17 October 2016: Galehead Mountain

I was itching for a less intendse hike on this day, and BishopX agreed to come with me to do Galehead as a solo shot. The weather was supposed to be cloudy and not too bad temperature wise.

History: The name behind this seems to have some obscurity - the Gale river, named for some local person in the 1850s, originates from this area so i'll guess it's origin is tied to that.

Peak Elevation: 4024 ft
Elevation Gain: 2700ish ft.
Trail: Gale River Tr., Garfield Ridge Tr., Frost Tr.
Length: 10.2 mi.
Time on Trail : 0909
Time off Trail: 1430ish


We got out a bit later than usual, we wasted no time getting on trail to try and crush the friendly grades that are part of the beginning of the Gale River trail. I do not recall much else about this until we broke through to the Galehead Hut, which appeared to be closed for the year. We took in a bit of the view there before scooting up the Frost Trail to find our cairn. After that we walked back to a small overlook into the Pemi Wilderness, and then walked back to the hut to have a food break before our descent. A nice day with not too much sun exposure, is a total win for me.


Photos:

Galehead Mountain 17OCT16

07 October 2016: Mount Eisenhower, Mount Pierce

Today Bob The Lovegoat and I were finally able to get out for a hike in 2016. His blog post about this hike will be more detailed than mine, as I am still backdating entries here and his account will be more accurate than my memory.

History: Mt. Eisenhower, formerly known as Mt. Pleasant, is named for a former president. As is Mt Pierce, who is named for NH's only elected president.

Peak Elevation: Eisenhower - 4760 ft.; Pierce - 4310 ft.
Elevation Gain: ~2300 ft.
Trail: Edmand's Path, Crawford Path
Length: 7.9 mi
Time on Trail : 0850
Time off Trail: 1420

I'll preface this by saying to check and heed weather reports, especially on the Presidential range. We had a clear day and still had some gnarly winds to contend with.

We started by parking one car by US302 and then driving in on a not-great-condition road to get to the Edmand's Path trailhead. We saw some cars there but not many people on trail, which is only noteworthy because of how many cars were still there when we came back for this car at the end of the day. BTLG, Boomer and I ascended the rocky but manageable path toward Eisenhower first. There was a sign that warned of the open nature of the ridge that spans much of the presidential range, which can have quickly changing weather that can lead to tragic outcomes. Once out in the open we experienced a number of strong gusts but nothing looked like it would snow or precipitate with blue skies on all sides of us. The peak of Eisenhower is very unique, a broad dome with a large cairn marking it's apex. we snapped a few pictures and move onward to Pierce, a wooded peak that still had some view to it but nothing like Eisenhower. The descent to our cars took us down to the Crawford Path trailhead. Doing this hike this way saved us some mileage and exposure.


Photos:

Mt Eisenhower, Mt. Pierce 07OCT16