The Attitash trail goes from Bear Notch Road over the summit of Table Mtn (2675') and then theoretically on to Big Attitash Mtn.  I say theoretically because after the 1.9 mile hike to the beautiful ledges of Table Mtn, the trail is full of downed spruces and is pretty much impassable.
     Although the trail to Table Mtn is not featured in any guidebooks, it should be better known.  The trail goes by a series of attractive small waterfalls, pools, and flumes in Louisville Brook.  The ledges on the top of Table Mtn have wonderful panoramic views. 
     At 11:15 AM, Bruce, Fenster, and I (Dickens) started this hike.  We never met any other hikers all day, although we did pass quite a few runners in a race along the Cankersore Highway (Kancamagus Highway to all you laymen).   Fenster and I had fun bathing in the Louisville Brook, which is a tributary of the Saco River.  After that, the trail started ascending more rapidly.  Bruce thought there would be more water, but the last three watercourses were dry. 
     Once we got a short ways past the Louisville Brook, the trail was much in need of trimming.  The forest was full of beech and maple, but we also saw a cherry tree higher up, as well as oak, hemlock and birch.  The higher parts of the trail are surrounded by spruce.  There is a spot where the trail is full of basaltic rocks which have geometric shapes, reminiscent of rocks on the Holyoke Range MA or the traprock mountains in CT. 
     By 12:15 PM we reached the first of a long series of ledges.  The highest ledge, which is about 20 feet below the true summit, has the best views.  We went beyond the last ledge where the trail was very hard to follow.  We saw six or more spruces whose tops had been sheared off by wind or ice; these tops were now blocking the trail.  We came to an area where downed spruces made further progress impractical, and we turned back at 12:55 PM.  We really didn't want to go all the way to Big Attitash Mtn anyway.  We just wanted to see what was out that direction.
     Returning to the top ledge, we had lunch and took pictures.  It was about 75 degrees and sunny,  with a very strong wind on the top ledges to help keep us cool.  The wind was very pleasant.    From left to right in the distance we could see the Moats, lowlands out to the coast, some unidentified lakes, Chocorua peeking up past intervening mountains,  Paugus, the 3 peaks of Square Ledges (and especially the big square monolithic summit in the middle), Passaconaway, and other high peaks out to the west, possibly Tripyramid and Osceola.   In front of those views, we could see the Swift River, the Cankersore highway, Falls Pond, unnamed cliffs on an unnamed mountain ridge coming off of Bear Mtn, and the five pointed peaks of Bear Mtn itself.
     At 1:20 PM we left the top ledge.  The way down near the top  is tricky because it is steep and loose gravel fills the slippery trail.  I would not recommend this hike after a rain because the upper parts involve a lot of walking on slanted rock ledges which would be hard to do if they were wet.
     When  we finally got down to Louisville Brook, we stopped for a snack of potato sticks.  At 2:40 PM we were out.  A more beautiful short trail would be hard to imagine.  On a hot day, you could even take a dip in a pool on the way out.