13OCT19 - Kinsman North, Kinsman South, and Bald Peak

Those of you playing along from the start know I got rained out when trying for both Kinsman peaks. I took a different way up for a solo trek up

History:No history lesson today, see previous post i guess.

Peak Elevation: 4293 ft. (North), 4358 ft. (South), 2470ft (Bald Peak)
Elevation Gain: 3300ish ft
Trail: Mt. Kinsman Tr., Kinsman Ridge Tr.
Length: 10.4 mi


I needed to get the South Kinsman peak done and this way seemed better than redoing the Fishin' Jimmy and was shorter than coming from the south. Started out at the Mt Kinsman Trailhead parking lot, which had a bunch of cars there, and got right to work. Bald peak had some nice views to the West of Kinsman Ridge. Then a quick stab to North Kinsman for my 2nd visit there. I kept going in case weather rolled up on me again, and was elated to get there. a good bit of mileage here but worth it. going down from North peak was a piece of cake, but did have to stop and stretch at one point. the awkward thingw as there was some hiker and her male friend were stopped as she was peeing off trail, and they were waiting for me for some reason to pass. I saw nothing, i promise.

Photos:
https://imgur.com/gallery/YwmrDoh

27 July 2018: Kinsman Mountain, North peak

This hike was the first of the year and i hadn't really conditioned myself for it. I knew what to expect but still forgto some essentail day-of prep work like popping Advil in the morning to help control the swelling I have after I'm done. This trip was with BishopX and we intended to grab both Kinsman peaks. The Forecast had some possible rain in the morning and a big storm system coming up in the afternoon. Expecting to be able to get both peaks we proceeded with this plan.

History: Kinsman Mountain is named after an early resident of the area, Nathan Kinsman. The Fishin’ Jimmy trail is named after James Whitcher, a man who once lived in Franconia. I imagine he tried fishing once.

Peak Elevation: 4293 ft
Elevation Gain: 2526 ft
Trails: Lonesome Lake Tr., Cascade Brook Tr., Fishin' Jimmy Tr., Kinsman Ridge Tr.
Length: 8.8 mi
Time on Trail : 0920
Time off Trail: 1640

As previously stated in this post, the intent was get both Kinsman peaks. We got a bit later of a start than planned, but once going it got warm and humid fast, which did not help my poor conditioning. On the way up, the terrain up to the Lonesome Lake Hut was pretty steady and easy going. We took a moment for photos but kept moving on because of the forecast. The Fishin' Jimmy trail, as advised by BishopX, had lots of pointless up and downs for a good portion of it. On the return hike we tried to go from memory for how many there were and laughed when wrong. Once we made it to the Kinsman Ridge trail, my trail pains had subsided and we plowed onward to the north peak in spite of the ominous clouds to our southwest. Not long after we found the high point, we visited the viewpoint not far from there and began hearing thunder booms at increasing succession and perceived closeness. We opted to skip the South Peak, 0.9 miles away, in anticipation of potential lightning strikes. By the time we made it to the junction where you can go to the Kinsman Pond area, it had started misting a bit. We spoke to the caretaker and she kindly pointed us to the shelter, where we had lunch and chatted up 3 other hikers and the caretaker while the storm downpouring went on. we lost about an hour waiting that out but i'm glad we did so we could stay dry at that point. Navigating the trail went well after that in spite of the rain. Not long after we saw some hikers from Europe going up who marveled at our dryness, it started raining some more and we just kept pressing onwards so we could get home and dry. Intermittent downpours later and we were back at Lafayette Campground. For losing time to a storm our time was not terrible.

Photos:
https://imgur.com/a/q2ePmMF

I plan to go get the South Peak this year, probably will take another route, maybe the Mt Kinsman Trail.

2018 goals and plans

So over the past few months i have been backdating entries as my time allows - i usually do it in marathon sessions which involves some research that i do not have up front, which occupies about half the time spent. Given that this blog was started in 2017, as my season was crawling to its close, I didn't do anything like this before. So bear with me if it seems scatterbrained. My goals for hiking this year are as follows: 15 peaks from 52 WAV list, 12 peaks from NH48, and 3 or 4 from the NE67 that reside outside of NH. Here's an early projection of what my approximate plan is:

52 WAV hikes:
- Mt Crawford, Mt Resolution, Stairs Mountain 11.2 mi
- Magalloway Mountain
- Mt Hayes
- Sugarloaf Mountain (Nash Stream Forest) 4.2 mi
- Mt Shelburne Moriah
- Mt Success
- Three Sisters
- Shaw
- North and South Baldface
- Eastman
- North Doublehead
- Smarts
- West Royce


NH48 Hikes:
- West Bond, Mt Bond, Bondcliff, Zealand 19ish mi
- North and South Twin 11ish mi.
- Wildcat D, Wildcat A
- Madison and Adams 10.1 mi
- North and South Kinsman

Non-NH28 peaks from NE67:
- Katahdin (ME14) looking to do this around Septemberish
- Killington (VT5)
- Mt. Abraham (VT5)
- Mt. Ellen (VT5)

To date, i have 30/48, 30/67 and 20/52.


I hope to continue hiking with BTLG, Bishop X and some old and new work friends this year, but will never back down from doing any of these as a solo venture.

I'll probably make some edits to this with mileages and intended trails for my own tracking purposes.

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

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.

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!

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

10 September 2016: Mount Lincoln, Mount Lafayette, Mount Truman, Little Haystack Mountain

This was a fine day for a great hike on Franconia Ridge with my friend Lady Bee Wild.

History: Mt Lincoln is named for President Abe Lincoln. Mt. Lafayette is named for a notable French General during the American Revolutionary War. The unofficial name of the "south peak" of Lincoln is known as Mt. Truman. Not a NH48 peak, by far, but worth noting nonetheless. Little Haystack, also not a NH48, still offers plenty to hikers on this section of the AT.

Peak Elevation: Mt. Lafayette 5249 ft.; Mt. Lincoln 5089 ft.; Little Haystack 4780 ft.; Mt. Truman 5000 ft.
Elevation Gain:
Trail: The "Franconia Ridge Loop" - Falling Waters Tr., Franconia Ridge Tr., Old Bridle Path.
Length: 8.8 mi
Time on Trail : 0800ish
Time off Trail: 1400ish

The weather looked like it may turn sour as we departed but we went onward up the trail anyway. A popular and often crowded loop, we wanted to get an early start and keep moving whenever possible, hoping the weather would clear off and provide good photo ops. We ascended the Falling Waters side first, hitting Little Haystack's overcast and cloud-covered peak. We kept moving in hopes it would clear off soon enough to more or less no avail. I walked by and gave the rocky summit of Mt. Truman, or Lincoln South, a nod in passing. Shortly after that, I had to stop and stretch - hamstring cramps from tightness or electrolyte imbalance. I watered up, stretched, and got a move on. Once we continued to ascend to Lincoln it looked as if the cloud cover might burn off after all, but we kept rolling because we knew that the weather could be teasing us and we didn't want to be up there in the event of lightning.

We triumphantly got to Lafayette's summit as the clouds broke out a bit and i snapped off a few pics before we kept moving to descend to the greenleaf hut, where we topped off our water, hit the rest room and had a snack. The sun shone for a bit and we decided to move on, as it seemed like the clouds still might show rain. And we got sprinkled on a bit as we descended but were in the treeline at that point. timely as that was, there were downpours as we hit the highway to head south back home.

Photos:

Mt Lafayette, Mt Lincoln,  Mt. Truman,  Little Haystack mountain, 10SEP16

I'd like to hike the ridge line again, maybe doing Flume through Garfield as a traverse could be fun as a Pemi-Half. Or that would be a Pemi-Third, wouldn't it, maybe?

16 July 2016: North and South Hancock

Middle of July seemed like a great time to go out hiking, and I wanted to grab a quick set of peaks today. Mt Hancock's North and South peaks are located just off the Kanc, and the reports made it sound like a good hike to try solo.

History: Mt Hancock is named for John Hancock, a founding father of this country. Technically, the south peak is "unnamed".

Peak Elevation: North peak 4420ft.; South peak 4319 ft.
Elevation Gain: 2575 ft
Trail: Hancock Notch Tr., Hancock Loop Tr.
Length: 9.8 mi.
Time on Trail : 0750
Time off Trail: 1330

Rolling out that morning the heat index was supposed to be moderate to high, so i figured starting earlier would be best. On trail before 0800 was a good idea as the heat index did indeed get to the high 80's. I had plenty of water and coverage for my head and arms, but did remember to put on sunscreen. The trail started out kind of like a nature walk, nice and flat with even ups and downs. lots of roots. minor stream crossings. the uphill wasn't all that bad getting to where the loop trail forks off to the north and south. I went south and quickly ascended both peaks, and kept moving as the heat was only going to get worse. I passed a number of people on my way back to my car, and encountered another hiker i chatted with on the way through who was having some foot pain. I regret not offering to assist, but i kept moving after catching my breath. they were on a flat portion and only had about 1.5 miles back to the trailhead so i am sure they were fine.

Photos:

Mt. Hancock, North and South peak  16JUL16

I wrapped up around 1330 and was pretty stoked at the pace i had done in the heat.

26 June 2016: Mt Moriah

Today we were supposed to hike one of the Carters, but got sidetracked when the GPS didnt have us turn due to signal loss so we called an audible and hiked Mount Moriah instead.

History: I am unsure of the origins of the name, but I believe this could be a Biblical reference.

Peak Elevation: 4049 ft
Elevation Gain: 3250 ft
Trail: Carter-Moriah Tr.
Length: 9.0 mi
Time on Trail : 0930
Time off Trail: 1600

Given the late hour in which we started, i didnt take much time to get photos snapped. I dont recall much of this trip, given it's backdated status nearly 2 years later. I recall the hike not being too awful and the weather was nice for June - not too muggy or buggy. Along the way we hit Mt. Surprise, which had some viewpoints along the trail. Mt Moriah is along the AT's route.

Photos:

Mt. Moriah 26JUN16

23 October 2015: Mount Tripyramid, North and Middle peaks

To close out 2015 I climbed North and Middle Tripyramids with Bob the Love Goat and Boomer on this chilly fall day.

History: Not finding much on the origin of these peaks, but given that they're 3 peaks that resemble 3 pyramids next to one another, we'll assume that might be it.

Peak Elevation: North - 4180 ft. ; Middle - 4140 ft.
Elevation Gain: ~3500 ft.
Trail: Pine Bend Brook Tr., ridge trail
Length: 9.0 mi.
Time on Trail : 0751
Time off Trail: 1453

This was touted by BTLG as a fun but strenuous hike up to the Tripyramids. While wooded they were pretty promenant in the area and supposedly there were a few looksouts near the top of the ridge. I made it to the trailhead well before BTLG and took in some scenic views along the Kanc before getting there. Such a fun drive! The Pine Brook trail is right along Rt 112, and was jsut about what i expected it to be given the topo maps i had scoped out prior to hitting the trail. The north slide was strenuous but manageable with frequent breaks to allow my muscles to recover a bit. After nearing the top of the slide there were some nice but limited views before the top's wooded peak swallowed you up. We had a tough time finding the summit of North peak but thats a normal experience as there tends to not be a cairn on some of these wilderness peaks. We passed the Sabbaday Brook Trail junction on our way to Middle Tripyramid; South Tripyramid isn't NH48 so we turned back as it got to be in the low 20's at the peak and Boomer was getting antsy. The descent wasn't all that problematic. I think BTLG and I both had a spill with some wet leaf covering rocks we stepped on. Not a bad trip, I welcomed my car's heated seats as I began driving home.

Photos:

Mt Tripyramid, North and Middle peaks   23OCT15

Link to BTLG blog post

19 October 2015: Mount Osceola, Mt. East Osceola

Today me and Bishop X ventured out to bag the Osceolas from the trailhead along Tripoli road. It was getting late in the month and we knew we were racing time until snow and frost would mean stopping for the season this far up north.


History: Unclear as to the origin of the name for these peaks - Osceola was a Native American of the Seminole tribes in the southeast US.

Peak Elevation: Osceola - 4340 ft. ; East Osceola - 4156 ft.
Elevation Gain: ~2000 ft.
Trail: Mt. Osceola Tr.
Length: 8.4 mi.
Time on Trail : 0851
Time off Trail: 1500?

This hike was sold to me by Bishop X who said that the Chimney between peaks was a cool experience to hike up. I figured that having survived my slide down the Flume slide trail, that i would be able to handle this steep rock feature without issue.

We began the day on Tripoli Rd and quickly got on trail. It wasn't all that long before the mud turned to frost and "snow". As we neared the summit of Osceola, there was a nice big open ledge offering great views on this clear day. The ledge used to be home to a fire tower, which still had footings present to provide for good places to slide your pack off for photo ops. From there we briskly walked to the summit of Osceola and onward to descend the chimney towards East Osceola. Both peaks having wooded tops, we took in the views where possible. The chimney was ok going down but kind of fun going up. Bishop X gave me some space to get up and down - a smart move in case i slipped. There are a few spots along the way with broken views - the ledges offered the best of all so we made another stop there to fuel up before we descended.

Photos:

Mt Osceola, East Osceola 19OCT15

10 October 2015: Mount Waumbek, Mount Starr King

This fine, cool day I went to hike Mt. Waumbek and Mt. Starr King with my roomie. I had not yet ventured this far outside of the normal cluster of the NH48, and my roomie was game to join me on what is touted as an easy hike for a 4000 footer. We were not disappointed.

History / random facts: Mt Wuambek, previously known as "Pliny Major", has little information about it's name meaning or significance. I imagine it is a nod to a Native American culture or person, though. Mt Starr King is named for Thomas Starr King, a minister who lived during the Civil War era. At its summit sits the site of a former lodge, built in the 1940's, that was removed in the 1980's. The fireplace still resides there, loosely marking its location next to an open view eastward.
The Starr King trail is part of the Cohos Trail, a 162 mile trail that spans from Crawford Notch to the Canadian border, where it connects with the Sentier Frontalier's trail to Mount Megantic and Mount Gosford in Canada.

Peak Elevation: Waumbek - 4006 ft.; Starr King - 3907 ft.
Elevation Gain: ~2700 ft.
Trail: Starr King Tr.
Length: 7.2 mi.
Time on Trail : 0925
Time off Trail: 1346

This was a pretty easy hike, the mileage and elevation change made it pretty evenly graded for most of the way. Being mid-fall in northern NH there was already some rhyme ice and standing ice on some portions of the trail. We took our time so as to not have a fall. The summit of Starr King sneaks up on you but has a great view towards the Presidentials. From there, the trail descends a bit before you ascend to the wooded peak of Waumbek, which is inhabited by a colony of Gray Jays year-round.
The gray jays were out there with the people, adventurous and sociable. They were not much of a bother to me or the others who tried to enjoy lunch atop Waumbek at a blowdown-curated viewpoint that seems to be up-kept by hikers. The way down still had ice on it as the mid-day sun was only beginning to melt the sheets of ice encountered on the way up. My roomie dinged up her knee on the way down, luckily only about mile from the car.

Photos:

Mt Waumbek, Mt. Starr King   10Oct15

I would love to tackle this one again, perhaps if I ever do the Cohos Trail?

05 October 2015: Mount Tom, Mount Field, Mount Willey, Mount Avalon

Admittedly I have been slacking this year on hiking the 4000 footers, and here was a chance for me to bag a few in one pass. I persuaded Bishop X to come with me on this one, the selling point being that we were going to not only bag 3 of the NH48, but a 52WAV as well. The Willey range has a nice drop-down to Mount Avalon as well, which was a worthy sidetrip on the descent.

History: Mount Tom is named for Thomas Crawford, whose family had a number of inns in the area of Crawford Notch during the 1800’s. Mountt Willey was named for Samuael Willey, whose family lived I the area in the 1820’s and were killed in a landslide in Crawford Notch. Mount Field is named for Darby Field, the first European to climb Mt Washington back in 1642. He was also known for his ability to translate between the Native and Settler populations. I was unable to find a naming etymology for Mount Avalon, but Avalon was a mythical place from the Authurian era, so it could be related to that.


Peak Elevation: 4052ft (Tom), 4327 ft (Field), 4255 ft. (Willey), 3442 ft (Avalon)
Elevation Gain: 2358 ft
Trails: Avalon Trail, A-Z trail, Mt Tom Spur, Willey Range trail
Length: 10.2 mi.
Time on Trail: 0920
Time off Trail: 1630ish


The trip started out at Crawford Depot on the west side of US-302, parking is free here. Crossing the tracks you can see the herdpath to the Avalon trailhead sign pretty clearly. After just over a mile you reach the junction of the A-Z trail, having ventured past the Beecher and Pearl cascades with not a lot of elevation gain to this point (maybe 800ft). Continuing on up the A-Z trail to get to the Willey Range trail for another mile of so, gaining just shy of 1800 ft in elevation gain until you get to the Mt Tom Spur trail. The trip to Mount Tom from here is just over a half mile, and at this point we were glad to have the hefty elevation gains out of the way. Ok I was gladder than Bishop X was because he’s in far better condition than me, and today i was exceptionally slower than he.


Moving on we ventured onward to the Willey Range Trail junction and moved on toward Mt Field, crossing paths with our descending point, the upper terminus of the Avalon Trail. Mt. Field has a side path with a small outlook, but the weather was kind of blah so we did not stay there long. The next stop was Mount Willey, which also has a viewpoint from an unmarked side trail. I find it peculiar that this range is named for Willey but is not the highest mountain on the range, granted there is only a net 20 foot elevation drop here. After bagging the 3rd 4000footer of the day I was keen on getting down and home; Mount Avalon was on the way and we decided that if we made good time we would bag it, but if not we would leave it for another day.


Having made good time we trekked up towards Avalon, which offers great views of the Southern Presidentials and to the southeast of the Willey range. The quick sidetrip (a few hundred yards, maybe?) was worth it for the brief view we took, as there were 2 dudes just taking a nap up there when we arrived, kind of weirded us out so we just snapped a few pictures and moved on. The descent was pretty tame after that point.


Photos:

Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, Mt. Willey, Mt. Avalon 05OCT15

This entry was backdated, written in 2017.

11 September 2015: Mt Tecumseh

This was supposed to be a decent hiking day but turned out to be a foggy, muggy experience. New England weather, am i right? I took my Brother with me - he felt now that he had quit smoking this would be a good way to hack up all the bad stuff while getting some exercise.

History: This peak is named in honor of the Shawnee tribe leader. The mountain also serves as the slopes for Waterville Valley Ski Resort.

Peak Elevation: 4003 ft.
Elevation Gain: 2283 ft.
Trail: Mt Tecumseh Tr., Sosman Tr.
Length: 5.0 mi.
Time on Trail : 0857
Time off Trail: 1345

Today we hiked Mt Tecumseh, starting at the parking area for Waterville Valley. This was done on 9/11, when "flags on the 48" happens. This is a wonderful thing, where hikers summit the NH48 with american flags on 9/11 every year in remembrance of those who died in the terrorist attacks. I appear to not have caught them when they were out that day though. The hike was pretty easy grading most of the way, and well groomed. The view into the ski trails was nice - i imagine skiers looking for a more wooded slope try their hand here in the wintertime. The top would have given a nice view if it were not for the dense fog which began dissipating once we ended the day. At the top we met a guy who was completing his Nh48 adventure - he claims to have done 30 peaks in a month "just to get it done" - that's wild, and nearly unbelievable. The sosman trail provides antoher side quest for those inclined to do so, though not much was gained in doing so.

Photos:

Mt Tecumseh 15SEP15

Not many photos this time around, mostly due to the fog.

28 August 2015: Owl's Head Mountain

Owl’s Head seems to be the one NH48 that hikers seem to dread the most. The mileage is on the high side to get there and back again. There is only one way to get in there that is a reliable pathway. There is nothing noteworthy about the summit, which is wooded, aside from the rather sketchy slide trail to it’s summit which offers good views of the Southern Tier Franconia Ridge on clear days. This trip I was brought out by Bob The Lovegoat (his trip report can be seen here). As a Boy Scout, I was taken on a trip to hike AROUND owl’s head once, so I knew what kind of misery laid ahead of me.

History: Owl’s Head Moutain resides in the middle of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, surrounded by the Bonds to the east and by Franconia to the west, with Garfield ridge and Mount Guyot to the north. The infamous Pemi Loop is comprised of these peaks.


Peak Elevation: 4025 ft
Elevation Gain: 2035 ft
Trail: Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Black pond Trail, Bushwack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl’s Head Path.
Length: 20ish mi.
Time on Trail : 0745
Time off Trail: 1845


The trip starts out at Lincoln Woods, via the Lincoln Woods Trail (Parking fees apply). Mr Lovegoat wanted to get out to try a new way to get to Owl’s head in a slightly more direct manner. I obliged because having someone with me to keep me on task during the boring flats on this trip would ensure I at least finished with daylight left. The majority of the trip is flat, mundane former rail bed. During Autumn I imagine it is picturesque as the color change and leaves begin to fall.

In an effort to shave off some length of this hike, Mr Lovegoat and I were going to try a bushwack that was intended to save us about 1 mile of hiking. This bushwack was not at all marked and we had to wing it. In hindsight, while we did save a mile, we probably burned just as much if not a bit more time bushwacking. But, bushwacking can be fun too. This bushwask had us venture off to Black Pond via the Black Pond trail, then continue on to a heading to the Loncoln Brook Trail. We happened upon a fisherman’s bushwash trail, which included a small likely illegal campfire pit at the side of Loncoln Brook. From there we rejoined actual trails to get to the base of the unofficial trail up to Owl’s Head Mountain. This wooded peak has a few blowdowns where some views are present. I imagine that if this mountain were not completely wooded, it would be a top 5 viewing peak in the whites due to what encompasses it. After lunching up there and picking up some garbage left behind by others, we descended. Lovegoat let me go down first, which about ½ way down the slide trail a large rock went tumbling and almost took out my leg, had I not strategically lifted it in time to dodge it. I did yell down below as I did that in case anyone was ascending.

After that I knew the worst of this trip was ahead – the mundane descent through the flats back to Lincoln Woods. With about 4 mile left I started getting cramps in my feet, which would turn into a mild form of Plantar Fasciitis for a few days after. Rolling my foot out on a lacrosse ball helped immensely in pain relief. Anyway, the bridge that spans Franconia Brook was the most welcome sight as we were losing daylight. The foot pain really slowed us down at the end of the day. This was the longest hike I had done in a very long time, so breakdown was inevitable. Im just glad it was on a flat path when I did.

Photos:

Owl's Head Mountain 28AUG15

This is a backdated entry, written in 2017.

27 May 2015: Mount Hale

I had a few hikes under my belt and wanted to venture for my first 4000 footer for this season and chose the easy, manageable, Mount Hale. At 4.4 miles the distance wasn’t going to kill me and the elevation gain looked on par with others I had done this season.

History: This peak was named for Rev. Edward Hale, son of Nathan Hale, a pastor, poet, writer and philanthropist. I have found out that he was also a mountaineer who made the first recorded ascent of the Northern peaks of Katahdin back in 1845.

Peak Elevation: 4055 ft
Elevation Gain: 2276 ft
Trail: Hale Brook Trail
Length: 4.4 mi
Time on Trail : 0900
Time off Trail: 1230

Mount Hale’s Hale Brook Trail was nice and easy grading the whole way with great footing. Some trails kind of drag on and on, but this one wasn’t quite there due to the 2.2 mile length to the summit. The summit must have been more clear-cut in the past, as there is evidence of a watch tower up there, as seen in my photos. There is also a large pile of rocks that I refuse to call a cairn at the summit – I wonder if this was part of the foundation of the aforementioned fire tower. From the top of that pile you can see the tops of the remainder of the Twin Range. Aside from that there is not much else norteworthy about this summit. After a snack I went back down.

On my way up I passed a small group of hikers, one of whom was blind. I am not making this up. After I descended I ran into two people from this party, who told me the terrain was too much for the young man without his vision. When I got down to my car I made sure to check on the guy, who had found a picnic table to relax at. I made sure he was good and let him know his party would be rejoining him in about an hour. Zealand road on the way back proved to be a challenge because of the bumpiness – my VW even as stock height and suspension was challenged by this, so I had to drive 10mph or less the entire way back to the bridge before the road is paved again. Aside from that the trailhead was easy to find and leave from.

Photos:

Mt. Hale 27MAY15

This post is a backdated entry made in 2017.