Mt. Monadnock (3,165 ft) 5-16-17

Distance: 5.10 mi.
Elevation: 1,773 ft (overall) 1,962 ft (total)
Time: 1:45 (Summit) 3:18 (Total)
Trails: White Dot Trail, White Cross Trail, White Arrow Trail, Amphitheatre Trail, Smith Connecting Trail, Cliff Walk Trail, Lost Farm Trail, Parker Trail

In order to avoid the normal crowds on the main trails from the State Park Headquarters, I opted to hike from here after work on a weekday. This plan worked well and I didn't see anyone else heading up, and not many heading down. I needed to hike from here for my personal project of remapping trails with my newer GPS. Today I wanted to get the White Cross Trail checked off the list.

The hike up went smoothly, or as smooth as it can over a heavily worn rocky trail. The only real problems were the unrelenting swarms of black flies below treeline and the amount of trash that was left along the trail. Apparently someone decided they needed to constantly use toilet paper to blow their nose or wipe sweat off their face or something. And they didn't seem to think they needed to carry out those pieces of paper either.

Heavily worn trail

This route starts off a little bit gradual and then gets steeper once the White Dot and White Cross Trails diverge. Once the climbing starts, the trail also becomes more and more rocky. So many hikers have hiked this route over the years that much of the soil has been worn and eroded away. Due to this, you'll see multiple paths just off trail from hikers trying to avoid the rocks. PLEASE try to stay on the trail as using these paths just tramples vegetation, increases erosion, and progressively makes the trail wider and wider. If brush or debris is blocking a path, that means that you shouldn't be using it and it was blocked off by park officials.

More rocks along the trail

Once you start getting closer to treeline, the trail levels back out some, but still keeps gaining elevation. You will also see less large rocks scattered along the trail replaced with more large sections of exposed rock. This is where most probably consider the trail to get more enjoyable as it isn't quick as steep and you don't have to keep stepping from rock to rock to rock. Above treeline, you'll want to keep an eye on the painted blazes on the rocks to keep you following the correct path.

The mountain casting a shadow

Miles watching as the sun gets closer to setting

I got to the top a little while before sunset was ready to occur. There was only one other hiker at the time and we talked for a bit before I started taking pictures and he sat to enjoy the view. Knowing I wasn't taking a direct route back down, I left the summit before sunset actually happened. I made sure I was still above treeline when it did happened, but also got a head start on my descent so I wouldn't have to put on my headlamp quite as early.

The sun setting

Muted colors looking away from the sun

Sunset

I headed down the White Arrow Trail and worked by way over to Bald Rock before needing to take out my headlamp. I didn't need it quite yet, but knew that as soon as I left Bald Rock I would be into more dense forest and it would come in handy soon. I continued down the Cliff Walk Trail until I reached the Lost Farm Trail and headed back towards the trail head I started at. The Lost Farm Trail had a few minor issues as far as downed trees go. but I also saw a couple of deer just off trail in the darkness. When I got back to the parking lot, I was the only car left.

Route for the day

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

Waterfalls & Redlining 5-6-17

Distance: 4.02 mi.
Elevation: 1,491 ft (overall) 1,770 ft (total)
Time: 1:11 (Dome Rock) 2:11 (Total)
Trails: Howker Ridge Trail, Kelton Trail, Inlook Trail, Randolph Path

I had a morning planned in Berlin, NH but nothing for the afternoon. So in order to make the nearly 3 hour drive more worth it, I planned this relatively short loop as a hike for the afternoon. It would go past at least one waterfall, but also get me 4 miles of redlining done along the many trails on the northern side of Mt. Madison and Mt. Adams.

The trail started a bit wet, but easy going. Lots of Trout Lilies and Violets were in bloom near the start. As the trail neared Bumpus Brook, it got a bit steeper and then went past the first waterfall, Stairs Fall. This waterfall was nice and had a could view of it from the trail. Continuing up, the trail passes Devil's Kitchen shortly before Coosauk Fall. This waterfall was also nice, but had a limited view from the trail. Venturing down to the brook, there was really only one area good enough for pictures as well.

Trout Lilies were in bloom down low

Stairs Fall

Coosauk Falls

Soon I turned onto the Kelton Trail where things started to get steeper. A bit above Kelton Crag, it started to rain lightly and I put my pack cover on. I stopped at The Outlook to take a picture showing how cloudy it was and the rain started picking up more. I quickly put the camera back in the bag and kept hiking. At the upper junction of the Inlook Trail (the highest point of the hike) I decided it was time for my raincoat. From here back to the car it rained pretty steadily and I didn't take my camera back out, even though there were some interesting spots on the trail.

Small brook

The Outlook

The Inlook Trail had lots of exposed rock, so I took my time descending so I wouldn't slip in the rain. At the junction with the Randolph Path and Brookside Trail, I was glad I didn't need to cross the brook. While the crossing could have been done with care, I don't think it could have been done without my boots going at least part way under water. The descent down the Randolph Path was smooth sailing with good terrain that got wetter and wetter as I neared the bottom. Near the end of the trail there was plenty of standing water with some of it pretty deep for a trail.

Route for the day

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

Mt. Monadnock (3,165 ft) 4-29-17

Distance: 7.81 mi.
Elevation: 1,602 ft (overall) 2,464 ft (total)
Time: 2:03 (Summit) 3:35 (Park HQ) 4:52 (Total)
Trails: Old Halfway House Trail, Side Foot Trail, White Arrow Trail, Pumpelly Trail, Red Spot Trail, Old Ski Path, White Dot Trail, Parker Trail, Old Toll Road

Since I didn't get much hiking in during the winter, I've been getting anxious to get out again for a while. Finally I had a weekend with decent weather and minimal obligations. Since I did have some obligations though, I decided to get in another hike of my local mountain, Mt. Monadnock. Today's hike was a chance to check off another day of the year hiking it and with my planned route remap a few more trails with my newer GPS. A long term goal I have for Mt. Monadnock is to hike it in every calendar day of the year, and today would be my 80th different day on the calendar checked off. A more short term goal is remap all the trails from low elevation to high with my newer GPS. I've done this before and it's a fun way to plan routes and revisit places on the mountain others don't normally go.

For today's hike, I started at the Old Toll Road trail head by hiking up the Old Halfway House Trail. The trail was in good condition with one small treetop leaning over the trail. Other than that, there was a little bit of mud in the normal wet places and lots of small plants starting to sprout out of the ground and show some greenery. At the junction with the Cart Path, I headed right on the Cart Path to avoid the closed top section of this trail. I then walked up to the Old Halfway House Site for a quick break.

The forest starting to turn green

From here I headed up the Side Foot Trail which leaves right from the Old Halfway House Site. This was the first trail I wanted to remap with my GPS. Currently the sign is missing, but the post is still there and the trail should be easy to spot. This trail more or less parallels the White Arrow Trail, but is narrower and sees less traffic. Along the trail there were a couple blow downs that were easy to step over, but might direct some people to the side and just off the trail and the established tread way. Make sure to stay on the trail so as to not trample vegetation or speed up erosion. Once at the top of the Side Foot Trail, I headed left to the White Arrow Trail which I would take up to the summit without any issues along the route.

Along the Side Foot Trail

When I got to the summit there were very few people there, but quickly more and more were arriving. After spending some time taking pictures, I was ready to get away from the growing crowd and headed down the Pumpelly Trail for the junction with the Red Spot Trail. Once on the Red Spot Trail, I headed down for what seemed further than I remembered it being to the junction to the Old Ski Path. The Old Ski Path was the second trail I wanted to remap today, so I again headed back uphill. This trail sees very little traffic, but is still easy to follow. It was a bit wet in places as you can tell water flows down it in the spring. Once to the top of the Old Ski Path, I made my way quickly down the White Dot Trail through the increasing crowds to the Park Headquarters.

Summit view west

Summit view south

At the Park Headquarters I took a little break and enjoyed the "Meet the Mountain" program Antioch college was doing today. The best part for me was being able to see a Horned Owl and Red Tailed Hawk up close and listen to their handlers talk about them. I enjoyed seeing the animals, but still had plans for the afternoon and needed to keep hiking. I made my way around the reservoir to the Parker Trail so that I could make my way back to the trail head I actually started at.

Great Horned Owl

Red Tailed Hawk

The Parker Trail is the third and last trail I wanted to remap today. It's an easy trail to follow and is never that steep. It crosses a few brooks and is wet in a couple spots, but it also goes by two large glacial erratics as well. The trail had two blow downs that were easy to get over, but the trail adopter was doing a guided hike out here today, so they should now know about them as well. The hike back to the Old Toll Road went well, except for the large items of trash that I picked up along the way. I'll never understand why someone can pick up trash and put it somewhere easier to see, but can't just carry it out themselves. Once back to the Old Toll Road, I walked down it briefly before cutting just into the woods to get back on the Old Halfway House Trail so that I could also grab a glove that was hanging on a tree that I didn't grab while hiking up the mountain. Then it was a quick walk back to the car.

Glacial erratic next to the Parker Trail

Route for the day

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE