08 November 2017: Mount Roberts

This might be the last time I venture out this year. The cold weather is here and I have a winter activity that demands much of my time. I debated making a stab at nabbing a 4000 footer but opted instead for something a little bit more low mileage and elevation

History: Mt Roberts Is the westernmost peak on the Castle in the Clouds conservation trust property, which in part includes peaks on the Ossipee Range. The trust was established in 1979 to preserve the mountains and property which has a gorgeous views of the lakes and mountains in the area. Mount Roberts was named after a family which settled in the area.


Peak Elevation: 2582 ft
Elevation Gain: ~1300 ft.
Trail: Mt. Roberts Trail, roadway
Length: 5.0 mi.
Time on Trail: 1030
Time off Trail: 1315


I prked at the signage with the map and trail descriptions, which added a bit of length to the hike before I realized I could have parked at the carriage house and saved some mileage. No complaints about that though. The trail map describes this tral as “strenuous”, which would translate to Moderate anywhere else in the whites. The trail grade starts off easy, has one steeper section then it levels off to mostly moderate grades thereafter.
Along the way are a number of viewpoints and vistas, some of which seem to be “maintained” which is a change of pace for me since I am used to seeing more wilderness and blowdown viewpoints. The mountain’s vista s afford you to think that you’re almost there, but the trail follows the mountain’s many shoulders as it slopes downwards. With 1300 or so feet of gain over the 2.3 or so miles, this was a pleasant half-day hike. Once I reached the sign for the summit of Roberts I looked around and saw some higher ground, which I had to trudge through some vegetation to get to. I wish I had the time to have made the trek over to Mt. Shaw and Black Snout to do a bit of Peakbagging. I’ll definitely be back because the views of the lakes are stunning and worth revisiting.



Photos:

Mount Roberts (NH) 08Nov17

22 October 2017: Mount Cube

This past sunday, I intended to go do an aggressive in length hike for 3 52WAV peaks, but woke up a bit late. So I opted for a shorter in length hike to grab one 52WAV peak, in Mt Cube.

History: Some sources indicate that this peak was originally named Mt. Cuba, after a hunting dog that was killed by a bear near the summit. “Mt. Cube” was said to be a local corruption of this name. A different story going around says that “Cuba” was applied by a West Indian sailor who settled locally, presumably after the Caribbean island.

Peak Elevation: 2909 ft
Elevation Gain: ~2200 ft.
Trail:Mt Cube Trail (AT)
Length:6.6 miles
Time on Trail : 10:15
Time off Trail: 14:00

Getting to the trail is pretty easy - NH-25A in Orford NH. Set your GPS to go to Upper Bakler Pond Rd, Orford NH and the trailhead has signage viewable from the road. Parking is roadside - remember to park as well onto the shoulder as you can. You'll see a sign for Camp Moosilauke, and the trail you want is right across the road. the AT crosses the highway, resuming about 100 yards to the east.

The trail ascends gradually, making an indirect appraoch to the peak of Mt Cube. Only one true water crossing on this day, though in spring and after rain, I can ssee a few drainage paths seeming like more. There was some gnarly erosion at one drainage section that will require a bit of rerouting, which it looks as if someone has started the process as seen by the surveyors tape. The early switchbacks were kind of annoying and I can definitely agree that there is an opportunity to take a bushwack to the top here. I'd do so at risk only knowing the boggy land to the east of the mountain might mean a bad day for someone who doesn't scout this out beforehand.

The top offers great views into the Connecticut River Valley into Vermont. I did not take time to speculate which peaks were what, though i suspect I could see Camel's hump and Mt. Abraham and Mt Ellen. Mt Moosilauke is able to be seen from the peak as well.


Photos:

Mt Cube NH 22Oct17

I opted not to go to the north side peak of Mt. Cube, as I wanted to make it home in time to watch the 4pm football games. for the same reason i opted to not take the additional 1.5 miles to the Hexacuba shelter, which its 5-sided privy.

I'll be backdating some entries hereon out as a try to recount the important stuff I did on my 4000 footers and 52WAV quest.

Useful sources used for this post:
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xMQt0PwFw8vuVwMLzVFTwI0k1TwX66AM4Ht6aeQaMiM/edit
- http://outdoors.dartmouth.edu/activities/hiking/hikes/cube.html

20 October 2017: Mount Kearsarge North

Work has slowed down a bit so I opted for a farther north hike than normal while we had the prolonged nice weather during this fall season.

History: Located along the eastern edge of NH, Mt Kearsarge North is a real gem as far as views go. On a clear day you can see into the Presidential range and far into the interior of Maine. Originally named Mt. Pequawket, after a local Native tribe, it was renamed to Kearsarge North in 1957. The fire tower up there started out as an inn run by the AMC, which subsequently burned down a few times before being granted to the state for use as a fire tower.

Peak Elevation: 3268 ft
Elevation Gain: ~2600 ft
Trail: Mt Kearsarge North Trail
Length: 6.2 mi
Time on Trail: 1015
Time off Trail: 1400

The parking situation is pretty easy to see - there isn’t much here but the roadway has some decent shoulders you can pull off of. Just don't block people's driveways - some have it marked.

The trail is pretty gradual with pretty clearly marked headings. Some areas I needed to stop and look around as I crossed rock faces to determine next course but all in all, this well-traveled path requires no special guidance. I saw many dogs on this warmer-than-expected sunny day. clear views from the fire tower, which was seeing some pretty gnarly gusts when I was up there. I'm glad i carried an extra shirt in my pack, otherwise i would have been chilled for a while.

This is somehow not on the firetower quest list.

Photos:

Mt Kearsarge North, 20Oct17

This made it #17 for me on the 52 WAV list. I would gladly do it again.

17 October 2017: Mount Willard

It being peak foliage in this section of NH I wanted to go and crush a quick hike up Mt Willard near Crawford Notch. I knew this one would be amazing as I have been on this ridge before when I did Tom / Field / Willey / Avalon some time ago.

Peak Elevation: 2865 ft.
Elevation Gain: 1100 ft.
Trail: Mt Willard Trail
Length: 4.0 mi
Time on Trail: 1015
Time off Trail: 1200

The trail is not very long but has some moderate steepness to certain sections. The work to get to the top is absolutely worth the effort. Doable for people of many abilities - I did see someone who was probably in her 60's walking up with her husband. Dogs all over the place - I saw 3 Bernese Mountain dogs on this trail! I had a little snack at the top and then descended.


Photos:

Mt Willard (NH),  17OCT17

17 October 2017: Middle and North Sugarloaf Mountain

My peakbagging day continued as I decided I wasn’t done yet after bagging Willard, I wanted another 52WAV peak. I knew that sugarloaf's peaks were right up the road, so there is where I went.

History: Named by Professor Charles Hitchcock in the 1870’s, likely due to its resemblance to “loaves” of sugar that were the way it was purchased back then, or something along those lines.


Peak Elevation: Middle Sugarloaf 2539 ft. / North Sugarloaf 2310 ft.
Elevation Gain: ~ 1100 ft
Trail: Sugarloaf Trail
Length: 2.5 mi
Time on Trail: 1300
Time off Trail: 1500

Parking here wasn’t really that bad on Zealand Rd. – I got there late and had to deal with no parking spaces so I parked on the shoulder. They were doing some road work on Zealand Rd. The trailhead is just over the bridge, not to be confused with a Nordic skiing trail right off the parking area. I made the mistake of wandering there because I didn’t see the signage at first.

The trail is easy to follow and the steepness isn’t too bad until you get past the junction of the col trail between North and Middle peaks. I saw only one dog on the trail here. I went up Middle first and was blown away at the views from the dome. It primarily faces Hale and Zealand area of the northern rim of the Pemi Loop, but also provides some views north. The total span of this dome’s view is about 270 degrees.

After chatting with some European visitors I descended to take a look at the North peak. One complaint here is that the trail could use some cleanup as I had to wanter through a downed tree’s remnants to find a heading. Once up there, I got a clear view of the area north of Bethlehem, NH. After grabbing my pics I descended the same route I ascended.

Photos:

Middle and North Sugarloaf Mountain (NH); 17OCT17

Afterwards I was pretty bushed – I called it a day and headed home to see the dog and get some grub.

Links:
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ex2aH7z7yWhhiHp-BrQjGMZikK2zDhcXzjld0XgT52c/edit
- http://www.hikewithdogs.com/sugarloaf-trail-zealand-road-3-4-mile-round-trip-up-middle-sugarloaf-2539-and-north-sugarloaf-2310/

11 October 2017: Dickey and Welch Mountains

With foliage season in NH just around the corner I wanted to get onto what is supposed to be one of the best views in the state – The Dickey and Welch loop has nice ledges that offer fantastic views into the white mountains. This was a solo job I took on just to get something productive done with a day off.

History: there wasn’t much out there as far as background on whom these peaks would be named after. If you have any definite info please share! Looking at this ledge I’d say there must have been a substantial forest fire on these peaks some time ago and the terrain never quite recovered fully. The vegetation on this loop once you’re on the ledges seems pretty fragile so hard to imagine it will be a fully wooded peak anytime soon.


Peak Elevation: Dickey Mountain 2734 ft. / Welch Mountain 2605 ft.
Elevation Gain: 1800 ft
Trail: Welch and Dickey Loop Trail, unnamed spur trail to viewppoint on Dickey
Length: 4.4 mi
Time on Trail : 0950
Time off Trail: 1245


I knew what this mountain would offer – nearly 2 miles of open ledges with amazing views. I didn’t quite expect the terrain to be comparable to some of the “easier” 4000 footers in aggressiveness. I read somewhere after this hike that this half0day trip is a good measuring stick for friends who want to do the higher elevation peaks. I wasn’t so lucky here but that’s ok (see first dated entry)

The grading on this loop was pretty manageable. Getting to Welch ledges in no time I kept trucking as I saw that I hadn’t reached the peak of Welch yet. Some of the rock faces going up were fun to stop on because turning around you had this amazing vista behind you. Once I reached Welch’s summit I stopped and chatted with an older couple with their friendly dog. Descnding the col between the peaks, which is deceptively steeper than the topo will lead you to believe, I noted the large cairn. I wonder why that’s there?

Heading back up to Dickey you once again are on a scramble type face, perfectly manageable. The view from Dickey was pretty nice too. I noted on my map that there is a spur trail that leads north to a ledge, about 0.1 mi from the dickey summit. I didn’t see any markings so I followed what I think were a herd path to the small cairns I saw on a rock field of the viewpoint. Breathtaking views see photos. After a brief stop for a snack I descended on the loop;, doing so wasn’t too bad as the trail is marked but sometimes its easy to find yourself wandering off orientation. I also found a blue blazed trail that was not on the maps I had or saw. Does anyone know what this is for? I didn’t see anything online about this but didn’t look very deeply either.

This is a great loop hike perfect for the half-day hikes with astounding views. Absolutely worth the effort and worthy of the 52WAV list.


Photos:

Dickey Mountain and Welch Mountain 11OCT17

Note: this is entry is slightly backdated.

06 October 2017: Middle and South Carter Mountain

I'm all on board for finding ways to save some unnecessary mileage and my friend Bob the Lovegoat found a cutoff for a trip out to bag Middle and South Carter on a traverse. I only have a few peaks left on the Carter-Moriah range to do after this hike, namely the Wildcats and Shelbourne-Moriah. BTLG’s post about this hike can be found here: https://lovegoatfilms.blogspot.com/2017/10/two-carters-for-price-of-one.html

History: The carter range was named for

Peak Elevation: 4610 ft (Middle), 4430 ft (South)
Elevation Gain: 3600ft or so (estimation based on location of Camp dodge)
Trail: Camp dodge bushwhack (not a TH), Imp Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Length: 11.5 mi (estimation due to bushwack)
Time on Trail: 830ish
Time off Trail: 1430

We started at a logging path from Camp Dodge, which saved us about a mile of walking. We ended the day at the Nineteen Mile Brook trailhead. About 10 minutes into the hike, it started raining, and an hour later it let off. I was soaked, and did not change my shirt until South carter. Thankful to not have come down with hypothermia - also glad I had a sweatshirt in my bag.

The trail wasn’t too bad to ascend. The Imp trail section we started on is the less aggressive of the two trailheads, which make a loop towards the North Carter Trail and Carter-Moriah Trail. We did not do the trip to North Carter as we were strained on time due to my friends both having childcare needs at the end of the day. It would have added another mile to the trip for something that is not a true 4000 footer per the AMC. I’ll have to go back to it for when I am wrapping up my Peakbagging for the NH 100 highest, since this is well above 4500ft.

On Middle carter, we could not find what BTLG was looking for – a popsicle stick marking what someone had designated the highpoint. We did find a geocache though which was neat. Then we moved right on to South Carter, where we had a standing lunch of tuna pouches and whatever else each of us brought. I mowed my Uncrustables and some trail mix, shamelessly. The descent down Nineteen Mile Brook was pretty tame and not noteworthy.

Photos:

Middle, South Carter 06OCT17

03 October 2017: Mount Cardigan (and Rimrock, South Peak)

This was my second time out with my friend from work, "Zoey", and her dog LOGAN. Logan is a handful and today he had a ball as we explored Mount Cardigan. This is one I will gladly do time and time again, and I would love to try all of the trails up this gem.

History: Cardigan Mountain resides within a state park bearing it's name, this peak offers many things to a vairety of people. The geology of the mountain is notable, as is the network of alpine ski trails in it's shadow on the eastern slopes. Those ski trails were developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The summit saw a rather devastating forest fire back in the 1850s and has never truly recovered. The AMC has a lodge on the eastern side of the mountain, making it a popular destination for hikers to set up as a base camp for day hikes.

Peak Elevation: 3156 ft
Elevation Gain: 1100 ft (est)
Trail: West Ridge Trail, South Slide Trail, Skyland Trail
Length: 5.5 mi
Time on Trail : 1000ish
Time off Trail: 1300ish

This was Zoey and I's second hike out - we wanted something quick and fun and Cardigan definitely hit the nail on the head. My friend and her BF are working on the NH48 as well and any hiking to keep fitness up for either of us was a welcome challenge. I was aiming to bag a bunch of of the 52WAV peaks this fall as well. I had intended to advise we try the other side's trails so we could go to Firescrew Mountain, but I had a brainfart on the drive up and we ended up closer to Orange NH. I didn't really care that much about what we did as long as we got out on the trails! Firescrew, I'll be back for you.

West rim trail was pretty easy to get to, parking there is ample (state park fees apply) and the West Ridge Trailhead even has composting toilets for those who need such a thing. The trail offers pretty easy grading for most of the way. It's the most direct way up the mountain peak as well, which comes in handy for weather related rapid descents. We decided that because the mileage was short we could explore the south peak and rimrock as well. We found some of the buildings along the way which are either for nordic skiers or fire wardens, maybe? Or maybe they're something you can reserve? I'll have to do some digging later.

The peak is balder than I am, and offers panoramic views. The fire tower was not open and did not appear to be occupied while we were there. When we arrived we only saw a few other people. LOGAN made a friend who chased him the entire time. The other dog's owner was pretty nice, and I think she thought my friend and I were an item, which was kind of awkward (for me anyhow).

We descended straight down West Ridge Trail at the end of the day. The blazes are clearly marked and I have no complaints about the condition of anything here. It was a remarkably stellar day outside. And I didn't burn too badly!


Photos:

Mt Cardigan (Including Rimrock and South peak) 03OCT17

Link to useful info about Hiking Cardigan: https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/Cardigan-Mountain-State-Park.aspx

"First" post

So just making a first post for documenting my adventures in hiking in NH and beyond. As of today I have 28 of 48 of the NH 4000 footers, and just over a dozen on the 52 with a view list. I intend to move on to the NE67 list and to bang out the NH hundred highest after that.

I'll be backdating the ones I have done previously, posting pictures and some commentary on what I recall from the hike. I'll provide distances and trails hiked. I am writing this for my own good but of your get anything out of this then great.

27 September 2017: Cannon Mountain

I intended to go a bit further north today but had trouble getting out of bed in time so i opted for something right off the interstate: Cannon Mountain.

History: Formerly known as Profile Mountain due to the mountain providing the location of the Old Man on the Mountain on its eastern ledges, the mountain was renamed to Cannon Mountain in 1972 by the US Board on Geographic names. This name change came about as the mountain appears to resemble, in conjunction with the sub peaks known as the Cannon Balls, an antique cannon. There was also mention that this peak was also once referred to as Frank Mountain, but I haven’t seen much for supporting documentation.


Peak Elevation: 4028 ft.
Elevation Gain: 2027
Trail: Kinsman Ridge, North trailhead, Rim Trail
Length: 5ish mi
Time on Trail: 0930
Time off Trail: 1330


This hike was a pretty easy straight shot up Cannon. The allure of possibly having a beer at the café at the top was a good motivator. The slopes on this hike were a bit on the steep side but not all too bad. It would have been an easy hike were it not for the sections of eroded trail. This trail crosses the ski trails a few times before veering toward profile ledge, then to the summit of Cannon. The ledge was pretty cool – I imagine a good spot for peeping during foliage season. The trip up also included me encountering a hiker who forgot her boots, so she ventured out in what were bacsically boat shoes to the tiop. Im sure shes seasoned hiker so I just kind of laughed it off but damn. I reached the top and knew the trip down would be quick due to gravity assist, so I took my time to explore the top of Cannon, including the tram station and observation deck. I also did a lap around the rim trail whch had a number of benches one could stop and relax at. I wasn’t too puckish so I drank a lot of water and had a handful of trail mix in the shade of the tram station before descending. The decent was ok, I recalled where the eroded section was and nearly avoided taking any spills. This was a fun, quick and worthwhile solo hike.

Photos:

Cannon Mountain 27SEP17

This is a slightly backdated entry made a bit later in 2017 than the date listed suggests.

22 September 2017: Mount Jefferson

With my hiking friends having kids lately sometimes I go a long time between getting out there with them on the trails. Bishop X was making a return to the trails after such an occasion, Mr Lovegoat and I were glad he suggested a route to the summit of Mount Jefferson that is on the “Terrifying 25” list: the Capos Ridge Trail.

History: As the third-highest peak in the state Mount Jefferson is a stop along the open-face portion of the Presidential Range, named after Thomas Jefferson. The Caps Ridge Trailhead is the highest trailhead in all of the whites, sitting at 3009 ft.


Peak Elevation: 5712 ft
Net Elevation Gain: 2703 ft
Trail: Caps Ridge Trail
Length: 5.0 mi
Time on Trail : 0900
Time off Trail: 1430ish


The return of Bishop X was long-awaited after he had another kid – and this trip was a fun one to come back on! He suggested the Caps Ridge ascent to Jefferson – while the terrain is as rugged as the rest of the whites, this offers a very short route to the summit. Mr. Lovegoat has his entry covering a lot of this trip’s features (Link). Not far into the trip is an open rock with some interesting pothole looking erosion, which I have been told is related to glacial activity a long time ago. The Caps ridge would classify as a rather technical hike, with lots of little scrambles over or around the cap stones along the way. At one point I was vaguely reminded of my trip a few summers back to Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park.

Once I broke out of the treeline and seeing how much further the peak was, I had a feeling that I was in for some sun exposure and noted how ill prepared I was for that. I covered up as best as I could but still got a bit roasted. The summit offers grand, panoramic views, and we lucked out on getting a clear day for the day we chose to go out on our adventure. After having our lunch on the summit area, we made our descent and made up for my sluggish pace up the mountain. I usually do truck down the trail at the end of the day, knowing that gravity is in my favor so long as my joints hang in there.

After the hiking was done, Mr. Lovegoat said we should go check out this cliffdiving thing he had noted on the maps when driving up. His post has video of that. I did not partake but I guess it was refreshing on what turned out to be a warm day in late September. Oddly I only took about 6 pictures the entire day, which i attest to sun exposure.

Photos:

Mt. Jefferson 22SEP17

This entry is slightly backdated from later in 2017.

18 September 2017: Sandwich Dome and Jennings Peak

Decided to spend the day going up to bag 2 peaks on the 52WAV list. I decided to take the longer, but easier route up to Sandwich Dome and Jennings peak.

History: The original name for Sandwich Dome was Black Mountain, the name given by the local residents. This changed when the geographer Arnold Guyot published his map of the White Mountains in 1860, when he applied the name Sandwich Dome to the massive peak that straddles the towns of Sandwich and Waterville Valley because there were numerous Black Mountains in New Hampshire. There still are, actually. 15 years later the name was utilized by Charles Hitchcock’s state geological survey, and Moses Sweetser adopted it for his 1876 guidebook., reasoning that the mountain is the most conspicuous peak in Sandwich and that from the lake country to the south it appears as a flattened dome.


Peak Elevation: 3980 ft (Sandwich Dome), 3460 ft (Jennings Peak)
Net Elevation Gain: 2800 ft (approx)
Trail: Drakes’s Brook Trail, Sandwich Mountain Trail, Jennings Peak spur
Length: 11.4 mi
Time on Trail : 0915
Time off Trail: 1500


Getting there is pretty easy, taking NH-49 into Waterville Valley. The parking there is free and the trailhead wasn’t too terrible to find. There are picnic tables there by the trailhead. The Sandwich Mountain Trail departs from the other side of the parking lot. Drake’s brook Trail essentially starts off as an access road that must be or have been used for logging. There are a number of what I presume are Nordic skiing trails along the way.

A partly cloudy day turned out to be a great day to go out and get some elevation therapy. The elevation change over this mileage makes it a nice, easy graded path up for most of the way. Reaching the junction with Sandwich Mountain Trail, I opted to go to Jennings Peak first. The views were pretty good in spite of the low-laying rolling cloud cover that was in the process of burning off as I ascended. I chatted up a gentleman there for a few minutes and then moved on to Sandwich Dome, where I stayed for a bit chatting with two women and their dogs while I basked in the sun a little bit and had a snack. The descent I opted to descend the same way I went up, even though the other route I would have taken would have put me in the same parking lot as I started.


Photos:

Sandwich Dome, Jennings Peak; 18SEP17

This entry is slightly backdated from a time later in 2017.

08 September 2017: Stinson Mountain

On this fine day I decided to sleep an extra two hours but still wanted to get out to do some hiking. I guilted myself to hit the highway without a plan and I settled on Stinson Mountain since I got off to a late start this morning. I had scouted this trailhead out on the maps for just such an occasion. This peak really shows off the beauty of the Rumney / Plymouth area of the state.

History: Once a peak with a fire lookout, initially established in 1911, with a 16' wooden tower. In 1927 a 27' steel tower was erected. This tower remained in service until 1967, and was removed in 1985. The origins of the name evade my research but I imagine it was named for a family that settled in the area, as was the lake bearing the same name.

Peak Elevation: 2900 ft.
Elevation Gain: 1381 ft.
Trail: Stinson Mountain Trail
Length: 3.6 mi
Time on Trail : 1045 ish
Time off Trail: 1300 ish


Getting there mid-morning, I parked right at the trailhead since Doetown rd was driveable in my Jeep. walking that would probably add another half mile total to the hike if you had to hoof it from the main road (Cross rd) to the trailhead. No parking fee here. The trail starts off rather low grade and works up to something a bit more moderate. At about 1.1 miles, there is a split where the hiking trail goes right and a snowmobile trail veers left. I recall a number of what looked like other less official snowmobile trails along the way. The hiking path was pretty easy to follow. Towards the top is some open rock faces with some scarring from snowmobiles.

The view here was fantastic as I had scored a very clear day. The summit used to have some type of watchtower, as evidenced by the footings and steps remaining. There was not much to explore up here. After a quick snack I opted to descend the peak. I was alone my entire time there - the only other soul seen was someone driving past in a truck as I was popping my boots off. A short hike that I imagine is good for easy snowshoeing or winter hiking.


Photos:

Stinson Mountain. 08sep17

Another slightly backdated entry made in 2017

31 August 2017: Mount Pemigewasset (Indian Head)

This was a real treat of a day. I bagged a quick peak with good sights, and got to venture out with a friend from work and her dog, who is an unstoppable bundle of energy. I will dub my friend "Zoey", for references henceforth.

History: The name "Pemigewasset" comes from the Abenaki (language used by tribes of the Algonquin nation of the northeast US) word for "where side (entering) current is". This peak is also known as Indian Head Mountain, which I imagine is less favored in current times.


Peak Elevation: 2557 ft.
Elevation Gain: ~ 1300 ft
Trail: Mt. Pemigewasset Trail
Length: 3.3 mi
Time on Trail : 0830
Time off Trail: 1230

The hike starts at the Flume Gorge Visitors Center, taking the paved bike path for a few hundred feet before taking a hard left to begin walking under a few underpasses below the roadways. Somewhat marshy, I imagine this section can be bad during the bug season. Once past the roadways, it ascends at a moderate grade on a not-perfectly-marked trail to the peak. Going up we stopped once or twice to get our bearings as it was not perfectly evident where the actual trail was. But once we hit the top it opened up pretty nicely to a good sized ledge with a gnarly drop-off.

While not a blue-sky day it was a good day to be out, as it wasn't raining but rather overcast while we were up there. I imagine if we hung out there a while the sun would have burned off much of the cloud cover. The descent was fun because LOGAN kept stopped to sniff/eat/roll in everything. Zoey let his leash go a few times to let him do his thing well off trail, which resulted in me getting entertainment for the day as he refused to listen. As a Catahoula Lepoard, he was in his element on this mountainside. We got back in the car by noonish, after fighting with LOGAN who didn't want to go home yet.



Not many photos today - I was spending most of my time trying to keep the pace with Zoey and LOGAN.

Photos:

Mt Pemigewasset 31AUG17

Another slightly backdated entry....

25 August 2017: Carter Dome, Mount Hight

This was my first trip out with Bob The Lovegoat this season. we had tried a few times to plan this hike but the weather or my headaches kept interfering. Mr Lovegoat had not yet done Hight, if i recall correctly, as he skipped it on his trek to do the NH48 List since it is not an official 4000 foot peak per the AMC standard. You can see Lovegoat's trip report here

History: Carter dome is the pinnacle of the Carter-Moriah Range. The range is name for a homesteading family in the early settling years of the area. Mt. Hight is a sub-peak of Carter Dome, touted to offer the best views on this range. One source i found attributes the name of this peak to a man named James Hight from Jefferson NH. Another tells a more folky story of a pair of hunters - named Hight and Carter - who get separated and ascend two different peaks to find one another. These peaks were named after each man. The peak Hight is said to have ascended was renamed by Guyot to what we now know as Wildcat (A), but to preserve the name the northern subpeak of Carter Dome was named in Hight's honor.


Peak Elevation: 4832 ft (Carter Dome); 4675 ft (Mt. Hight)
Elevation Gain: 3400 ft
Trail: 19 Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Zeta Pass, Carter-Moriah Trail.
Length: 11.9 mi.
Time on Trail : 0930
Time off Trail: 1630

I showed up around the same time as Lovegoat, and we go since he had some childcare time conflict he needed to avoid at the end of the day. Boomer was with us. The Nineteen Mile brook was pleasant but eventually mundane trail to ascend and descend. The weather was supposed to be OK but was overcast with some rain drops during the day. Finicky weather patterns off the Presi's sometimes. Once we got to the Carter Dome Trail, we found some rougher terrain as we worked towards Zeta Pass to head to Mt. Hight first. The views from Hight are phenomenal:

via GIPHY

After this we saw some of the looming clouds in the higher peaks nearby, and moved on to Carter Dome in case there was some stronger winds inbound. making quick work of the col between the two peaks we found Carter Dome populated with a few groups when we arrived. Ok, when I arrive,d because Boomer and Lovegoat are faster than I am on inclines. I found him trying to entice Boomer into taking some photos.After a snack and some time chatting with some people, I snapped a quick set of pictures up there to commemorate the peaks bagged, and we began descending towards Carter Notch Hut. We saw Carter Lake and a handful of fast-moving AT kids after their descent from Wildcat. Making no time for stops we trucked on to finsihe the day returning to the Nineteen Mile Brook TH.


Photos:

Carter Dome, Mt Hight 25AUG17

Slightly backdated entry from later in 2017

17 June 2017: Mt. Cabot, The Bulge, The Horn

This was a venture I made with a friend from high school, whom i hiked Mt. Laffayette, Lincoln, and Little Haystack back in 2016 - Lady Bee Wild. Today we went to get some of the more out-of-the-way summits - Mt Cabot, The Bulge and the Horn.

History: Mt Cabot is named for Italian Explorer Sebastian Cabot, known for seeking the Northwest Passage. I imagine the Bulge and the Horn are physical descriptors which stuck in the naming scheme of the area.

Peak Elevation: Mt Cabot 4170 ft; The Horn 3905 ft.; The Bulge 3950 ft
Elevation Gain: 2422 ft (net)
Trail: Unknown Pond Tr., Kilkenny Ridge Tr.
Length: 10.4 mi
Time on Trail : 0900 ish
Time off Trail: 1500 ish

We got on trail by mid-morning, after my Jeep almost killed us with a series of death wobbles. But we made it there and back in one piece! The day looked like it would be clear, but warm and muggy. This did not prepare me for the swath of flies that resided on the mid-to-upper elevations. We also saw wildlife signs on the trail - after much debate i decided it was probably moose scat on trail in 2-3 locations. No actual sightings though.

I knew that the wooded summit of Cabot was not going to offer much to look at aside from maybe some side trails to outlooks, so we made a point to hit the Horn and spend some time taking in the views before moving on. We chatted with a couple of hikers up there while taking in the views, the sun, and some fuel. On our way off the Horn, Lady B. Wild had a spill that luckily did not damage her or her camera. We moved briskly towards the Bulge and Cabot before making headway back to the car - the bugs were bad and the heat index was climbing. We wanted to be done sooner than later and the Jeep was a welcome sight.

Not many photos from this one, the wooded summits of Cabot and the Bulge just encouraged us to keep moving. The Horn was worth the trip to all peaks though.

Photos:

Mt Cabot, The Horn, the Bulge 17June17

Would I do this one again? maybe, just to see the Horn again. Looking forward to more hikes with Lady B. Wild - she's good people!