Fumbling Around In The Woods: December 2025

Hike #1

Date: 6-2-25
Distance: 4.36 mi.
Elevation: 1,920 ft (total)
Trails: Marlboro Trail
For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

I haven't hiked Mt. Monadnock for a couple years now, so I took advantage of an evening with nothing going on after work to go and grab a quick hike of it to try and keep myself in hiking shape for later this year. I haven't been up the Marlboro Trail in quite some time (for me at least), so I did this trail as a quicker out and back hike up to the summit. The weather was nice and the hike was enjoyable, I just tried to keep moving more than normal and not rest as much to get some better exercise out of the hike.

Pink Ladyslipper near the trail

Steep rocky section of trail

View from an open section of trail

The Rock House at the junction with the Marian Trail

View northwest from the summit

View north from the summit

View north from the trail

Sunset coming on the descent

Hike #2

Date: 6-11-25
Distance: 5.19 mi.
Elevation: 1,936 ft (total)
Trails: Old Halfway House Trail, Monte Rosa, Smith Summit Trail, White Arrow Trail, Sidefoot Trail, Old Toll Road
For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

I had some extra time after work while the rest of the family was busy, so I took a hike up so that I could get some exercise and try to be in better shape for other hikes planned later in the year. It was a bit warm this day, but the summit breeze felt nice. Unfortunately the views were more limited than normal due to smoke from Canadian wild fires that were currently going on. I stayed just a bit off from the main trails for the most part and avoided most of the other hikers that were out, and was also able to make it back to my truck before needing my headlamp.

Heading up the Old Halfway House Trail

View of the summit from near Monte Rosa

View northeast from the summit

Hazy view to the south from the summit

Sunset colors from the Halfway House Site

Hike #3

Date: 7-4-25
Distance: 7.62 mi.
Elevation: 2,554 ft (total)
Trails: Birchtoft Trail, Cascade Link Trail, Spellman Trail, Pumpelly Trail, White Cross Trail, Abandoned section of Smith Connector Trail, Red Spot Trail
For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

My wife works in healthcare and had to work on the holiday, so I wanted to do something with my daughters and we picked hiking Mt. Monadnock, using some of the lesser used trails to add to the adventure. It was my oldest daughter's second time up the mountain, and my youngest daughter's first time. The weather was great, just a bit windy above treeline. They enjoyed the adventure of going up the Spellman Trail, and on the way down we helped get a hiker that had gotten off trail back onto the trail and safely to her car.

My daughters on Pumpelly Ridge

Summit view to the northwest

My daughters on the summit

The view northeast over Pumpelly Ridge

View from a nice plateau on an old section of trail

Hike #4

Date: 8-22-25
Distance: 5.24 mi.
Elevation: 1,948 ft (total)
Trails: Parker Trail, Lost Farm Trail, Cliff Walk Trail, Smith Connector Trail, Amphitheatre Trail, White Arrow Trail, White Cross Trail
For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

This hike was mainly to get out and get some exercise on an evening after work. I used some side trails that I haven't been on in a while to get to the summit to keep working on personal project of remapping trails and gathering information. I didn't stay at the summit for sunset as it didn't look like it would be anything out of the ordinary, and I wanted to get further down the mountain before needing my headlamp. I came down a direct route from the summit.

Rocky section of the Lost Farm Trail

Kiasticuticus Peak rock on Bald Rock

Billings Fold

The summit casting a shadow as the sun sets

Rock spire near the summit

Sunset colors on the descent

Hike #5

Date: 11-8-25
Distance: 9.30 mi.
Elevation: 2,691 ft (total)
Trails: Pond Loop Trail, Birchtoft Trail, Hinkley Trail, Harling Trail, Cascade Link Trail, Red Spot Trail, Pumpelly Trail
For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

This hike was so that I could hit some trails I hadn't done in a while we remapping a few more trails for some personal projects. This route was meant to be longer than it needed to be so that I could get as many trails as I wanted, plus get some good exercise in using a longer hike on a small mountain. It was cloudy to start, but it cleared off nicely by the time I got to the summit.