Hike of the Week 11/28/2002

Description:

From the parking area, cross the road and enter the woods at a brown sign indicating the trailhead of the Terrace Pond trails. You’ll notice both blue and yellow blazes. Almost immediately, the yellow-blazed Terrace Pond South Trail turns right. Follow this yellow trail. (The blue-blazed Terrace Pond North Trail, which goes off to the left, will be your return route.) You will soon find yourself in deep woods, following a rocky trail through a large stand of mountain laurel and white pine, and crossing several wet areas on plank puncheons. (During periods of wet weather, portions of the trail may be flooded, and you may have to detour around the flooded sections.)

In about 0.6 mile, the trail goes through a magnificent rhododendron grove, with the large rhododendrons forming an arch over the trail in places. After running along an interesting whaleback rock and crossing a low stone wall, the yellow trail turns left onto a woods road. You’ll be following woods roads, with gentle grades, for the next 1.3 miles. Soon, the yellow markers bear left again onto another woods road. Then, after half a mile, take care to follow the yellow markers as they bear very sharply left at a junction of woods roads. A quarter of a mile beyond this sharp turn, the yellow trail bears left at the top of a rise, with another woods road going off to the right.
After passing a swamp to the left, the yellow markers bear right, bypassing a flooded section of the woods road, and crossing the outlet of the swamp on rocks. In wet seasons, there is an attractive cascade to the right. The trail then goes over two concrete pipes and, just beyond, reaches a fork. Bear right here, leaving the yellow trail, and continue ahead on the Yellow Dot Trail, marked with yellow-on-white blazes, which follows a pleasant woods road.

In another quarter of a mile, after passing some rock outcrops to the left, you’ll reach a junction with the red-blazed Terrace Pond Red Trail. Turn left and follow the red trail. The hike now becomes more rugged. After a steep climb up a ridge, the trail follows the ridge to the north, continuing to ascend gradually. It then descends to a valley, crosses a stream, and continues across several low ridges. A huge rock outcrop soon comes into view. The trail turns right, parallels the outcrop, then climbs to its top and continues along it. The outcrop is composed of reddish-purple “puddingstone” conglomerate rock, with quartz pebbles embedded in the rock. You’ll have to look carefully to find the red blazes painted on the rocks, with cairns (piles of rocks) also used to mark the trail in places.

After following the outcrop for some distance, the trail descends to the right and soon reaches a junction with the yellow-blazed Terrace Pond South Trail (the same trail that you followed for the first two miles of the hike). The two trails run jointly for a short distance. When they again divide, turn left and continue to follow the red blazes. The Terrace Pond Red Trail climbs along another rock outcrop, then steeply climbs over rocks to reach a limited viewpoint to the east through the trees. Just beyond, Terrace Pond itself may be seen below to the right.
Continuing along its rugged, rocky route, the red trail passes to the left of a huge boulder with some interesting crevices that you can walk through. Just beyond, it descends steeply over rocks to end at a junction with the white-blazed Terrace Pond Circular Trail. Turn left and follow the white trail. A short distance ahead – just beyond another rock scramble – you’ll reach an open area along the lakeshore. This is a great spot to take a break and enjoy the beauty of this secluded glacial lake.

When you’re ready to continue, proceed north along the white trail. Soon, you’ll come to a junction with the blue-blazed Terrace Pond North Trail. Turn left, following the blue trail. After crossing several wet areas on planks and rotted logs, you will come to a rocky area, with a rounded outcrop to the left of the trail offering good views to the west. Continue along the blue trail, soon passing an underground stream to the right. After several short, steep descents, you will come out onto a wide cut for a gas line. Bear left here and continue along the gas line for about 450 feet to the bottom of the hill. Here, the blue trail re enters the woods on your left and leads in about half a mile, over relatively level terrain, back to the trailhead, crossing several wet areas on puncheons.

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