Friday, September 8, 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

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