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The opening of one and one-half miles of hiking trail near Brattleboro is certainly something to celebrate. But at a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 17 in Chesterfield's Madame Sherri Forest, some of the several dozen people in attendance may not have realized they were celebrating something more than just a brand new footpath.
There's a story behind every trail, and Chesterfield Conservation Commission co-chair Tom Duston reminded the assembled crowd of this, during his introductory remarks, by placing the opening of this new trail into a much larger context.
The history of the trail extends back to the beginning of this decade, when Chesterfield resident Ann Stokes was frequenting the offices of an advocacy organization in Concord, N.H. in which she was actively involved. Down the hall from these offices was the headquarters of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and one day, out of curiosity, Stokes paid the Forest Society a visit.
After learning about the their efforts, Stokes donated 488 acres of her land to the Forest Society. That land now comprises the Madame Sherri Forest, home to interesting geology, important wildlife habitat, and several distinct natural communities. The Forest also provides the public with a beautiful place to walk. Now, with the creation of this new footpath, the Ann Stokes Loop Trail, there are even more walking opportunities.
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The Mme. Sherri Forest lies on the eastern side of Mount Wantastiquet. Along its western edge is over 950 acres of the Wantastiquet Mountain State Natural Area, and to its north is an easement held by The Nature Conservancy on a 25 acre piece of private land. The 57 acre Cook Forest, owned by the Town of Chesterfield, sits to the east of the Mme. Sherri Forest. Just over the town line in Hinsdale is the newest addition to this block of preserved land--76 acres privately owned by the Butterfield family on which conservation easements have recently been placed. |
When you look at the Mme. Sherri Forest as a piece of this much bigger picture, you see how truly valuable it, and its adjacent lands, really are. The Forest makes up part of nearly 1600 acres of protected lands that are located less than a half mile from the busy streets of downtown Brattleboro.
But why stop there. Let's view these protected lands on Wantastiquet and the Ann Stokes Trail as part of an even larger picture. For this to happen, we need look back to a point in time seventy years before Stokes's donation created the Mme. Sherri Forest.
At that time, conservation efforts similar to those in Chesterfield and Hinsdale were taking place on two prominent mountains in New Hampshire: Monadnock and Sunapee. By 1921, the Forest Society had constructed a hiking trail over forty miles long linking the preserves on these two peaks (in contrast, that very same year the Appalachian Trail was only just becoming a concept in planners' minds). Though abandoned for some years, the trail was re-established in the 1970's and exists today as the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway.
A similar vision now stirs in the hearts of many spirited individuals: a hiking trail through a corridor of protected lands linking the summits of Wantastiquet and Monadnock. This vision is why two weeks ago representatives from the Chesterfield Conservation Commission, Brattleboro and Chesterfield Historical Societies, the Forest Society, the Monadnock Conservancy, the Friends of Pisgah, and the public gathered to celebrate not only the opening of the Ann Stokes Trail, but also the opening of the first official segment of the new Wantastiquet-Monadnock Greenway.
Stokes Loop Map |
The Ann Stokes Trail is accessed from the Mme. Sherri Forest parking lot on Gulf Road. To reach the trail's beginning, you must first walk a few minutes from the parking lot on the existing trail to Indian Pond. |
Branching off at a signed intersection, the Ann Stokes Trail leads you on an old road to the top of the ridge between Wantastiquet and Daniels Mountain. Here you turn right and follow the ridge with a few ups and downs to a mystical stand of hemlocks. A steep but short climb brings you to Town View, the first of two vistas on the trail.
To understand what makes Town View special, ask yourself how may times you have looked from a mountain top near Brattleboro and seen Mount Ascutney. It's a rare perch that provides such a north-facing lookout, but here your vista stretches from that lone peak along the Connecticut east to Chesterfield village. |
View of Chesterfield Village
from East Hill |
A few steps later you're looking at a much different scene. From Pond View, you can truly see just how rugged Wantastiquet is. The steep east side of the mountain dominates as is drops precipitously to the shore of Indian Pond, which lies at your feet. |
Mt. Wantastiquet from East Hill |
Indian Pond & East Hill |
A quick decent from Pond View brings you to the shore of the pond and the older trail. The Ann Stokes Trail is officially a loop trail, and it continues back down the mountain toward the parking lot using the traditional route.
A complete tour of the Ann Stokes Trail involves about one and one-half miles of walking. Maps are available at the parking lot. At this time, the trial is marked with surveyor's flagging, but plans call for it eventually being blazed with paint.
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About the Author
Jeff Nugent is a GIS/mapping specialist at the
Windham Regional Commission in Brattleboro and a freelance writer who likes to hike and explore the
local countryside, and check out some far away places now and again. He is a regular and welcomed contributor to the Brattleboro Reformer.
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