by Erin Cabral, recreation technician
The Gramwick Trail in Jaffrey, NH walks visitors through a quiet forest on Peabody Hill alongside the Mountain Brook Reservoir. The trail’s name is inspired by those who built it, Herb and Colette Gramm, and their friend, Tom Sedgewick. The land was gifted to the Monadnock Conservancy by the Gramms in May, 2016. A little over a half mile in from the parking area on Peabody Hill Road, hikers can take a moment at the lookout point (pictured on the trail map) to sit on a Leopold bench and enjoy the panoramic views of the reservoir.
It was a sunny day the first time I walked this property, the light that came through the trees at the start of the trail glowed brightly on the green and yellow meadow grasses below. The warmth of the bright sun was nicely contrasted by the gentle breeze coming off the water, making for some very comfortable hiking weather.
As I traveled down the trail, I noticed a nesting site to my left with visible egg masses present in it, and pondered what local wildlife might be utilizing this space—maybe a blue-spotted salamander, or a wood frog, or a newt!
Sitting at the lookout point, I saw a road visible across the reservoir that appeared to be emerging out of it. This is the old town road that had been in use for years before the reservoir was dammed, making it inaccessible. I sat in this spot awhile, just imagining what it had looked like years ago, with locals going about their day, traveling along a section of road that would one day be entirely underwater. I would love to come back to this spot with my binoculars and check up on the Canadian Geese ducklings I saw wading in a row on the reservoir.
On June 4th, I had the pleasure of working with local volunteers Paul Kotila and Craig Houghton to reroute two wet sections of trail. Together, we cut through brush, placed stones and moved bridges to ensure that this hiking path can be enjoyed for a long time. After cutting out a thicket of highly-invasive, non-native buckthorn taking over the parking lot, land and recreation manager Janine Marr and her partner, Roger Ayotte, were able to go out and expand the lot. The lot on Peabody Hill Road is now large enough to fit about 6 cars. They built an awesome natural bench there for anyone needing a break after a long hike, or just wanting to sit and enjoy the now much-improved view of the reservoir.
The trail is currently an out-and-back style; it's a great, short hike for observing wildlife or just getting the daily steps in. The trail is open year-round for those who enjoy snowshoeing or winter hiking. In February, visitors can participate in our Heart Hike, a sort of scavenger hunt where hikers try to find red, wooden hearts placed along the trail by the Conservancy and post them on social media to be entered into a raffle. The kiosk in the parking lot contains a map of the trail and some history on the site. Multiple visitors come back to this trail often to enjoy its natural wonders. I’d definitely recommend checking it out, you might meet some friends while you’re there!