Big Slide and Yard

Park here and head down the trail marked "Phelps Trail" for 3.5 miles until you get to the famous Johns Brooke Lodge. Make sure to sign into the register.

Look for signs for the Slide Mountain Brook Trail and head uphill from here on it.

You will return to this trail for your descent but for now continue up to the left to the top of Big Slide as you begin the final steep push to the summit here.

You are at the 4,248' summit of Big Slide and are standing on the edge of an enormous cliff! So, if you end up here as I did, in a complete fog, don't stray too close to the edge! I've included a photo of Big Slide from the Great Range at this POI so you can see the massive cliff you will be standing on top of! From here it is your choice whether or not you want to travel to the south to get Mt. Yard or not. It is not technically a peak on the 46er list or the NE 111er list but at 4,018' it is above 4,000 so in good conscious maybe you should ;). It's not on the lists because it doesn't have enough distance or prominance (I can't remember which) from Big Slide to be considered a separate peak.

You are at the summit of Yard at 4,018 feet. Head back the way you came back over Big Slide to the Brothers Trail Intersection for the descent back to the Garden.

From this ridge of rocky outcrops on the descent you should be able to have great views of the Great Range and back towards Big Slide.