Walking on Water at Annette State Forest

Annette State Forest is 1500 acres on the corners of Rindge, Jaffrey and New Ipswich, NH.  It holds Annette Wayside Park and Hubbard Pond.

Annette Sign

Early March is definitely still winter in all parts of NH, and my husband, youngest son and I geared up to explore some of Annette’s trails.  We parked in a cleared area off Cathedral Road in Rindge and began a trek on a wide snowmobile track.

PathIt took ten minutes of easy walking to reach the water, beginning with a dam separating Hubbard Pond’s watershed.  The ‘road’, which is wide but not vehicle friendly, steers off to the left, tempting us to wander trails for hours, but we chose the ice-covered pond to explore.

Dam

We met a few snowmobilers on our hike, nice people who gave us plenty of room.  It didn’t take long to regain the silence of the forest and lake.

Hubbard Pond

Years ago I recognized the power space had on children.  We took the kids to Rye, NH- Jenness State Beach, and watched the toddlers run fast and far across the sand, experiencing freedom in open spaces.  Walking on a winter lake is extraordinary; wandering and spreading far away from each other and remembering that a few feet below us is a deep lake habitat.

Hubbard Pond 2

We walked in mostly silence, but saw lots of signs of winter life.  A beaver lodge was fun to explore up close, and Hubbard Pond has lots of small islands and swampy areas to visit.

Lodge

 

Beaver Attack

As we walked, we saw a few tracks.  Some easily recognizable, like this deer trail,

Deer Tracks

…and others that stumped us.  Below are some tracks we’d like help with.  NH Fish and Game has this card which helps identify local animals.  The prints of this animal are 1.5 inches long, and the tread is over a foot apart.

Prints

tracks2

Our closest guess is a bobcat- can anybody confirm?  Hubbard Pond is not residential at all, so a house cat is really not likely, plus the gait is really long for them.  The only property along on Hubbard Pond is Wildwood, a Mass Audubon summer camp.  A few weeks ago I began my new position at their Administrative Coordinator, so this hike was serendipitous.

Wildwood

Aaron has been a camper at Wildwood for a few years, and remembered the places he boated on in the summer.

This winter has been long and cold, as usual.  I think we all needed the reminder summer fun is just around the corner. Really, it’s simply lying dormant, right under our feet.

 

 

 

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Lisa Wiley

My name is Lisa Wiley and I am native to mid-New England, but a NH transplant once my husband and I started a family. We have five children and multiple pets, including a bassett named Rue who will be featured in many of my posts! I work in two academic libraries and recently completed a Bachelors in Education and Training through Granite State College. My husband and I are both educators and love outdoor adventures on a shoestring budget! On the side, we garden and raise chickens and angora rabbits. I enjoy spinning the angora fiber from these gentle animals into beautiful yarns. I can't wait to share the adventures of the 'Wiley Rangers' as we explore NH!

3 thoughts to “Walking on Water at Annette State Forest”

  1. hello, i was wondering if Milan Hill State Park allow snowshoeing i am a disable vet and can just snowshoe and is there any winter camping to be had in the same areas thanks for your time tony

    1. Hey Tony, Snowshoeing is allowed at Milan Hill State Park. The Nansen Ski Club maintains the trails there in winter and you’ll be able to get more details and conditions on their website: http://skinansen.com/

      Not aware of any winter camping opportunities in the areas but you could check with the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce (http://androscogginvalleychamber.com/) for suggestions or the NH Campground Owners Association (http://nhlovescampers.com/)

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