Hale & Zealand

Hale Brook, Lend-a-Hand-Twinway-Zealand Rd/Trail

March 17, 2010


Another nice sunny day for a long hike. Got a later start than I wanted, but was underway by 7:30. Zealand Road was plowed and melted which made for quick progress to the trailhead for the Hale Brook trail. Starting up I could see 2 sets of prints in front of me - although it looked as though both had ascended and descended the trail. I was concerned that the Lend-a-Hand trail may not be broken out and wasn't sure if I should attempt it solo.

Arriving at the summit I found an empty summit and no sign of any previous traffic headed down to the hut. Off I went exploring to see how far I could get. I did loose the trail in a couple of spots, but eventually found it again. Maybe 1/3 of the way I started to see new blazes and had no issues the rest of the way to the Twinway trail.

After a short snack break I started up the Twinway towards Zeacliff and Zealand. Found the lookout for Zeacliff and admired the wonderful views before setting out again. Luckily friends had been here the previous day, so trail finding was not an issue as they did a good job staying on the trail with minimal searching.

I was suprised to find the summit sign almost completely burried in snow. It is normally 7 or 8 feet in the air! But this allowed for great views, almost 360 degrees on this normally viewless peak - a great treat. Just as I left the summit I heard voices and was very suprised to see 3 others approaching - it was Ryan, Jason, and Sue who were in the midst of a Pemi Loop plus some as well as an 8 day round of the NH48 in Winter for Sue!

After leaving and heading back down to the hut I spied a butterfly enjoying the begining of Spring weather. With the temp around 50 and bright sunshine, it felt much warmer. Quick stop at the hut and I was off for the last 7 miles of the day.

Directions to Trailhead
Rte 93 north to Exit 35. Follow Route 3 East to the intersection with Route 302 in Twin Mountain. Take a right onto Route 302 and follow it South for @ 2 miles. Zealand Road will be on your right. The Winter parking lot is another .1 miles on your left.

Length of Hike:
9:15 hours
23:00 miles





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