The Magic of Mine Ledge

Pushing more than 1,300 feet into the sky, Mine Ledge is a cliff promontory that commands one of the most breathtaking views in the Monadnock Region. I discovered that fabulous overlook in Hinsdale more than 20 years ago, and the spectacular vista remains indelibly etched in my mind. On a mid-June day with the temperature in the low 70s, no humidity and a crystalline blue sky, I decided to revisit that special space high above the ground. The trail begins at the Madame Sherri Forest, a Society for the Preservation of New Hampshire Forests property in West Chesterfield. An informational kiosk here explains the story of Madame Sherri, a Paris-born theatrical costume designer who entertained her friends from New York City with lavish parties at the "castle" she had built on the side of Rattlesnake Mountain. (See ELF's archived issue from July 13, 2023 for more on Madame Sherri.) After crossing a wooden footbridge, I made the short walk to the right to examine the castle ruins, a crumbling foundation, part of a stone staircase, chimney and steps carved into a ledge. After checking out the site, I returned to the junction and turned right. The trail, full of boulders and exposed tree roots, moved along the edge of a beaver pond. At 0.2 mile, I reached a trail directional sign pointing the way (right) to Indian Pond. At this point, I noticed a distinct incline in the gradient. After stepping over a fallen tree blowdown, I crossed a seasonal stream on two wooden plank bridges. Here I saw small nature surprises: a maze pattern of exposed tree roots on the forest floor with brown pine needles filling in the jigsaw pieces; and a white birch tree with peeling strips of bark that resembled an ancient parchment scroll. Fifteen minutes from the trail direction sign, I came to another sign which pointed the way to Indian Pond and Mine Ledge. I turned right onto the blue diamond-blazed trail. This portion of the trail is part of the Wantastiquet-Monadnock hiking trail, a 50-mile footpath that runs from Brattleboro to Mount Monadnock. The trail continued upward as I moved through a tunnel of mountain laurel. In a few minutes, I reached Indian Pond. After taking a moment to check out the isolated, 20-acre body of water ringed with mountain laurel, I continued steeply uphill on the blue diamond marked trail toward Mine Ledge. The going was challenging as I moved up and over sections of ledge. But at this point, I had the trail to myself as many hikers had stopped at Indian Pond. After 10 minutes, I got a respite from the ledgy walking surface as the trail changed over to a somewhat more level path, but that "breather" was short lived. I soon found myself working my way up the boulder and loose rock-filled trail and over more ledge. In spite of the rugged going, I enjoyed the quietude of the forest and the butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies flitting along the path — my hiking companions. 15 minutes more of scrambling brought me to a trail direction sign for Mine Ledge. I turned left, climbed over ledges and made the two-minute walk to the promontory. The sudden surprise of the wide-open view was mind-blowing, especially after having climbed a trail enclosed by the forest. The view was also intimidating as I was perched on the edge of a cliff, the sheer ledge dropping precipitously down to a gorge below. Using caution, I carefully made my way along the narrow ridgeline path, noting the huge boulders, some flecked with veins of white and rose quartz, others stained orange with oxidized iron. Reaching the far end of the cliff, I ensconced myself in a "safe" crack in the rock, like a snake settling in the sun, to admire the view. To the southeast, the Connecticut River was a shimmering, wide ribbon of silver, stretching toward Massachusetts. The ice-blue silhouettes of the Berkshires filled the western end of that state. Equally impressive were the talus slope (pile of broken rocks) and boulders found at the base of the cliff. From a nearby ledge, I enjoyed another eye-popping view: Mount Monadnock (31-mile distance) rising above the rolling green countryside like a blue-gray pyramid. To get to Mine Ledge: from Keene take Route 9 toward Brattleboro. Just before the green, arched bridges that cross the Connecticut River, turn left onto Gulf Road and continue for three miles to the parking lot for the Madame Sherri Forest. The hike to Mine Ledge is a 2.5-mile round trip. Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail.