Mt. Monadnock (3,165 ft) 2-3-18

Distance: 4.89 mi.
Elevation: 1,661 ft (overall) 1,921 ft (total)
Time: 2:31 (Summit) 4:08 (Total)
Trails: Dublin Trail

Having not gotten out to hike much yet this winter, a day that was predicted to be sunny, but cold and windy seemed like a great day to go hike Mt. Monadnock. I took it as a chance to test out some of my gear that I bought for cold days like this where I would be exposed for some time about treeline. I had an insulated jacket and pants that I hadn't had a chance to really try yet. Mt. Monadnock seemed like a great place for a test hike since the summit is exposed, but it the clothing didn't work well I wouldn't be exposed too long and it would be a sort hike back to the truck.

• The snow depth wasn't very high today, but with warm temperatures and rain earlier this winter I knew the real challenge would be ice. I could see that 2 or 3 other hikers had already been out on the trail.
• Even though I had someone else's tracks to help show me where the underlying ice was, I decided it was smart to put on my microspikes early. You never know when you will find that patch under the snow no one ice has found yet.
• As the trail kept climbing, more ice started showing up under the snow. One section of trail that is wet for much of year was completely covered in a thick layer of ice under the snow.
• Higher up, some of the normal rock scrambles were covered in a thin layer of snow that make they look very nice. Others though were covered in snow and ice which make them even trickier than normal. By the end of the day, other hikers routes could be seen taking multiple ways around them.
• Higher up also meant the start of some views from the trail. At first small limited views before turning into bigger more expansive ones.
• As the trail started to come out of the trees, the ice was on almost all of the rocks under the snow. The normally grippy rocks were slick and there weren't many ways to avoid the ice and a chance at slipping.
• Once above treeline I put on my goggles since it was getting a bit windy. There was lots of exposed rocks, but still enough snow and ice to keep on the microspikes.
• A number of people showed up at the summit while I was there, but most didn't stay long since it was only 10 degrees and the windchill made it feel like -10.
• With my cold weather gear though, I was plenty warm and enjoyed the sun and the view for quite a while.
• The hike down saw more traffic on the trail, but not bad since the road leading to the parking lot isn't plowed all the way in the winter and the parking lot itself was pretty rough.
• Some of the spots higher up were a bit tricky with all the ice underneath making for some cautious moves while coming down some sections. You could tell other hikers had just decided it was easier to slide where possible.
• Back down towards the base, the ice had gone back away and I was able to pick the pace back up some. All in all the test of my cold weather gear went well, but I did determine that it ended up being a bit too warm for my pants with the additional layer underneath them.

Snow covered trail down low on the mountain

Plenty of ice under the snow

Exposed rock section of trail

Coming out of the trees

The summit

Snow sculpture on the summit

Miles with the Dublin Trail behind him

Google Earth representation of the hike

The Old Dublin Road was not plowed

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

Mt. Abraham (4,006 ft) & Mt. Ellen (4,083 ft) 11-11-17

Distance: 12.6 mi.
Elevation: 2,548 ft (overall) 4,548 ft (total)
Time: 1:42 (Battell Shelter) 2:24 (Mt. Abraham) 4:26 (Mt. Ellen) 6:45 (Mt. Abraham) 8:13 (Total)
Trails: Battell Trail, Long Trail

• This was my second attempt at linking both Mt. Abraham and Mt. Ellen in an out and back hike of both peaks. My last attempt resulted in me accidentally turning around too early because I didn't do enough research before my hike.
• Even though the sun was shinning as I neared the trail head, it was actually snowing lightly when i got to the parking lot. Overnight snow made for a layer of snow from the base to the peak(s) instead of just at the higher elevations.
• I brought a pair of old microspikes with me for the day, but started without them since the snow was only about an inch deep. It took a little while, but eventually my plodding up the trail without paying too much attention to the conditions resulted in my feet slipping out from under me on a small patch of hidden ice. I still didn't put on my spikes, but now did pay more attention to what the snow looked like on the ground looking for smooth patches with ice under it.
• The only brook crossings of the day were right next to each other and both bridged or easy step overs. Above these, the forest turns into more softwoods/conifers and occasionally had some standing water in the trail in spots that are likely muddy during warmer months of the year.
• Before reaching the Long Trail and the Battell Shelter, there were only a couple of blow downs from the recent storm. At the shelter though, the trail is blocked with a cluster of downed trees. Around the shelter there are actually lots of downed trees scattered around, but none of them actually hit the shelter or caused and structural damage.
• Above the shelter, there was also some scattered trees that were down across the trail, but there were all pretty easy to either climb over or duck under. If the trees aren't cleaned up before snow falls for the winter though, some of them could get a little tricky to navigate over/under. There were also some patches of ice between the shelter and the summit that were easy to either go around, over, or across on rocks.
• Nearing the summit, the trail gets steeper and rockier. Through here microspikes could have been helpful in places, but by being careful I made it up to the summit without any real issues. The summit is nice and open, but with the strings up to keep people off the fragile vegetation, it was a bit crowded for my taste today with the number of other hikers that happened to be there at the same time.
• After taking some pictures and adjusting gear, I headed out towards Lincoln Peak. The stretch between these two peaks was the worst of the day for blow downs. They were the worst between Lincoln Peak and Little Abe, but the worst patch was right at the summit of Little Abe. There is a patch of multiple trees completely blocking the trail that either require a longer walk around or climbing up and over the trees themselves.
• After Lincoln Peak, the blow downs were sporadic and pretty easy to get around/over/under. Between the peaks the trail goes through a series of gradual PUDs with occasional views along the way. The "peak" that I turned around at last (possibly Cutts Peak) time didn't have the marker pin that made me think it was a summit anymore and the true summit of Mt. Ellen now has a new looking sign that wasn't there the last time I visited.
• On the way back to Mt. Abraham everything went as expected with pretty easy trails other than the blow downs. I knew the easy ways to get around them now though, so even those were easier. Just before the summit, I took the short path that leads to the plane wreck. I didn't know about this the last time I was on this route, so I wanted to check it out this time.
• I got to the summit of Mt. Abraham about 30-45 minutes before sunset, so I took in the quiet views all by myself. When leaving though, I put on my microspikes knowing that they would come in handy on the first part of the decent and then even more so as the sun would go down while I went through the patchy ice sections. At the shelter I put on my headlamp and proceeded back to my truck in the dark.

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

Ice hidden under the snow

Hardest brook crossing of the day

Blow downs blocking the trail at the Battell Shelter

Battell Shelter with trees down around it, but no damage

Mt. Ellen from Mt. Abraham

Mt. Abraham

Snow/rime ice

Long Trail along the ridge

Mt. Ellen summit

Franconia Ridge as seen from near Mt. Ellen

4Ks to the north

Blow down mess at the summit of Little Abe

Plane crash site

Mt. Abraham nearing sunset

Adirondacks

Google Earth representation of the hike

Mt. Liberty (4,459 ft) 9-9-17

Distance: 8.14 mi.
Elevation: 3,066 ft (overall) 3,323 ft (total)
Time: 2:53 (Summit) 5:10 (Total)
Trails: Whitehouse Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Bike Path

Along with our normal crew for the Flags on the 48 event, today we had a few additional member including some currently active in the military. We all trickled in at our own rate and were all gathered with gear ready to go by our intended start time. We started with the short mostly flat walk along the Whitehouse Trail to the bike path and then the Liberty Spring Trail.

Once on the Liberty Spring Trail, our group started to spread out some with all of us going at our own pace. We planned our start time to give us plenty of time to get to the summit, so if we all went at different paces we still had plenty of time to get the flag up by noon. The trail was easy going to start with gradual grades and good footing. There was one brook crossing lower down, but it was easy to negotiate with plenty of stones to step across.

Stream crossing

After the crossing, the trail starts to get steeper. Not quite as bad as I was expecting though. The only other time I have been on this trail was 6 years ago and I came down it, so I didn't remember well how steep it would be. The map made it look like it would be a bit steeper than it seemed though. Around Liberty Spring tent site many of our group took another break and we grouped back up some here. Then we spread out a bit again as we neared the ridge. The last bit to the summit along the ridge is nice, with some easy grades and just a bit of elevation left to gain. It went by quickly and soon we were starting to gather back together at the summit.

Putting together the new pole

With last year's wind bending the old flagpole, Jim had come up with a new setup for this year that included a few improvements. Being new though, we wanted to start getting it up early so that we could figure out all of the tricks for getting it secured and the flag up it. By the time our team member with the flag made it to the summit, we had the pole up and were ready to raise the flag. The military members of this year's group helped us with the process of getting the flag out, up, and secured. Once everything was secured, one of our other group members sang the National Anthem for everyone that was now on the summit.

Bringing the flag to the pole

Raising the flag

During the National Anthem

During the National Anthem

For a little over 2 hours, most of us just relaxed around the summit. A few made the trek over to Mt. Flume though to bag another peak while in the area. We had good weather on the summit, but many of the nearby or higher peaks were at least a little bit in the clouds. This made it a bit hard to make out many other flags, but we were able to spot some, including the one on the wooded summit of Owls Head just sticking out of the trees. Before it was time to take the flag down, we have had a flyby from the NH National Guard Black Hawk helicopter.

Looking up Franconia Ridge

Black Hawk flyby

Flying on the summit

After taking down the flag just after 2pm, we packed up our gear again and headed down the mountain. Again, we spread out a little bit breaking into smaller groups as we settled into our own paces. The decent was pretty easy with no issues. There was one very brief sprinkle of rain, but it didn't even make the rocks wet it was so quick. Before too long, we were hitting the bike path where most of us skipped the Whitehouse Trail and took the shortcut through the trees instead. Soon everyone else was down as well and we said our goodbyes before some went home and a few of us went back to Jim's cabin for a quick meal.

A rainbow below us in the Pemi

Route for the day

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

South Turner Mtn (3,110 ft) 7-31-17

Distance: 4.51 mi.
Elevation: 1,633 ft (overall) 1,699 ft (total)
Time: 2:09 (Summit) 3:22 (Total)
Trails: Sandy Stream Pond Trail, South Turner Mtn Trail, Sandy Stream Pond Trail

For the last day of this Baxter State Park trip I wanted to hike South Turner Mountain so that I could get some good views of Katahdin. Since I was starting from the Roaring Brook trail head, I still had to get an early start to guarantee a parking space. With that accomplished, I think I was on the trail around 7am. I also hoped the early start would help my chances of seeing a moose at Sandy Stream Pond.

The mostly flat 0.3 miles to Sandy Stream Pond went quick and easy. When I got to the first lookout on the pond, I was greeted by....... ducks. Some of the ducks were swimming, some were still sleeping. Oh well, time to keep hiking. After the pond, the trail stays flat for a little while before coming to some large rocks that make up the trail. After these rocks, there are more small ones that make up the trail.

Oh boy, ducks

Soon, the trail starts to climb. The climbing doesn't stop until you reach the top. For what seems like a small peak, it's still a bit of a strenuous hike to get to the top. There really isn't anything overly difficult about the trail, no scrambles or anything like that until the top. It's just a steady uphill climb with smaller rocks making up much of the route. There is a spring closer to treeline, but I didn't head down to it. It sounded like the brook in that area was running today though.

Rocky section of trail

Steady climbing

As soon as you come out of the trees shortly before the summit, you can see that the last bit of trail to the summit is the hardest. It starts off with lose rocks and gravel and gradually turns into larger and larger rocks to climb over. It's also a bit steeper than the rest of the climb. Once you are on top though, the views make it all worth it.

Last stretch to the summit

Katahdin from the summit

I had very few clouds (even with a chance or rain for the afternoon) and just a little bit of breeze. I also got the summit to myself for quite a while before a family of hikers made their way to the top. We sat and talked for quite a while, all enjoying the great views in all directions.

View to the north

Sandy Stream Pond

On the way down, I made good time down to the pond. I headed out onto the platform at the third lookout to see if there was any wildlife out near the other lookouts. I was surprised to see a cow moose looking at me from about 30-40 feet away. I tried to duck behind the bushes and get my camera out, but about the time I pulled the camera bag out of my hiking pack, she decided she had had enough and started walking away. I made my way quickly to the big rock lookout, but the couple there said the moose headed off into the woods rather than up the shoreline. Oh well, no pictures of her, but at least I got to see her. I spent a fair amount of time sitting on the rock before heading back to my truck and then Togue Pond for a nice swim.br>

View from the big rock

South Turner from Sandy Stream Pond

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

Doubletop Mtn (3,489 ft) 7-30-17

Distance: 7.83 mi.
Elevation: 2,204 ft (overall) 2,738 ft (total)
Time: 2:44 (North Peak) 2:52 (South Peak) 3:07 (North Peak) 4:57 (Total)
Trails: Doubletop Mtn Trail

On my last visit to Baxter State Park, I had asked rangers what their favorite hikes in the park were. Multiple rangers said Doubletop was their favorite. Adding that to the fact that I liked the look of the mountain as soon as I saw it, and this hike become the second hike that I really wanted to get done during this trip to the park. After resting yesterday, I was ready to tackle the hike on a day that looked like it was going to have perfect weather.

The trail starts at Nesowadnehunk Campground and is easy to find past the ranger station. It turns left heading past some campsites and then further into the woods. It good footing (except a couple muddy spots) with a gradual incline almost all the way until it nears Doubletop Brook. As you near the brook, the trail starts downhill gradually, then steeply just before the brook.

Early section of trail

Doubletop Brook

After the brook is where the real climb begins. For most of the remaining distance to the summit, the trail heads steeply uphill. It's a mix of good footing, eroded sections with small rocks and roots exposed, and big rocks that you must climb up and over. The only real break comes about a mile before the summit where there is a nice section of nearly level trail. In this section, you'll even see a sign next to the trail letting you know there is a mile to go. My only real guess as to why this sign is here is because some people might think they are at the high spot and turn around without actually reaching the summit. It's the only time I can think of seeing a sign giving distance that wasn't at an intersection or trail head.

Steep rocky section of trail

One mile before the summit

On the map, this trail doesn't look as steep as it actually seems. But since I had all day to get this hike done, I kept hiking along and in the end it didn't seem that bad. The trail is certainly more rugged than I expected, but it was still an enjoyable hike going up.

The north peak (highest of the two) has nice views, especially of the bigger peaks in the park. But after a short rest here, I wanted to head across the ridge to the south peak. It's only 0.2 miles with very little elevation change. It's an interesting piece of trail as it mostly follows the ridge. It goes around some very large rocks and over some others. It's both in the trees and exposed in some places. There is one spot just before the south peak though where the trail is a bit narrow and goes over the rocks at the top of the ridge with no protection from the steep drop and hillside next to it. If you are bothered by heights, this spot could be a bit unnerving.

View from the north peak

South peak from the north peak

The south peak however has tremendous views in all directions. There was lots to look at today since there were very view clouds. Plenty of mountains and lakes around. The view back up the ridge is interesting as well. After a nice long break here, I headed back to the north peak where I took another break and some more pictures. On the way back to the north peak I also noticed a plaque that I had missed in the other direction. The rest of the hike down went as expected. More hikers were starting to make their way up the mountain. Doubletop Brook made for a good place to splash water on my face and head to cool down, but I was really looking forward to swimming in the river at Ledge Falls instead.

View west from the south peak

Looking at the north peak through a crystal ball

Plaque on one of the large rocks along the ridge

Looking over towards the Brothers

Route for the day

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE