Three Pond Loop Trail (White Mountain National Forest, NH) and Hapgood Pond Campground (Green Mountain National Forest, VT)

Today is day one of a five day trip to visit Matty in New York.  I try to avoid interstate highways and long drives if I can, so I've decided to split the drive out over two days and take backroads, hiking along the way.

Today I hiked the Three Pond Trail in the western part of the White Mountain National Forest.  I picked this hike as it seemed like a pleasant yet not overly stressful hike, which would allow me to stretch my legs a little over halfway into my drive without wearing me out.  I had originally planned to hike out and back to the first pond, around 4.4 miles total.

I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this hike and the solitude the area offered.  Other than a person fishing in a canoe on one of the remote lakes, I did not see another person.  After hiking to the Three Ponds Lean-To, I decided to extend my hike out to Foxglove Pond.  As I approached the end of the trail (it was flooded), I was greated by a large coyote trotting towards me on the trail.  He noticed me and quickly darted off, before I was able to get a picture.  

On the return trip I took the Donkey Hill Cutoff to the Mt. Kineo Trail.  Although slightly longer, I was rewarded with views of a waterfall I had not expected.

The trail was muddy in parts and required a few stream crossings over logs and rocks.  Grass had grown over in parts but I did not get any ticks on me.  My overall hike today was around 7.5 miles with a little less than 1,000 feet of total elevation gain throughout the hike.

After hiking, I drove the final leg of the day to the Hapgood Pond Campground in Peru, Vermont.   The campground is part of the Green Mountain National Forest and provided a scenic and quiet place to spend the night.