Friends of Mount Sunapee

The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Coalition is once again leading a series of exciting winter hikes in the Lake Sunapee region. The hikes are free and open to all. The hikes, as always, offer a variety of terrain and conditions, and will include snowshoe and cross-country ski events. A special feature again this year will be a moonlight snowshoe hike over a forgiving three-mile course.

The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Coalition is a non-profit volunteer organization that promotes hiking and land conservation amid the rugged beauty of three major mountains. Its 75-mile trail system, incorporating 14 separate hikes through Andover, Danbury, Goshen, Newbury, New London, Springfield, Sunapee, Sutton, Warner and Wilmot, is free and open to all.

Hikes range from easy to difficult. Hike leaders will offer full details for each event, including starting place and time and equipment needs. There is absolutely no cost to participants, except for personal food, equipment, and transportation to the hike site.Since winter hikes require special attention to physical conditioning, weather and snow conditions, hikers are encouraged to evaluate their capabilities carefully before joining any group.

The hike calendar:

January 15, 2011
A SNOWSHOE TOUR THROUGH Sunapee’s Webb Woods, part of the Greenway’s Trail 2. Ron Wyman, 763-5822. 3.4 miles, easy.

January 22
CROSS-COUNTRY SKI to Springfield’s Morgan Pond from Twin Lake Villa. Call Andy Hager. Phone, 526-2846. 5 miles, moderate for experienced skiers.

January 29
SNOWSHOE OR X-C HIKE over trails in Wilmot’s Patterson Road area. Refreshments afterward. Brian Faughnan, 526-7838. 3 miles,moderate.

February 5
VISIT ANDOVER’S SCENIC SMALL PONDS, including Hopkins, Elbow and Mud. Lee Carvalho, 735-5719. 6 miles, easy to moderate, .

February 12
A MOSTLY DOWNHILL traverse of the Greenway’s Trail 6 from Wilmot to Pleasant Lake. Art Robbins, 927-4377. 3.5 miles, moderate

Thu. Feb 17, Fri. Feb. 18 or Sat. Feb. 19
MOONLIGHT MADNESS, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., on the clearest night. Install fresh batteries in your headlamp and call leader Dave Cook, 526-4570, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. nightly, to confirm date, details. 2 miles, moderate.

February 26
A REPRISE of Susan and Michael Chiarellas’ Hot Chocolate Ramble. Snowshoe Greenway trails in Springfield. Call 763-4661. 3 miles, moderate.

Saturday, March 5
JOURNEY ALONG Sunapee Ridge to Lucia’s Lookout to appreciate the unique view seen only by dedicated trekkers. Call Gerry Gold, 526-2857. 10 miles, difficult.

Sunday, March 6
TRACK WILDLIFE along Sutton’s Lincoln Trail to Black Mountain. Led by Forest Society naturalist, Dave Anderson, RSVP to SPNHF at 224-9945, Ext. 313, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 3.5 miles, moderate, with some steep places.