I have had a busy Summer off the trails with my family. I've missed my adventures in the woods, but have really been enjoying my time with family as well. We only get so long with them, they are my priority! To ease myself back into hiking, I dragged Mr C along and we headed for Rhododendron State Park and Little Monadnock Mountain. I had hoped there might be some flowers left in bloom, but we missed them by a couple weeks. Oh well, the trees were still green and lush. The park was much more low key than I had envisioned a State Park being. No one was working a gate and the entrance fee was a suggested donation. The park was along a dirt road seemingly in the middle of nowhere. That being said, there were cars already there when we arrived and cars still arriving as we left, so this little place is known. I wouldn't have known about it except for it being featured in the AMC South Trail Guide. We have had crazy hot weather of late, but we lucked out in that our entire hike, with the exception of the summit was under the cover of trees, so we didn't have direct sun blazing down on us. We did a loop around the Rhododendron State Park first on a trail called Wildflower Trail, then Rhododendron Loop before picking up Little Monadnock Trail. Although short at just over a mile, it packed a decent punch of climbing. The trail meets up with the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail on the ridge in which there is a view over to Monadnock if you look to the right. Heading left for a couple tenths on the MM trail you reach the viewless summit of Little Monadnock Mountain. We returned the way we came up except this time we stayed straight on the Rhododendron Loop to finish that trail, then picked up Laurel Lane, which is a super short, but super cool little trail with what could be best described as tunnels. Must be stunning when the flowers are in bloom!
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