FINAL HIKE #10: June 26 Ashburham to Mt. Watatic/ NH border

This will be our last hike up beautiful Mt. Watatic. Possible impromptu performance on top of the mountain. We will detour slightly to pick up the Trail at Russel Hill Rd.

Main St Ashburnham, MA 01430 1. Head east on MA-12 S/Main St toward Pleasant St 0.4 mi 2. Slight left onto River Styx Rd 0.4 mi 3. Continue onto Russell Hill Rd Destination will be on the left 0.4 mi Russell Hill Rd    4. Sometime after Kelton Rd., Before Cross Rd, bear Left, enter the woods climbing steeply. at Top ridgeline offers nice views through trees for next mile or so. 0.7 mi 5. Drop into shallow saddle, reaching Mt. Hunger, come around corner to see nice view of Stidges Meadow Pond and Mt. Watatic, follow trail through thick Hemlock down steep descent. 0.5 mi 6. Turn Right at Fork, onto 2 track lumber rd. immediately Bear Right back onto narrow hiking path 0.2 mi 7. Brief overlap with logging rd. follow blazes. 0.1 mi 8. Reach telephone wire and follow phone poles, heading downhill. Turn Left onto Holt rd. (paved) 0.1 mi 9. Turn Right onto RT 101, skirting shores of Lake Winnekeag 0.2 mi 10. Turn Left in gravel p-lot at Camp Winnekeag, walking west with lake on left side and RT 101 behind follow blazes passing several trails for camp. 0.3 mi 11. cross 3 wooden boardwalks 0.2 mi 12. Begin steep climb 0.2 mi 13. pass by 2 track path on right, then fork left at top of rise, Blueberry Hill. 0.1 mi 14. Fork right, follow blazes, 0.2 mi 15. pass fire circle on top of Fisher Hill 0.1 mi 16. Cross stone wall and apss sign for Ashburnahm State Forest, pass through thick hemlock, white pine 0.5 mi 17. Go Right on Old Pierce Rd (paved) 0.4 mi 18. Cross RT 119 into dirt lot with kiosk. pass through brown metal gate and up 2 track State Line Trail. 0.3 19. Turn right at Midstate Trail sign with distances. Be careful as Wapack Trail is also blazed here with yellow triangles. 0.1 mi 20. cross a stream 0.3 mi 21. nice overlook 0.2 mi 22. Pass Wooden shelter 0.1 mi 23. Reach stone Cairn at Summit. Midstate trail makes hairpin Left turn just before summit, so retreat back to trail, head northwest, parrellel to and to the left of new rock rd, with Mt. peak on the right heading downhill gently. 0.6 mi 24. Pass series of Stone Cairns on Nutting Hill 0.2 mi 25. Bear left at fork, (Wapack trail bears right), then turn right onto hiking path. Sign says "NH 0.41 to right and 119 0.79" 0.4 mi  26. reach NH state line marked with granite marker for Midstate Trail. 27. Hike back to P-lot Approximately 8.5 miles total (not including hike back to p-lot)