The large evergreen just off the trail at the bottom of the slope is an Eastern White Pine. You can see the large, even-aged stand of white pines across the wetlands in front of you. This tree is quite common in southern New Hampshire; its wood is valued for being easy to mill and having smooth grain.
Eastern White Pines have five needles in each bunch. The branches grow in “whorls” all starting at the same height along the trunk. The distance between whorls represents a year’s growth. Check some of the smaller white pines near the trail to your left to see how old they are.
