Mt. Cube (2,909 ft) 6-15-25

Distance: 7.94 mi.
Elevation: 1,603 ft (overall) 2,408 ft (total)
Time: (with a 5 and 11 year old setting the pace) 0:57 (Ledges) 3:39 (Summit) 5:24 (Shelter) 6:54 (Total)
Trails: Quinttown Road, Kodak Trail, Hexacuba Shelter Spur Path

This hike was a family hike with my wife and daughters so that we could all work on our 52 with a view list and I could add in some redlining as well. We parked at the gate on Quinttown Road, and then walked passed it up the road until the Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses it. At this intersection, the trail to the left up Mt. Cube is the Kodak Trail, and it leads all the way up to the summit. To the right, you would be able to go up the J Trail to Smarts Mountain.

Easy walking past the gate before the Kodak Trail (AT)

Start of the Kodak Trail from the road

Being part of the AT, the trail is very easy to follow, and starts off without much difficulty. There are a couple sections though as you climb to the Eastman Ledges where there are a number of rocks or roots to hike over than can make footing tricky. It took us a little under an hour to reach the ledges, which provide a nice view over to Smarts Mountain and out over the valley. If you wanted a short, but rewarding hike, this would be a good destination on its own.

View from Eastman Ledges

After passing the ledges, the trail continues uphill and works it way by some interesting rocky cliffs before coming to a height of land shortly after them. The trail then goes back downhill for a little bit without losing too much elevation. At the low point of this section, there is what was the biggest brook crossing of the route. But thanks to some well placed rocks, this small brook is easy to get over without getting your feet wet. The only other noteable brook of the day comes just after the Hexacuba Shelter Spur Path, which is even smaller, just not on as flat of a section of the mountain.

Biggest brook crossing of the day

Climbing up away from the brook, the trail stays at a good pace without any steep or overly difficult sections. After a little while, the trail starts to follow around the contour of the mountain more than going straight up it, making for a nice sidehill section. Through here you will start to see more random rocks in the trees next to the trail before the trail makes a right hand turn and heads up over a number of these rocks to avoid a steep section of the mountain on your left. After this climb, the trail is a mix of gentle sections with some short climbs in between. As you get closer to the summit, the trail opens up a little more and crosses over more exposed rock and not just dirt. The summit of the mountain has a nice open area with lots of places for people to spread out and rest. It is also right where the Cross Rivendell Trail meets up with the AT at a signed junction that will let you know you are there before you pass over it on the gentle section of trail.

The trail opening up before the summit

Nice open area at the summit

View to the south (including Smarts Mountain)

View to the west

My wife and daughters at the summit

For the descent back down the mountain, my youngest daughter took the lead with me while my oldest daughter hung back with my wife. After a nice rest and lunch, the good footing of the trail meant she was able to set a good pace and I actually had to slow her down a few times so we could all stay together.

My youngest leading the way on the descent

Muddy section of trail

Coming down a rocky section

On our way down we planned to stop and make our way up the spur path to the Hexacuba Shelter so that the kids could see what a shelter along the AT looks like, and also see one that is a six sided shape instead of just the traditional square/rectangle. This spur path would also count towards my redlining, so I didn't want to miss the chance to knock if off while in the area. The girls were moving a little slow climbing up the trail to the shelter after coming downhill for a while, but we made it pretty quickly and they enjoyed being able to check out the shelter and talk to the one thru hiker that was already there for the evening.

Hexacuba Shelter

The rest of the hike back down went very smoothly. After making our way back to Quinttown Road, we took our time hiking the rest of the way back to the vehicle so that we could check out all of the lupine that were growing on the side of the road. The girls loved trying to find the prettiest flowers and see all of the different colors and patterns that were on them. This made for a nice wind down from the hike as we got back to the vehicle and changed into more comfortable footwear/clothes for the drive back home.

Lupine back along Quintown Road

Google Earth representation of the hike

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

---

Hedgehog Mountain (2,543 ft) 6-1-24

Distance: 5.82 mi.
Elevation: 1,230 ft (overall) 1,669 ft (total)
Time: (with a 5 and 10 year old setting the pace) 2:23 (Ledges) 3:19 (Summit) 5:02 (Total)
Trails: UNH Trail

For a family hike with my wife and both daughters, we picked Hedgehog Mountain accessed from the Kancamagus Highway. This would be a new peak for all of us and with that, some new trails for me to add for redlining. This hike uses just one trail, the UNH Trail, which splits and forms a loop. My plan was to do this loop clockwise so that we could hit the ledges before we got to the summit.

This hike starts off from the Downes Brook Trailhead with the UNH Trail going off to the left almost immediately. It follows what appears to be on old railroad grade which makes for easy walking to start getting yourself warmed up. After about 0.2 miles, the hiking trail breaks off to the right. It starts to gain more elevation now, but it is still pretty easy hiking. After about 0.5 miles of this, you get to the split in the trail and can choose which direction you will go.

The split in the trail with signs giving directions

As planned, we took a left at the split. The trail losses a little bit of elevation in this direction before starting to gain elevation again. This side of the loop starts with good footing on the trail which then goes away some for parts of it as it gets more rocky or has more roots in the trail. All in all though, it stays pretty good for a trail in the White Mountains though.

Gaining elevation while surrounded by green

A short root filled section of trail

While on our way up the trail getting closer to the ledges, there was a small viewpoint on the left of the trail that made for a nice shaded area to have a rest and a snack to keep everyone's energy up. After our break, we got moving again and were soon at the start of the exposed ledges that this hike is known for. We took another much longer break here after finding some nice rocks to sit on in the shade. Everyone, especially the kids, thought the view here was great. The open ledges do provide a nice view, and it is nice after the close up view of Mt. Passaconaway from a side other than the south that most hikers see if from.

Mt. Passaconaway from the ledges

View east from the ledges

After this longer break, we got moving again and followed the trail along the sections of open ledges. As noted in the guide book, care should be taken through here to make sure you are staying on the trail. While in the open, the trail makes a left turn without much for markings on the ground. If you aren't looking for the markings that start going to your left, you are likely to go straight like my wife and daughters did in this area. The open area through the small trees does make it appear that the trail goes straight, but very quickly you come to a spot where the trail just seems to have stopped. We went back just a bit, and after looking for more yellow blazes, were able to see where the trail actually turns left and heads back into the trees.

In the area where the trail makes a left without much indication

Leaving the ledges, the trail drops down in elevation a little before maintaining a consist elevation for a while. As the trail loops around to the right more after going mostly straight, it starts to gain elevation quickly. This is probably the steepest section of trail for the day. This steeper climb leads you up to the summit though and once it levels out some, you are near the high point for the hike. As we went up the trail and crossed over small ups and downs, we tried to determine which spot was the highest. Based on the description from the trail guide, we decided a small opening to the left of the trail was the high point. We took a nice long break here to have lunch and rest our bodies some.

An interesting rock face next to the trail

View from the summit

View from the summit

Family photo

The hike down was a pleasant one with my daughters playing a game of seeing how many trees they could find that had a painted blaze on both sides of them. There weren't any overly difficult sections of trail to slow us down. There were some partial views through and over the trees after leaving the summit, and the short side trip up the path to Allen's Ledge was worth the effort. This was the best view of the descent and it wasn't too hard to climb up to.

A bit of a view shortly after leaving the summit

View from Allen's Ledge

After Allen's Ledge, the remainder of the hike out went very smoothly with everyone's mood staying good while we had a easily walk back to the car. After the trail joins back up to itself, we knew exactly what to expect and were able to keep moving at a good speed until we got back to the car where a big jug of ice water was waiting for all of us.

Google Earth representation of the hike

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

---

Mt. Morgan (2,213 ft) & Mt. Percival (2,200 ft) 10-15-23

Distance: 6.8 mi.
Elevation: 1,353 ft (overall) 1,960 ft (total)
Time: (with an 5 and 9 year old setting the pace) 3:31 (Ladders) 4:06 (Mt. Morgan) 4:55 (Mt. Percival) 5:40 (Bottom of the caves) 7:31 (Total)
Trails: Mt. Percival Trail, Morse Trail, Mt. Morgan Trail, Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, Mt. Percival Trail

The plan for today's family hike would be a clockwise loop of Mt. Morgan and Mt. Percival. We would go up the ladders and down through the caves as both of our daughters wanted to explore both of these sections when I let them pick which hike we would be doing today. To start the hike we drove past the parking lot for the Mt. Morgan Trail since it looked pretty full and instead parked at the lot for the Mt. Percival Trail which had only a couple cars in it today. My plan was to use the Morse Trail to connect the two sides of the hikeno matter which parking lot we started at, so we just picked the easier one to park in.

We made our way out from the parking lot using the wide flat trail until we hit the junctions with the Morse Trail. This trail was easy to follow and didn't gain or lose any real elevation. Once we hit the Mt. Morgan Trail, I quickly hiked to the parking lot and back just to cover the entire trail for redlining purposes while everyone else had a snack. This was very quick as you can almost see the end from the Morse Trail. We then headed up the Mt. Morgan Trail which starts off pretty wide and gentle. You gradually gain elevation which short climbs mixed in with flatter sections as well. The closer you get to the top of the trail and the Crawford-Ridgepole trail, the steeper it will get though.

The girls where the trail crosses a stone wall

A steeper section of the Mt. Morgan Trail

Once onto the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, it is a nice hike with more sections of uphill and brief flats until you reach the junction where the trail splits to reach the summit. To the right is the easier route, and to the left is the harder route which will have you climb up some ladders, through a small cave/tunnel, then up some exposed rocks to the cliffs with great views just before the actual summit. With my daughters both wanting to climb the ladders, we went left. The ladders shouldn't be too hard for any adult unless you have issues with heights or steep drops. The actual manuevering on the ladders was only tricky for our daughters as they have shorter legs. There is one spot where you have to climb up and to the right to get onto the next ladder and their legs were just a bit short for that so I helped both of them in this spot.

The girls getting to the base of the ladders

Me helping the girls up the ladders

At the top of the ladders that trail goes through a short cave/tunnel and then pops out into an open area of rock. The trail does almost a 360 degree turn as you come out from the tunnel where you turn left and climb across a rock that helps make the tunnel under you. From here the trail follows up the exposed rocky area with some trees until you reach the opening at the top where you have great views out over the lake. We stayed here to rest and eat some lunch while we enjoyed the views. Just after you leave this spot, a short side path leads to the actual high spot of the mountain.

Where the cave at the top of the ladders emerges

Lunch with a view on Mt. Morgan cliffs

Liliana and Madison on the summit of Mt. Morgan

After leaving the summit of Mt. Morgan, the 0.8 mile hike over to Mt. Percival was pretty gentle and easy going with nice footing. There are some ups and downs between the peaks, but nothing too big. There is one final push up a steeper rocky section of trail just before the summit of Mt. Percival. My youngest daughter was starting to not have fun when we came to this section, but the reward of more views and another summit just beyond it cheered her back up.

View from Mt. Percival

All three girls at the summit

Once we were done resting and taking pictures at the summit, we headed down the trail to the right of the main view so that we could go down through the caves. We were all looking forward to seeing what they would be like. The trail is steep from the start and begins with a couple sections that are just a bit narrow or awkward to climb down without hitting your pack on rocks around you. Then you climb over some large rocks with gaps between them, so you need to keep watching your footing. Next you climb into the first part of the caves after climbing over a deep gap in the rocks. The trail then goes through a small opening in the cave leading into a lower large opening in the caves. I took my pack off to go through this opening, but I think both of our daughters were able to fit through fine with their packs on. After passing through the opening in the caves, you come out through a small hole in the rocks and back out into a completely open area again. This whole section went slow, but I was also going first myself so that I could see where the trail went and then find a good place to stand so that I could help out our daughters and my wife as needed over/down/around the obstacles. Once we were through, everyone agreed it was fun to come through the caves.

Melissa working her way through the caves

Madison emerging from the caves

Just after the caves is where the trail joins back up with the option that goes around the caves. We turned and headed down the trail which descended pretty well before getting more gradual. The trail was a mixture of smooth sections and rocks with the rocks winning out more of the time. There was also a spot where the trail crossed over a small boulder field of decent sized rocks where our oldest daughter had fun climbing from rock to rock to make her way across.

The girls traversing a boulder filled section of trail

As the trail gets lower, it becomes smoother and less steep. This would normall make for a nice section to cruise right along at, but our youngest daughter was getting a bit tired (she didn't drink enough during the day) and she kept tripping over small roots and rocks so we took a more leisurely pace through here. Eventually we made it back to the end of the trail and our waiting vehicle so that we could take off our hiking shoes and boots and get into something more comfortable while we went and got something to eat.

All in all this hike went pretty well and everyone enjoyed the ladders, the caves, and of course the views. This made for a nice family hike and others could certainly do the same. I would be more than happy to go back and do it again, and if I did, I would probably go the same direction unless I was going to go around the ladders as I think it would be easier going up the ladders than it would be coming down them. I think the caves could be done about the same in either direction though.

Madison taking a break at a brook crossing

Google Earth representation of the hike

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

---

Black Mountain (2,830 ft) 5-27-23

Distance: 5.2 mi.
Elevation: 1,258 ft (overall) 1,347 ft (total)
Time: (with a 4 and 9 year old setting the pace) 1:53 (Summit) 3:41 (Total)
Trails: Black Mountain Trail

Our daughters wanted to do a family with all of us together so I went to the NH 52 With a View List and picked a peak none of us had done. This list is full of peaks below 4K feet and they have have views from the top (as the name implies). With our youngest daughter being 4 years old, I needed to pick a peak small enough that she would be able to hike it. Black Mountain looked like it would be short enough and have a gradual enough incline that she would be just fine. This was the case and it turned out to be a great hike that hikers of all ages and abilities should be able to do.

The hike starts off at a small parking lot by following a woods road. After a little bit of hiking you will come to a fork in the road where you will want to go to the left. There is a sign with an arrow it that helps to let you know which way to go. After a little bit more hiking, the road will be blocked with large rocks to keep any on/off road vehicles from going any further. The path gets just a little bit steeper here, but still is quite gentle by White Mountain standards. At the end of this last bit of woods road is a very small brook crossing (step over really) and an opening in the trees. The trail bears to the left in this opening and enters back into the woods becoming more like an actual hiking trail than a road.

Take a left at the fork in the roads

The nice wide trail after the clearing

Now that the trail is off the road it gets a bit narrower, more rocky, and a bit steeper. It still stays pretty gentle with good footing. As it gets closer to the summit, the trail does get as narrow as most trails in the whites and has a brief steeper section. I was ahead with my 9 year old while my wife was just behind with our 4 year old. My 9 year old wanted to race up ahead and try to get to the summit by a certain time for a game she was playing by herself. Both of our daughters were able to handle this section quite well as I would expect most hikers could.

Painted Trillium along the trail

This mountain has two trails that lead up to the summit and they both meet at an intersection within about 100 feet of the summit. At this intersection we turned left and went straight up through the trees. There is a direct path to the top or a more gradual path further to the left. As soon as you pop up onto the summit, you are presented with the nice view to the east which includes Mt. Moosilauke. There are some areas around the summit to explore as well. If you go to the left over the open rocks you get to another more limitied view that looks over towards the Cannon Mountain and Franconia Notch area. A small path leads to the right as well that heads over to a nice open area that gives even more views including to the west and south.

View of Mt. Moosilauke from the summit

View point on the southern side of the summit

Family photo from the more limited view point on the north side of the summit

The view towards Franconia Notch

After ample time at the summit to soak up the sun, rest, and have some tasty snacks we explored all the open areas around the summit to check out the views. By checking out all of the areas we were able to gets lots of views in almost every direction. Views to the south and east were best, but there are some good views west too withe limitied views to the north. The girls loved exploring the area and running around on the exposed rocks. Once we had explored everything, the kids took the lead in our hike back down to our car. The trail was easy to follow so they had no issues being in the lead and setting the pace.

The girls leading the way down the mountain

As you get further down the trail it gets smoother, wider, and more flat. It is pretty easy to follow and if you came up this way, you should have no problem making it back down the same way. I picked this trail for climbing the mountain based mostly on how well I thought my daughters would be able to do on it. Our youngest has only done one other hike on the 52 With a View list and I didn't want to pick anything too big or difficult for her. Both routes looked good for this peak, but I choose to come up from this side in large part because it was slightly longer and it would give me just a bit more distance for redlining this year which is something I am planing to focus on more this year with my hikes. While I think the old kilns near the other trail for this peak would be fun to check out, I wasn't sure everyone would have the focus needed today to do the hike and explore other things. I wanted to make sure the hike went well so I choose not to have the distraction of the kilns. Eventually I will need to hike that trail for redlinging as well, and we could go check them out at that time. Doing the hike this way ended up working out very well with everyone doing fine and having a good time.

The brook crossing starting back onto woods roads

Star Flower along the trail

Google Earth representation of the hike

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE