Thompson Falls and National Forest Roads 10:00 am

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Looks like a good day tomorrow, here is a relatively short ride in a unique area that is a good workout.  Thompson Falls is an out-of-the-way scenic little spot just north of the Smoky Quartz Mineral Site which is located in the woods north of Passaconaway Road. If you have hiked or biked on the Marshall Property, the area is to the west of this conservation site and is part of the National Forest. The waterfall should be flowing well after today's rain.

For your "Fun Facts to Know and Tell" list, Smoky Quartz in the state gem of New Hampshire.

Meet at 10:00 am at the parking lot at the old vacant IGA in Conway Village, the State Liquor Store Plaza. It is the lot next to Rockingham Electric Supply.

The ride will head out over the covered bridge, turn right and head to Passaconaway Road to Hill Street, a dirt road that leads eventually to the parking area for the trail to the Smokey Quartz Mineral Collecting Site. At the gate, we will head down Forest Road 379 for nice ride  to the trailhead. We will then ditch the bikes in the woods and walk the short trail to Thompson Falls (bikes not allowed in this section). On the way back we have a variety of options. The shortest one is a return via the Marshall Property trails, the easiest one, Lucille's. Or, we can do more of the forest roads. Minimum distance is 13 miles, but we can add 2 or 3 more miles of dirt roads to lengthen if we want. 

WEAR OR BRING SHOES YOU CAN WALK IN, and bring a lock for the bikes if you have one.  A mountain bike, gravel or hybrid is good for this ride. Skinny tires area NOT.

There will be about 0.5 miles of hiking depending on the route choice. 

Info on the adventure:  https://www.conwaydailysun.com/outdoors/the-mysterious-thompson-falls/article_2c298d77-aa51-50cd-bc2f-080290ea7ddb.html

Map as far as I can plot it into the woods:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28338240

This map has the return by West Side Road: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28510342

So what's the big deal with Smokey Quartz??  Here you go:  https://www.energymuse.com/smoky-quartz-meaning

From witchipedia.com (not a typo)  http://www.witchipedia.com/mineral:smoky-quartz

For the other side of the brain: http://www.quartzpage.de/smoky.html

What does it look like?  http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/mineralmuseum/gallery2.php?init=&loc=New+Hampshire

From an article in NH Magazine:

"What do these minerals look like in the field at a site like the Moat Mountain mineral site?
It is common to find smoky quartz crystals that are perfectly formed, shiny and smooth to the touch. Scan the ground and look for something dark and shiny. There is a good chance that you will find a smoky quartz that someone overlooked. Pick up and observe the rocks in the area. Even novice collectors should have no problem finding crystals. Do you see any small, dark pyramid-shaped crystals in the rock? If so, you have found a smoky quartz crystal."