Elevation: 1,832 ft (overall) 2,489 ft (total)
Time: 3:24 (Summit) 4:30 (Park HQ) 5:58 (Total)
Trails: Ravine Trail, Pond Loop Trail, Birchtoft Trail, Red Spot Trail, Pumpelly Trail, White Dot Trail, Poole Road, Hinkley Trail, Birchtoft Trail, Pond Loop Trail
After a week driving around Maine for vacation, I stuck close to home for my most recent hike. With the personal goal of re-hiking all the trails on the Mt. Monadnock map in the upward direction again, it was time for a longer loop hike on the mountain with trails I haven't been on for a while. I wanted to get a number of trails checked off, so I started from the Gilson Pond trail head, since I could easily link a few together there. It's also the trail head I probably hike from the least, so it was time to get back there.
The first trail I wanted to hike was the Ravine Trail. A short little trail that is used very little and most people probably don't even know exists. To access the end that is lower in elevation, I needed to walk through the campground to get to the loop that goes to the remote campsites. You'll follow this path until just after the first remote campsite (tent pad on your right) where the trail starts on the left. Normally this trail follows a bit of a brook, but with the dry weather lately, it was a few spots of standing water today. This trail is only 0.29 miles, so pretty quickly I was at the junction with the Pond Loop Trail. Planning to hike this trail on the way back, I headed left to get to the start of the Birchtoft Trail. While going around the lake, I noticed a deer along shore where I would soon be going past on the Birchtoft Trail. I made sure to be quiet in hopes that I would be able to get close to it. I didn't bother getting my camera out though.
Ravine Trail
Starting out on the Birchtoft Trail, right where expected, the deer heard me coming and ran away from the pond. Unexpectedly, she stopped right next to the trail giving me a great view of her. The trail starts off very gentle even as it leaves the pond. Good footing and just a gentle incline. A nice way to warm up. After a few turns and some small ups and downs, I got to the junction with the Hinkley Trail which I planned to hike back on later today. After here it gets a bit more steep, but it's still not bad. Shortly before the end is the steepest section, just before it levels out and comes to the Cascade Link which you'll follow for less than 100 feet to the start of the Red Spot Trail.
Elevated rock along the Birchtoft Trail
The Red Spot Trail starts off easy as well, gradually getting steeper. As it goes up, it also becomes more rocky. For one section it's a pretty constant rock hope from one small rock to another. A little later it gets steeper and goes through a section of large rocks and then over some open slabs. Ample trail markers do well guiding you over the open areas so you go back into the trees in the correct spot. There weren't as many blueberries through here today as I was expecting. It was pretty hit or miss, possibly due to the dry weather. Near the top of the trail, you start going in and out of the trees again while the trail almost levels out just before the Pumpelly Trail. From here it's a pretty short hike over open rock to the summit.
Large rocks on the Red Spot Trail
Nearing the Pumpelly Trail
The summit was less crowded than I expected, but it was a weekday and the temperature has been a bit high this week. While at the summit, it was a comfortable 76 degrees with an 8 mph breeze. For my decent, I headed down the White Dot Trail instead of going back down the Red Spot. I normally avoid the trails from the park headquarters, but I was hoping Falcon Spring would be running and I could top off my water before making my way down to the Hinkley Trail. I made quick work of the decent passing a few descending hikers and some groups coming up. As I neared Falcon Spring, I could hear a number of people and took that as a good sign it was running and others were topping off as well.
Summit view north
Summit view west
White Dot Trail
After some refreshing water at the spring, I continued my quick descent down. There were either a number of groups headed up, or just one huge group. There must have been 100 people all right near each other as I neared the park headquarters. I was glad to be headed the other way. Passing right through the parking lot, I headed down the side of Poole Road until I got to the Hinkley Trail. The trail isn't obvious as there is no parking and the sign is around 100 feet into the woods, but if you are looking for it, you should be able to find it.
Falcon Spring
The Hinkley Trail is a nice lesser used trail. It's mostly flat for the entire length and follows a brook for a while. Today the brook was pretty much dried up though and not as nice as normal. Today the 1.21 mile hike up the trail went by pretty quickly and I was soon at the Birchtoft Trail again. I hiked back down to the pond again in quick time also. Then I turned left and headed back around the pond so I could hike the Pond Loop Trail again. The loop is around 3/4 of a mile with no real ups or downs as it follows the edge of the pond just off shore. Once done, I headed back along the campground roads to the parking lot and my car. Time for a nice rest after a nearly 10 mile hike on a hot sunny day.
Start of the Hinkley Trail
Hinkley Trail
For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE
Google Earth representation of the hike
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