Classic skiing 1:15:00 [2] 3.2 mi (23:26 / mi)
Went to Bear Brook to try classic. Started from Podunk pkng & took trail to E of the road at headquarters that goes to the camp ground. I'd done this quite a few times but not in a few years. Came to one intersection (sign said Hemlock Tr., -1). Took it, thinking it might be part of what I'd done before but had forgotten. Went a few hundred meters toward a large hemlock tree line and knew this was new. Started back as I had a long enough ski planned. Then, however, I decided to give it a try - something new and flexibility was fine. Under the thick, high canopy, the snow was pretty thin and skis occ hit dirt, a root or rock. There were some fresh ski tracks. At one point, I had to return to pick up a dropped hat. Skis had to come off a # of times due to too thin a layer of snow. The trail led across a steep slope for quite a bit in a really fine section of high hemlocks.
Finally, came to a jct that said Hemlock Tr. to L (& no tracks) and Pine Pitch with one set of tracks straight. My cell battery had surprisingly dropped right off about 15' before with the relative cold and Strava usage so I could not determine where I was relative to the road. Was not pleased with the uncertainty. It was all unfamiliar - not on the BB map, so I returned to the original intersection, walking and skiing, rather than get to the next jct and risk more uncertainty. Got back there 33' later. Returned to Podunk pkng. Had run out of time. Did check the kiosk map and noted that Hemlock was a MTB trail and was able to find the intersection where I turned around.
