Mt Piermont

The lockdown has been lifted on hiking peaks on the summits with patches managed by The Grid, so I was excited to get back to working on these lists. I was looking at my spreadsheets to see if any were cross referenced on multiple lists and Mt Piermont caught my attention. It is on the NH Fire Tower list and is the high point for the town of Piermont. I couldn't find a lot of information or previous trip reports, so I felt it would be a fairly safe bet on being a quieter hike. The hike itself sounded reasonable, with 2 exceptions that had me feeling a little anxious (I knew I could do it, just a little anxious on the process).. the first was that the majority of gain in elevation was in the final 0.4 miles or so including 1 rock slab in particular, that although short, was a doozy.. the second was a video I had seen from Chuck & Cheryl (WeRMudFun on YouTube), which showed several snakes sunning themselves in the branches of pine trees on the summit. Now, Chuck & Cheryl's video was from 6 years ago.. but I was terrified at the prospect of encountering something similar (I am not a fan of snakes).  When I was about half an hour out from the trailhead it started to rain.. I couldn't believe it, as that had not been in any forecasts I had seen. I was also a bit worried about that doozy rock slab along the hike and how the rain might affect that. I wasn't so much worried about going up, it was the coming back down that had me concerned. I arrived at Camp Walt Whitman in Piermont. Parking for hikers is outside their entrance gate, I was the only car. Camp is still closed for the season, otherwise they ask that you sign in at the office. To reach the trailhead you must walk through the camp, which seemed very eerie at 7:30am on a Sunday with not a soul around. It looks like a really nice camp though, I bet it's a fun place to spend some time in the Summer for kids. Walk past the lake on the access road right through the camp, and the trailhead is around the bend on the left, among the dorm cabins. If you reach the tennis courts, you've gone too far. There is a nice new looking sign, so it wasn't hard to miss. The trail really is moderate for the first mile or so, several small water crossings which were easy to cross today. There were a few significant muddy patches, but some log bridges help avoid most of it without getting too dirty. I had read some parts of the trail can be flooded, but I didn't encounter any of that. I enjoyed a beautiful breeze which kept the bugs away and the temperatures pleasant. I could see the sun coming out as I progressed, which I prayed was also burning off the low cloud cover and keeping the rainy mist away. Right on cue, around 0.45 miles from the summit, the real climb began. The trail was quite damp with a lot of leaf cover, but I think that actually helped create some traction. I made my way up and reached the bottom of the infamous rock slab. Thankfully there are just enough roots and trees to use for balance, I was able to ascend without any incidents. I couldn't imagine it would have been possible (for me) without those natural aids. Once at the top I looked back down and my anxiety returned, but I pushed that aside and continued the final 0.15 miles to the summit. This was a roller coaster of small ups and downs over large boulders and through a pretty thick conifer forest. It was pretty though and before I knew it, the summit was in front of me. I was greeted with the complete opposite of what I had started the hike with. It was perfectly clear and just gorgeous. Views over to Mt Moosilauke and beyond. Also, I exhaled as I hesitantly looked around briefly and didn't see any sunbathing snakes anywhere! I just stood and enjoyed the beauty in front of me, not in a hurry to leave. I thought I had seen pictures of a benchmark up there, but I couldn't find one anywhere, just 3 memorial plaques installed into the summit slab. I had a quick snack and headed on back down. Surprisingly I think I got down the slab easier than I got up it! I passed a family on their way up and another as I was walking back through the camp to my car. Overall, a really great hike with massive bang for your buck.

Strava Activity

Rainbow along the highway as I was driving to the trailhead

The gate at Camp Walt Whitman that you must park outside of

The infamous rock slab from the bottom

At the top of the rock slab

Lake Armington at Camp Walt Whitman

Saddleback Mountain

Today I took myself out of my comfort zone. I have hiked the trails at Northwood Meadows what feels like hundreds of times and have traversed the Saddleback Loop quite a few of those journeys. I have since learned the true summit of Saddleback is actually off trail. Thus it has been on my radar ever since. One time I attempted to find the true summit, headed off trail a little ways, thought I was close, but then chickened out fearing getting lost and quickly hopped back on the trail. (Turns out after reviewing my Strava activity, I wasn't close at all). I have walked up Saddleback Mountain Road on the opposite side of the peak, reaching the radio towers and seriously thought about trying to make the bushwhack over to the true summit, but again chickened out. I had read a number of previous trip reports which described the bushwhack as approximately 0.5 miles from the radio towers. That doesn't sound like much, but when hiking (at least to me) it can feel like forever. Without a trail it sounded like 100 miles in my head. Fast forward 5 years and I've loosely started working on a new list of summits to hike. New Hampshire town high points. Saddleback Mountain is the high point for Northwood. I just hiked 2 days ago, so I didn't want to go too far. The trailed mountains locally to me, I've done too many times before and are way overcrowded right now during quarantine. Saddleback Mountain resurfaced in my mind and I became locked in on actually getting this one done. I looked for every report I could find of previous hikers reaching the summit and downloaded some .gpx trails to try and loosely follow. I set out and parked at the end of Old Mountain Road. This was a new way of entering Northwood Meadows for me, so I was a bit apprehensive from the start. Headed off down the snowmobile trail and quickly encountered the intersection with the Saddleback Mountain loop. I hadn't planned on going that far, but as it turns out, I'm glad I did. I was nervous and heading up somewhere familiar was a good way to calm my anxiety a little. I kept checking the .gpx tracks of the downloaded reports and eventually I just said to myself "now or never"..  I stepped off trail, took a deep breath and went for it. I figured out which direction I needed to head in and pretty much tried to keep to as straight a line as possible, obviously moving around as needed to make the line up as "easy" as possible. It was very humid, there were a ton of mosquitoes, I had moments of complete calm and confidence and then I had moments of sheer terror and panic. I must have looked at my phone 1000 times, making sure I was keeping "in line" with the summit, feeling a little sense of ease seeing that I wasn't detouring too drastically from one previous hikers tracks and just kept going. I can't count the amount of times I stopped and wanted to turn back around. Thinking that the further up I went, I still would have to find my way back as well. But I was determined to do this. I finally started to feel like I was getting closer to the summit and it gave me the drive to keep pushing forward. I reached a ledge that felt summit(ish) and looked at my map to see that I wasn't quite there yet. I looked around trying to figure out where I needed to go and wandered a little. A huge cairn suddenly appeared in front of me, which gave me such a sense of civilization. I thought that was the summit. Map showed still not quite. I looked around and saw another rock ledge to climb and headed for that. Atop that was a rock structure that definitely looked like this was it. I looked at my map, and yes.. I had made it! I knew there was a little jar register somewhere to sign in, I also knew that it was apparently difficult to find as it was apparently attached to a tree that had fallen and was underneath. I sort of thought to myself, if I find it, great, if I don't.. I'm not going to spend hours looking. Right at that moment, I looked up and there it was. Laying in a wedge of branches on the ground. It caught my breath. As dramatic as that sounds. I walked over, picked up the jar, opened it and signed in. Saw a couple names I recognized from online trip reports.. and thought to myself "I'm one of them now" LOL.. I closed up the jar, put it back in its place and wondered when the next adventurer would find it and see my name signed there! I actually shed a tear or two and said out loud to no one "I did it, I really did it"! I just stood and looked around taking it all in for a moment. There are no views at the summit, so there wasn't really anything to do other than begin my descent! I tried to follow the direction I had come up, but immediately I knew I was taking a different line. I saw another little cairn (it amazed me considering this isn't a highly trafficked summit) and just headed in as straight a line as possible. I hit way more closed in spaces and steeper slopes, and was thankful that instinct had taken me up the way it did.. I knew if I had encountered these obstacles on the ascent, I would most likely have turned around and quit. On my descent, these obstacles were just annoying. I was hot and sweaty and wanted to be done.. but I had no choice than to fight on and get back to the car! At one point I was in such thick forest I just put my head down and pushed forward not even looking at where I was going to avoid branches hitting me in the face! I eventually reached the little clearing where I had first started the bushwhack, and shed another tear.. I was back! Granted all this was only just over a mile in each direction and a relatively short/small bushwhack but it was my first.. so to me it was a big deal!

Strava Activity

Looking at Saddleback Mountain from the start of my hike

The first cairn I found just below the summit

The little register jar to indicate the summit

Final cairn I saw on my descent

Skatutakee & Thumb Mountains

I've vaguely been looking at New Hampshire town high points as a new list to kind of work on while the quarantine lockdown has prevented earning credit from any of the lists maintained by the Grid. So, today found me in Hancock and heading up Skatutakee Mountain, the high point. While researching the trails to this summit, I found out the Harris Center for Conservation encompasses two mountains with a trail linking the two to create a loop, so this was my plan. The neighborhood the Harris Center is in is really pretty and I found the location easily and pulled into the parking lot. Two cars were already there, but I saw noone on my ascent, so they both must have taken the loop also and were way ahead of me. I got myself together and headed for the Harriskat Trailhead which is in front of the Harris Center. The trail crosses Kings Highway (which is actually a very lightly trafficked dirt road) and headed into the woods. I had read ahead of time that this trail is very moderate and you don't even feel like you're climbing. I'm always skeptical of descriptions like that knowing my own abilities and effort required. In this case, it was accurate. After 0.6 miles from Kings Highway you encounter the intersection with Thumbs Down trail, which would be my descent route. The trail after this point really gently meanders up the mountain, lots of twists and turns, roots and rocks, but nothing major as far as effort is required. The grade does steepen a little right before the summit, but again nothing crazy and before you know it, you're at the summit! The summit has a large cairn and a large meadow with lots of brush and rocks to take a rest. The view is OK, but is mildly obstructed by the tops of surrounding trees. My nemesis this hike was mosquitoes. They were brutal and despite dousing myself with bug juice and wearing long sleeves and pants, I am absolutely covered in bites from head to toe. I had hoped for a reprieve at the summit, alas it was not to be, so I didn't linger. I passed several parties on my descent, and was amazed at my timing yet again! Thumbs Up trail is the trail off Skatutakee towards Thumb Mountain. The trail starts off with a steep little descent then was a relaxing woods walk between the two mountains that was relatively flat. About a mile from the Skatutakee summit, you reach the intersection with Thumbs Down trail, which I'd take after a quick out and back to Thumb Mountain summit. The start of the out and back was a steep little climb before easing off and heading a little ways further to the summit. A great bench/cairn set up is at the summit. The trail continues a few hundred yards to a rock ledge clearing with another large cairn and incredible view to Mt Monadnock, the Wapack Range and back over to Skatutakee Mountain. Due to the mosquito situation, I very briefly stopped here before heading back to Thumbs Down trail which passes a pretty pond before rejoining Harriskat Trail and back to the car.

Strava Activity

Lovewell Mountain

I continue the quest to find mountains that are quiet. I didn't succeed this week. Well, I did until halfway through, and thankfully it mostly worked in my favour. This week, I headed for Lovewell Mountain, I easily located the parking at the intersection of Halfmoon Pond Road and Lovell Mountain Road. There were already a couple cars there, but I decided to go for it and geared up. This trail is a section of the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway, I've also seen it referred to as Lovewell Mountain Trail. The first 0.9 miles is a Class VI unmaintained road, which is in fine condition for walking. When you encounter a tree in the middle of the road with a yellow sign pointing left towards Lovewell Mountain, you've reached the trailhead of Lovewell Mountain Trail. The only real indication besides the yellow makeshift sign is a Lovewell State Forest sign. The trail then begins it's ascent towards Lovewell Mountain summit. The biggest issue I encountered this trek was some black fly activity on the lower half of the trail. They seem super annoying this year. It's 2020 and anything apparently goes. I was passed by a single hiker and played leapfrog with a young family on the ascent. A couple runners passed us on their descent. The actual trail is in great shape, easy to navigate, and what I would consider a moderate grade for the first half. Once you reach a large cairn where I passed the young family for the final time as they took a snack break, we were all a bit confused if that was the summit. I confirmed on my online map, that it was not and left them while I continued the final 0.5 mile to the summit. This section started as an awesome woods walk that was relatively flat and then reached the final push which was much steeper than the rest of the trail. There is a spring water spur off the left about half way up this climb for the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway thru-hikers (well anyone actually, if you really needed it). Another spur, this time to the right takes you to a viewpoint. I skipped that on my ascent just wanting to reach the top, which I did in another 0.1 miles or so. The top has another large cairn, a benchmark and decent sized prominence with lots of little nooks and crannies to take a break if need be. I could see a view through the trees and found a herd path over to take it in. It was beautiful! Back at the summit, I noticed beyond the cairn is an actual summit sign nailed to a tree, with a register to sign in. As I was signing the logbook another hiker made his summit and I left him to enjoy and began my descent. This is where my timing was good, I passed at least 8-9 groups and was thankful to be going in the opposite direction. This time I took the view point spur, but didn't linger as the younger family was there and I could see the view wasn't that much different than I had just seen from the summit herd path. When I made it back to the car, the road was lined with lots of vehicles. So much for my quiet little hike! Thankfully I did time it just right and enjoyed a great day on the trails.

Strava Activity

Crotched Mountain

Bluebird day called for some time in nature. Had I known how bad the black flies would be, I may have packed differently. Alas, a wonderful day in the mountains was had. I parked in the parking area at the base of Gregg's Trail and took the access road up to the Knoll. Headed past and through the scrub towards Shannon's Trail. I was amazed at how pleasantly flat this trail was for the first mile. Even the ascent was moderate, I had a pleasant breeze off and on and stopped several times to enjoy the views on the ledgey portion of the ascent. I reached the picnic table at the ledges just below the true summit and stopped for a brief break. Knowing the trail didn't cross the true summit, I found the herd path (if you're standing at the picnic table looking at the view, this herd path is directly to your right) and easily followed this to the footings for the former fire tower and the currently standing cell tower. Someone has built some cairns for when crossing the rock slabs making it easy to find your way. I wasn't sure where the true summit actually was, but explored around and made sure I hit each rocky outcrop that appeared to be the highest, hoping one of these was it. I've since seen a picture of a benchmark that I didn't see at all, so I'm not sure where that is, but according to my GPS watch I hit the correct elevation, so I'll call it a successful summit. I did get a bit turned around heading off the summit and back to the trail, but after a couple moments found the cairns and the herd path back to the picnic table. I made a last minute decision to do a loop and instead of returning the way I came up, took the Upper Link Trail off the ledge. It was moderately up and down for 0.5 miles with some standing water and wet rock that was mostly avoidable with care. I reached the intersection of the Summit East and West trails and headed down the West trail. I had no idea how steep this was going to be so took my time navigating the rocks and roots and made it safely down. Lots of lovely views through the trees on the way. The trails are well marked and easy to follow. I reached an intersection with Old Mountain Rd and was a bit confused if this was the Lower Link trail I had been looking for. Luckily a passing family was able to confirm for me I needed to go a few hundred more feet for that intersection. I reached the Lower Link trail and headed off. What I was not prepared for was another climb. This trail is 0.6 miles between Summit Trail West and Shannon's Trail, and for almost all of it, you are ascending moderately. I bonked hard on this section and it took me much longer than I had anticipated.. but I made it. Felt great joy at seeing the intersection with Shannon's Trail as I knew it was an easy 0.8 or so back down to the car. Despite bonking and the black fly brigade that accompanied me for my descent in earnest, I had a wonderful day.

Strava Activity

messing around with a Christmas present