Ragged Mountain Traverse - 10/24/15
Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/kmacgray/QqFW82After meeting at Proctor Academy, we drove over to the trailhead on New Canada Road where we spotted a few cars. The walk up the logging road stretch from New Canada Road is kinda ugly, passing through slash. The Proctor Academy trails are lightly used and require care to follow in some spots. The Bulkhead Trail between Balanced Rock and The Bulkhead passes over open ledges with no markings, followed by an obscure turn into the woods. Lots of leaves down which are covering rocks and roots. The Proctor trails are mostly marked with faded blazes and homemade signs. Ragged Mountain Trail/Sunapee Ragged Kearsarge Greenway is marked with SRKG blazes/logos.
Our group traversed the Ragged Mountain ridge from west to east, hitting all the summits, sub-peaks and points of interest along the way. Lots and lots of repeated elevation gain and loss over some rough terrain along this ridge. Ragged may be small in stature, but it definitely provides a workout!
Great views from the ski area summits and the west peak, and fantastic views from atop The Bulkhead, a worthy destination in its own right. Still some nice foliage color in the valleys below, but fading fast. Descending down to The Bulkhead and beyond is steep and rough. Lots of leaves made for some slippery footing in spots.
On the way out we visited Mud Pond, which is scenic and quiet. There's also a new-ish Adirondack-style shelter here. Looks like a very comfy place for an overnight. A bonus was a pile of snow behind the hockey rink at the Academy, which initiated the first snowball fight of the year.
