Yearly Archives: 2018

74 posts

Trip Report: Pack Monadnock

A local quickie on a beautiful day! 19 December, 2018 It was beautiful out, so a hike was in order. I’m still getting used to shooting photos and video with the GoPro, so it was good on at least two levels. Oh, and the views behaved from the fire tower, so there’s a third level — Washington was visible, as were other prominent peaks in the Whites, and with careful […]

Trip Report: Mt Israel

Wow, what a winter wonderland! Israel Mountain, Sandwich, NH. 2018-12-12 (Wednesday) Via Wentworth Trail. 22 dF. Sunny. Light wind, approx 5-10 MPH. 41.5 avg % RH, 7.3 dF avg dew point. 27.92 mm Hg. Trailhead: 1200; Summit: 1345; back at car: 1500. It was a great day to be outside. The weather felt a little warmer than the other day. I’m speculating it’s because the air felt less raw. Either […]

Trip Report: Stinson Mountain

Short and sweet, but wow, what a view! Stinson Mountain, Rumney, NH. 2018-12-10 (Monday) Via Stinson Mountain Trail, including the snow machine loop. 25 dF at the trailhead, 18 dF at the summit. Mostly sunny. Light wind, approx 5-10 MPH. 55% RH, 4 dF dew point. 26.68 mm Hg. Trailhead: 1115; Summit: 1230; back at car: 1330. In terms of efficiency, I have no rational defense: I drove much more […]

Trip Report: Belknap

Piper Mountain, Belknap Mountain, Gunstock Mountain, Guilford, NH. 2018-12-06 (Thursday) Piper Mountain, 2044 ft; Belknap Mountain, 2382 ft; Gunstock Mountain, 2250 ft. See map and details at http://belknaprangetrails.org. Approx 4 miles, 3 1/2 hours.  35 dF. Partly sunny and breezy.  Short form is that these very low mountains (by anyone’s standards) are a true gem. That they’re parked in the Lakes Region (itself a gem) only adds to them. When you […]

Trip Report: Mt Monadnock

Variety is the spice of life! Mt Monadnock, 3,165 ft. Monadnock State Park, Jaffrey, NH. 2018-11-15. Via White Dot, Cascade Link, Spellman, Pumpelly, and White Cross trails. Approx. 5 miles, 3 1/2 hours.  Cloudy, 25 degrees F, approx 10 MPH winds at summit. Approximately 25 mile visibility. Ice in many places, micro spikes a necessity.  It’s always good to do the familiar in a different way. One of my faves is to […]

Trip Report: Jennings Peak

What a view!  Jennings Peak, Waterville Valley NH. 2018-11-08. (Thursday) Jennings Peak, 3,440 feet. Via Sandwich Mountain Trail, Drake’s Brook Trail.. Approx 5.5 miles, 4 1/4 hours.  40-45 dF. Sunny, then Overcast. Negligible wind.  This one goes head to head with Welch Dickey. The only reason the other will win is because W-D is lower, and hence, more accessible. Fair enough. But this one isn’t that tough. Only a modestly […]

Trip Report: Mt Major

Happy Halloween Hiking!  Mt Major, Alton, NH. Halloween, 2018-10-31. (Wednesday) Via Brook Trail, Mt Major Trail.. Approx 3.7 miles, 2 hours.  42 dF. Overcast. Negligible wind.  For the money, you can’t do a lot better than this. While I hesitate to “choose favorite children” so to speak, this one’s a good one. Short, sweet, and fine views of Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains beyond. Hit the trail sometime in mid-afternoon […]

Trip report: Welch-Dickey

Legendary views from legendary ledges! Welch Mountain, 2,605 ft; Dickey Mountain, 2,734 feet. Thornton/Waterville Valley, NH. 2018-10-25. Via Welch-Dickey Loop Trail. Approx. 4.4 miles.  29 degrees, light breeze. Cloudy with a descending ceiling. Occasional light glaze of ice on the trail. It’s a classic. An easy loop that’s admired by so many. And when you’re in the thick of it, you know why. There’s nothing hard about this 4 mile […]

Trip Report: Mt Cardigan, Firescrew Mountain

Two with a view! Mt Cardigan, 3,155 ft; Firescrew Mountain, 3,040 feet. Cardigan State Park, Alexandria, NH. 2018-10-18. Via Manning Trail, Mowglis Trail, Clark Trail, Cathedral Forest (Holt-Clark Cutoff) Trail, Holt Trail. Approx. 5 miles.  Trailhead: 1400. Firescrew Summit: 1540. Cardigan Summit: 1600. Car: 1745.  Sunny, approx 20 MPH winds at summit, with moderate clouds. Essentially limitless visibility. A light dusting of snow, and in the shady bits, some light […]

Trip Report: Mt Liberty, and Mt Flume

A perfect day for two! Mt Liberty and Mt Flume, Lincoln, NH. 2018-10-10. (Wednesday) Via Whitehouse Trail, Liberty Springs Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail. Approx 8.7 miles. 60 dF +/- at the trailhead, 70 at the summit. Clouds giving way to partial sunshine. Wind at summit was 2-4 knots. Just enough to keep the humidity in abeyance. Trailhead: 0900; Liberty Summit: 1145; Flume Summit: 1300; Liberty Summit redux: 1400;  back at […]