Hedgehog Ridge Trail - Hedgehog Mountain Forest

Hedgehog Hill Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 450'
Rating (click for info): 5/10
Elevation: 1322' Prominence: 192'


Hedgehog Ridge Trail Map

It was going to snow today so I had to get out for a hike and test out my new pack and navigation app on my iPhone. I bought my Osprey Sirus 24 a couple of months ago when I realized that my purple eggplant Osprey pack had seen better days. It was well loved and a great pack.

I started at the “High Five Reservation” trailhead off of Sky Farm Road in Deering, NH. There was another car there before me. Taking my pre-made bagel w/cream cheese, I started the trek at 10am. I quickly realized I did not have my new super camera with selfie stick and I have to “wing” my video content with my iPhone XR.

At the fist clearing you can see a great mountain landscape to the south including Crotched Mountain. I did not get a shot of it because I thought I would be coming back the same way and would get a picture then.

Once at the top of the hill I noticed someone was disperse camping. He was breaking down camp, his tent was still up and he had a fire and cooking breakfast. He told me it was a great camp the past night. It was a full moon the night before. It was cold last night in in the morning so I guess he must have had winter equipment/sleep system.

The pictures from the back side of the hill looking towards the north at Hedgehog Mountain Forest.

After a quick look at my navigation app (Gaia GPS), I was able to easily locate the continuation of the trail that lead to the Hedgehog Ridge Trail (see below).

In this part of the hike it was noticeably quiet. Nature knows when a storm is coming. At one point I found some scratches in the leaves. They had been pushed out of the way and the dirt was scratched at, this was in two different places, ON the trail. Also, I heard something wading through water, sounded like a significant sized animal wading through water. I checked the map and there was not any water sources near by so it was most likely something walking through the woods and came upon a creek and just walked through it to travel in my opposite direction.

2.2 miles in was a good enough clearing to sit and have my coffee, I had a small cup at home and I was jonesing for it. So quiet a peaceful and this was the spot. I ended up drinking my whole thermos full. I felt better, fully caffeinated.

Once I got up to put my pack on and it started snowing. Being quite away from the summit, I decided to not mosey anymore and get there so the return trip would not be a burden.

Came through an area where logging took place. I took some pictures of the property signs and saplings growing back.

In time I got to the Woods Road crossing and to the rocky ledges of Hedgehog Mountain. At that time the snow was coming down at a pretty good clip and the footing was getting slippery. I made the call to descend and return with a road walk. It was a bit sucky, but it would have sucked more if I got hurt and stranded up on that ridge.

As a pre-caution, always carry a map of the area you are hiking. You never know when you might have to call the hike that take a different route to safety. It’s happened multiple times to me. Carry enough of the essentials, as you know you “might have to” spend the night in the woods and you’d survive. Hope you get a change to hike this trail. It is great, I know i will return in every season now that I know how close it is to me.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy the hike.
Bev

Check out my YouTube channel of this hike.
My Instagram link for pictures.