Mendon Peak (3,840 ft) & Killington Peak (4,235 ft) 5-26-18

Distance: 11.23 mi.
Elevation: 2,362 ft (overall) 3,192 ft (total)
Time: 2:51 (Mendon Peak) 5:07 (Killington Peak) 6:57 (Total)
Trails: Woods Roads, Bushwhack, Long Trail, Killington Spur, Buckling Trail

• The route for Mendon Peak starts out by using the gated road next to the Bucklin trail head. As it leads to the camp that is a short distance up the road, it could easily be driven by most vehicles.
• Past the camp, the road gets a bit rougher, but is still wide and easy to follow. A little further past the camp the road leads into a small clearing. From here recent vehicle tracks headed right, but you'll want to continue straight. The roads narrows up here and you'd be lucky to get much more than a tractor or ATV down it.
• Soon after this, you'll come to a fork in the trail. Currently straight ahead is partially blocked by broken tree top or branch. There is also a rock in the middle of it. Thinking the fork to the left looked like it would be the route I wanted, I started up it. But just a few feet up it you'll see the it turns left and heads away from the brook. I went through the trees to the other path.
• This route leads to the brook and the first crossing where the road on the other side is a bit obscured by bushes. I was able to easily cross here on mostly exposed rocks before going around the bushes and trees to the right. On the other side of the bushes there is a yellow sign letting skiers (and hikers) know to cross here to get the Wheelerville Road.
• The path now heads left and follows nearby the brook on the southern side of it. Today the path was muddy in spots. It was easy to walk along the side or the mud wasn't deep enough to really come up your boot very far.
• Further up the path you are one will fork. To the right the woods road will head uphill. To your left is the path you want to take to get down to the brook so you can cross it. If you start down to the brook, you can make out a path from past hikers. You cross the brook right in this area to a well define woods road on the other side. I crossed upstream about 50 or so feet above where the road actually crosses on some good rocks there. Looking back I could see another yellow sign for skiers on a tree down stream where the road does cross.
• The well defined road follows the north side of the brook until an obvious crossing further up. The brook is narrow here and there were good rocks to cross on. There is a sign on the other side of the brook reminding skiers to ski through the trees, and that cutting or pruning them is a bad idea.
• The path climbs steeply at first through a stand of softwoods. Eventually leading to the last brook crossing. At this crossing there was actually a cairn on the other side of the brook. This is NOT the first cairn that other trip reports mention during the switchbacks.
• The switchbacks now start and were easy to follow. There wasn't much debris on them which was nice, other than one blowdown completely blocking the path just before the second cairn. I was able to go around to the right pretty easily though.
• At the second cairn there appears to be a bit of a herd path from hikers venturing off the road here. I continued to the third cairn though, which isn't very big and is the easiest to miss. If you make it to the skier rescue sled, you have gone just a bit too far.
• I started out heading on a herd path that started about 20 feet past the third cairn. It was faint in places, but I was able to follow something of a herd path all the way to the summit. There is some flagging in the area. It appears to be from two different people as some is pink and some is orange. The colors seem to follow different routes and the herd paths might be more or less obvious depending on the route.
• The herd path becomes more obvious as it starts to climb more steeply and you get to the small subpeaks just before the summit. The second subpeak has a path that heads to the left to a rocky outcropping that provides some nice views to the south.
• After making it to the peak, taking a few pictures, and signing the summit register I headed back to this view point. It was nice watching 6 turkey vultures soaring around just to the side of me and sometimes coming by quite close.
• On the way back to the third cairn I thought it would be pretty easy to stay on the same route I took to the summit. But as I got further into the route, I was actually on another herd path that wasn't as well defined. I hadn't even noticed there was a split. This happened one more time, but routes were still close to each other and the woods were open enough you could try going between the two paths.
• Back on the woods road I headed off to Killington Peak. Pretty quickly there is a fork in the road where there is was looks like old metal runner from something used to pull logs or something else off the mountain. I took a right here as I believed the left to be the route that leads to a wet bog like area others mention in trip reports.
• The route to the right ended up being correct and easily lead me around the valley towards Killington. There were a couple very small brooks to cross through here and a few blow downs. All in all this section went quicker and easier than I thought since it stays pretty flat for a long time.
• The woods road starts to go away and becomes a herd path for a bit. The path then turns to the right and heads mostly straight up the mountain. It was still pretty easy to follow and eventually heads through some thick spruce you will have to push though. After that it opens up again and the path goes left and right some as it comes up to the Long Trail.
• From here it is a short mostly flat trail walk to Copper Lodge and the steep spur trail up to Killington's summit. I spent a fair amount of time on the summit as it was pretty nice up there (other than being hazy) and it was the first place the bugs weren't bothering me all day long thanks to the nice breeze.
• After coming down from the summit I quickly stopped at Copper Lodge again before then heading down the Long Trail to the Bucklin Trail.
• The hike down went pretty quick and just as expected. I've been on this route before and it was nice to have a clear trail to hike on.

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

The first brook crossing

Following the woods road

Third brook crossing

In the switchbacks

The third cairn

Well defined section of herd path

Summit canister and limited view

View from the rocky outcropping

Back on the woods road towards Killington

Where the herd path turns up towards the Long Trail

Mendon from Killington

Pico to the north

Cooper Lodge

Coming down the Bucklin Trail

Google Earth representation of the hike

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