond Pond Road
- Left on Diamond Pond Road to Coleman State Park
PHOTOS
STATS
Date: 25 August 2019
Distance: 24.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 1952′
DAY 2
The second day of my Cohos Trail hike started at Coleman State Park and was much better than the previous day’s slog. We were on singletrack for most of the day, had some views, and ate lunch on the roof of a leanto. The afternoon was highlighted by Dixville Notch and the amazing views from Table Rock. We ended the day at Baldhead Shelter, but we were low on water and could not find a source near the shelter.
ROUTE
- Hiked south on Cohos Trail to Sanguinary Mountain
- Right on Sanguinary Ridge Trail to Dixville Notch
- Straight on Huntington Cascade Trail to Three Brothers Trail
- Left on Three Brothers Trail to Table Rock
- Left on Cohos Trail to Baldhead Shelter
PHOTOS
STATS
Date: 26 August 2019
Distance: 18.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 3876′
DAY 3
On the third day of my segment of the Cohos Trail we woke up in Baldhead Shelter and hiked until we found some water a short bushwhack off the trail. We hiked out to Nash Stream Road where my exhaustion and sore ankle got the best of me, and I hiked the road back to my car while Jeff continued along the Cohos Trail. That would be the end of my adventure. We spotted his car at the end of the Cohos Trail, got some dinner, and camped in the relative luxury of Dry River Campground. Jeff would finish his thruhike of the Cohos Trail over the next couple of days.
ROUTE
- Hikes south on Cohos Trail to Nash Stream Road
- Left on Nash Stream Road to parked car
STATS
Date: 27 August 2019
Distance: 11.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1089′
Maine Wanderlust 