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Bethlehem, New Hampshire, United States
E-mail contact: randonneur8@yahoo.com | Facebook: facebook.com/1HappyHikerNH

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31 August 2012

Mt. Wolf and Gordon Pond . . . because?


A few days ago I did a trek that included Mt. Wolf (Kinsman Range) and Gordon Pond.  This trek is probably of little interest to most readers, and is on the outer fringes of even being worthy of a Blog report.  And therefore, one might legitimately ask, you did this hike because . . .??

As frequent readers of my Blog know, I'm currently on a personal campaign to try to do something new on each of my hikes.  The "new" component can be things such as a trail, a destination, or even something as simple as a direction of travel that is new and different for me.

And so, with this rather simplistic goal in mind, my rationale for doing this particular hike was because I had never visited Gordon Pond, nor had I ever hiked the Kinsman Ridge Trail (KRT) segment of the Appalachian Trail that runs between the Beaver Brook trailhead and Mt. Wolf.  On previous hikes, I had traversed all the other pieces of the KRT, but not this one!

From the outset, I was fully aware that this particular "out & back " trek would involve a roller coaster ride of PUDs (pointless ups & downs), and that they would need to be navigated in both the outbound and inbound legs of this adventure.  Although there indeed were a lot of PUDs, overall I didn't think they were overly terrible.

On the way to Gordon Pond, the Kinsman Ridge Trail weaves its way though a forest that I found to be attractive, but others might be of a different opinion.  In terms of trailside views, there is only one overlook (located about 2.4 miles from the Beaver Brook trailhead), and it provides a somewhat restricted view of some of the high peaks in the Franconia Range (next photo).
View of a portion of Franconia Range from an overlook on Kinsman Ridge Trail

After trekking another 0.9 mile northward from the overlook, I arrived at the junction where the well-signed Gordon Pond Trail takes off to the east.  While merrily heading down the trail toward Gordon Pond, I suddenly realized that I must have completely blown past the little spur path that takes you to the pond!  I backtracked and discovered that as you are headed eastward, the spur trail is accessed via an abrupt left turn which is partially obscured by a large boulder.  I'd like to think that it's an easy mistake to make! :-)

So, upon finally arriving at the shoreline of Gordon Pond, I was immediately impressed with its beauty, and its remoteness!   It is in the "middle of nowhere", and there is a near zero chance that any condos or cabins will ever dot its shoreline!  The next snapshot shows Gordon Pond as viewed from its south shore and is looking northward toward Mt. Wolf.
Gordon Pond as viewed from its south shore and looking northward toward Mt. Wolf

I took some time to meander around a large portion of Gordon Pond.  I saw very little in the way of wildlife.  There were dragonflies flitting about, and one duck took flight while I was there.  Although there were plenty of moose prints around the pond, I saw no moose.  Nor did I see or hear any fish jumping.  It's unknown to me if there even any fish in this pond.  Perhaps a reader might know the answer.

After a leisurely visit to Gordon Pond, I made the short trek back to the Kinsman Ridge Trail and continued northward toward Mt. Wolf.  Along the way, I did a mini-bushwhack to get a bird's eye view of Gordon Pond.  The first snapshot is highly-zoomed.  The second snapshot is an un-zoomed overview of the pond and surrounding area.
Zoomed view of Gordon Pond from a location slightly off the Kinsman Ridge Trail

Un-zoomed overview of Gordon Pond and surrounding area

After my mini-bushwhack to look downward at Gordon Pond, I headed to the short spur trail located near Mt. Wolf's summit.  This spur leads to an overlook which provides a nice view of the Franconia Range, as well as other peaks to the east and southeast.
View from Mt. Wolf: Franconia Range high-peaks + Mt Pemigewasset cliffs (lower right)

Mt. Wolf was the terminus of this particular hike.  After spending some time chatting with a couple of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, I left the outlook and headed back down the trail.  Along the way, I once again stopped at the trailside overlook which is located about 0.9 mile south of the Gordon Pond Trail junction.  From here, I took a snapshot of Mts. Liberty and Flume as the shadows of early evening were stretching across the lower portions of these shapely mountains.
Slightly zoomed photo of Mts. Liberty and Flume with shadows of early evening

Also visible from this overlook was the town of Lincoln, as it lay nestled at the foot of the Loon Mountain ski area.
Town of Lincoln nestled at the foot of the Loon Mountain ski area

As I approached the trailhead, the setting sun was illuminating the leaves of the hobblebush which are just now starting to slip into their autumn attire.
Hobblebush being illuminated by the setting sun

Most readers will likely be familiar with the area in which this hike occurred.  But perhaps the map shown below will be of some use in reviewing the route taken for this trek of about 9.8 miles (round-trip). 
(Depending on your browser, clicking on the map might enlarge it.)
Map showing the route taken for this trek

To sum it up, this trek won't go down in history as an epic adventure, but it certainly had its joys.  I have no regrets for taking the time to finally visit Gordon Pond, and it was a personal triumph to finish hiking the entire length of the Kinsman Ridge Trail.

25 August 2012

Goose-Eye Mountain: Where the Geese Fly High!


Could this be the beginning of a rather unusual trend to hike to mountains named after animal body parts?  This past Saturday it was Camel's Hump in Vermont, and then just 6 days later on 24-August-2012, I hiked to a mountain named Goose-Eye, located in the State of Maine.  This was my first visit to this peak, and so it was another brand new adventure for me.

It's fairly obvious from the profile of Camel's Hump as to how it got its name.  However, as to how Goose-Eye Mountain got its name, the best I can determine, no one really knows for certain.  The most common explanation is that the name might be a corruption of "Goose High", for it is said that the old-timers noticed that the migrating geese fly just high enough to clear the top of this mountain.

Regardless of how Goose-Eye Mountain got its name, I must say that hiking to this mountaintop exceeded my already high expectations for this adventure.   It was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish!

This hike got off to a great start.  I decided to launch my trek from the Wright Trail.  It was a very pleasant drive to the trailhead which is located on Bull Branch Road (several miles west of Bethel, ME).  Even though there are about 2 miles of travel on a gravel road, it is very well maintained.  There is no comparison between it and the rough ride on Success Pond Road which is where the other trailhead to Goose-Eye is located.

The map presented below shows the entire route taken for this hike which was about 9.8 miles round-trip. (Depending upon your Internet browser, clicking on the map might enlarge it.)
My route is highlighted in pink

I was very favorably impressed with the entire length of the Wright Trail.  It is very well maintained. The first 2.5 miles is really easy trekking.  The next photo shows a composite of some typical segments of trail.  (For information about the north and south branch of the Wright Trail, see ADDENDUM at the end of this report.)
Typical segments of trail for the first 2.5 miles

After crossing Goose Eye Brook at the tentsite, the trail becomes a bit rougher, but still well maintained, and well-blazed.  However, this "roughness" only lasts for about a mile or less.  You then break out of the hardwood forest and begin to trek for another mile or so along open ledges and low-growing scrub.  There are many sections where you feel like you're on an "above tree-line" trek, like in the Presidential or Franconia Range.

Immediately upon breaking out of the hardwoods and onto the first open ledge, there is a huge vista of several peaks in the northern Mahoosuc Range.  The next photo shows a portion of this view which includes such prominent features as Mahoosuc Mountain, Old Speck, the Baldpates, and Sunday River Whitecap.
Vista from first open ledge after breaking out of the hardwood forest

The next series of 4 photos are shown to provide a general idea of the type of trekking you do for about a mile on the upper end of the Wright Trail.
Open-ledge hiking on upper part of Wright Trail

Low-scrub hiking on upper part of Wright Trail

Another example of open-ledge hiking on upper part of Wright Trail

One more example of open-ledge hiking on upper part of Wright Trail

And so, after enjoying the type of hiking seen in the preceding 4 photos, you eventually come to your first complete view of Goose-Eye Mountain (next photo).  Maybe it's just me, but I think it's a pretty remarkable sight!
First complete view of Goose-Eye Mountain from the Wright Trail

Near to the spot where the above photo was taken, there is another outstanding view which includes Goose-Eye Mountain and the high peaks of the Presidential Range, faintly seen on the horizon on the left side of the next photo.
Distant Presidential Range (far left on horizon), and nearby Goose-Eye Mountain (far right)

And then after just a bit more trekking, Goose-Eye is right in your face, and is waiting to be climbed (see next photo)!
Goose-Eye Mountain waiting to be climbed!

When you're within a tenth of a mile from the top of Goose-Eye, you come to the junction shown in the next photo.  From this junction you can see the Presidential Range on the distant horizon, and a green meadow in the foreground that is traversed by the Mahoosuc Trail segment of the Appalachian Trail.
Presidential Range (distant horizon), with green meadow (foreground) traversed by Mahoosuc Trail segment of Appalachian Trail

The next photo is just a slightly closer view of the meadow and Presidential Range that was seen in the previous photo.
Another view of Presidential Range (distant horizon) with green meadow (foreground)

Once you arrive at the top of Goose-Eye Mountain, there are 360 degree views.  The next three photos serve to highlight just a few of those vistas.
Success Pond (center of photo) as seen from top of Goose-Eye Mountain

Looking southwesterly from Goose-Eye Mountain toward Presidential Range

Goose-Eye's 'East Peak', as viewed from the top of Goose-Eye's main peak

After spending considerable time soaking in the views from Goose-Eye's main peak, I headed over to the East Peak.  Considering the amount of exposed rock, it's no surprise that there are wrap-around views from this summit as well.  The next photo is a zoomed shot of Goose-Eye's 'East Peak'.
Zoomed shot of Goose-Eye Mountain's 'East Peak'

From the top of East Peak, there is a nice view looking northward up the Mahoosuc mountain range (next photo).
Northward view of Mahoosuc Range as viewed from Goose-Eye's 'East Peak'

And as one would expect, the East Peak provides a view of Goose-Eye's main peak with the Presidential Range in the background (next photo).
View from  Goose-Eye's 'East Peak': Presidentials (on horizon), and Goose-Eye's main peak (far right)

After visiting Goose-Eye's 'East Peak', I still had a bit of spare time.  I briefly toyed with the idea of heading northward or southward along the Mahoosuc Trail to take in some more views.  But instead, I opted to simply head back the way I'd come and make some stops at a few of the pools and cascades along the lower end of the trail.  I had sped by these during my ascent, but they looked liked they deserved a closer look.

Shown below are two snapshots taken on the return leg of my trek along the lower end of the Wright Trail.   Everyone has different tastes, but I thought these pools and cascades were quite scenic.
Small cascade and pool along lower end of Wright Trail

Another cascade and pool along lower end of Wright Trail

Oh!  And I stopped to take one other snapshot on my way down from Goose-Eye.  I spotted a tree trunk which I thought resembled and elephant's trunk.  Not a big deal, just mildly interesting!
Tree trunk bearing resemblance to an elephant's trunk

To sum it up, I'm trying to do something new on each trek that I do.  However, the hike to Goose-Eye was truly awesome, and so there's a strong likelihood that I'll be doing a repeat of this one!  It might not be until next year, or the year after, but "I'll be back"!  In the meantime, I'm wondering if I should consider hiking to another mountain with a name that includes an animal's body part, like an Owl's Head, or Hogback?  You know, just to keep my current trend alive for a bit longer! :-)
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ADDENDUM (added 27-Aug-2012):

Some hiking guidebooks refer to a north branch and south branch of the Wright Trail.   The current White Mountain Guide (29th edition) indicates that the north branch is closed to hikers.  However, the website for Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (MBPL) merely indicates that the north branch is not recommended for hiking.  I don’t know if “not recommended” is the same as “closed”?

On my hike, when I arrived at the point where the south branch and north branch splits, there was no signage indicating that the north branch is closed, nor that it isn’t recommended for hiking.  Also, the info that is posted at the trailhead kiosk for the Wright Trail, includes a trail map, but it does NOT show the north branch.  Only the south branch is shown.

My guess is that the MBPL doesn't want to draw attention to the fact that the north branch trail is still there.  And so, if that is the case, then this might explain why there are no signs posted about the north branch (neither at the trailhead, nor at the point where the two trails split).

22 August 2012

Mt. Hunger: A Craving for Another Taste of Vermont


Have you ever been undecided as to where to hike?  On 21-August-2012, I was having trouble making a decision about a hiking venue.  Having just completed a trek to Camel's Hump a few days prior,  I still had Vermont on my mind.  So, after considering several options, I decided that a trip to Mt. Hunger would be a great way to satisfy my lingering appetite to experience more of Vermont hiking!   Plus, it would be another adventure that was new to me!

As to how Mt. Hunger got its name, one explanation is that it comes from a legend about a group of hunters on the mountain who came home very hungry after having killed only one quail to share among themselves.

Mt. Hunger is located in the Worcester Range, which is the impressive wall of mountains that parallels Rt. 100 from Waterbury northward past Stowe and up to Morrisville.  The map snippet presented below shows some of the many peaks in this range that can be reached by hiking trails.  Included on this map are:  Worcester Mtn. (3,293'); Hogback Mtn. (3,505'); Stowe Pinnacle (2,651'); Mt Hunger (3,538'); White Rock Mtn. (3,194').
Map showing some hiking trails and peaks in the Worcester Range

Don't let the relatively small size of these mountains fool you!  Some trails to these peaks gain over 2000 feet of elevation in 2 miles.  And such was the case with my Mt. Hunger trek via the Waterbury Trail which gains nearly 2,300 ft of elevation over about a 2-mile distance.  Plus, there were a few hundred more feet of elevation gained during a side-trip I took to White Rock Mountain.  My route for the entire trek is highlighted in pink on the map shown above.

The Waterbury Trail was generally in good shape.  However, somewhere at about the midway point of the trek,  there is evidence that Tropical Storm Irene might have been responsible for deeply eroding some short segments of trail.  There are a few short re-routes at some of the more heavily damaged areas.

The upper part of the trail has some ledges that are moderately challenging.  And the summit of Mt. Hunger has much more exposed rock than I thought it would.  The next photo is looking upwards toward the rocky summit.
Rocky summit of Mt. Hunger
 
There is a 360 degree vista from the summit of Mt. Hunger.  And, along with other peaks in the Worcester Range, Mt. Hunger is well-positioned to allow for terrific views of Camel's Hump, Mt. Mansfield and many other high peaks in the Green Mountain Range.  The next series of snapshots show some of those westward-looking vistas.
Far left (ledges on White Rock Mtn); Center (Camel's Hump); Right of center (Waterbury Reservoir)

Mt. Mansfield in center of photo
Yet another view toward Camel's Hump (center of photo) from Mt. Hunger

Besides the nearby westward views of peaks in the Green Mountains, there are more distant views to east looking toward the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  However, on this particular day, the viewing conditions were hazy.  Therefore, in the next photo, you can just barely see the White Mountains on the horizon.
Eastward view toward White Mountains of New Hampshire

At the outset of this hike, I was uncertain if I'd take the time to do the side-trip over to White Rock Mountain.  However, even after a long visit atop Mt. Hunger, there was still plenty of time left in the day.  And so, off I went to White Rock!

I don't know the exact amount, but there are several hundred feet of elevation that are lost on the short trek over to White Rock.  And, to return to your awaiting car back at the trailhead, you must regain that elevation, regardless of whether you do an out-and-back (as I did), or do a loop back over Mt. Hunger (see map at beginning of this report).

The trail over to White Rock is lightly traveled, and in many spots there are "enchanted woods" such as shown below.
Enchanted woods along the trail to White Rock Mountain

I was unaware that the final sprint to the top of White Rock involved hiking a 0.15 mile spur trail.  Although I used the word "hiking", it's more like one humungous scramble up steep ledges and a few other challenging (but fun) rock structures.  Regardless, the next photo shows the trail junction where the spur trail begins.  Also visible in this photo is the rocky summit of Mt. Hunger.
Starting point for spur to White Rock, plus rocky summit of Mt. Hunger at upper right

My main concern was negotiating the steep scrambles up and down White Rock Mountain, and as a result, I totally forgot to take any snapshots.  However, even if I had done so, the photos likely would have lacked all sense of drama without the perspective of a human body climbing them!

From the summit of White Rock, I did remember to take a snapshot looking back at Mt. Hunger (next photo).
Mt. Hunger as seen from White Rock Mountain

The trek back to the trailhead was uneventful.  However, as I was coming within view of the parking lot, I saw an obvious side-trail heading northward.  Since I still had plenty of time, it simply had to be investigated!  The trail didn't go very far.  It led to an old quarry where there was an interesting overlook.   Shown in the next photo is the bottom of the quarry where there is an intriguing placement of rocks.   As to the purpose of these rocks, your guess is as good as mine!
Old quarry with interesting placement of rocks

After my brief foray to the old quarry, I jumped into my car and headed down the gravel road leading to the trailhead.  I hadn't gone too far when I caught site of Camel's Hump starring me in the face.  And so, I pulled to the side of the road and took the snapshot that is shown below.
Camel's Hump as viewed from the road to Waterbury Trail

To sum it up, this adventure was another delicious taste of Vermont hiking.  This might satisfy my hunger for hiking in that beautiful State for awhile.  But, I feel it won't be long before I'll return to take a few more bites!

(The round-trip mileage for this trek was probably about 5.5 miles.  That number includes the trek to Mt. Hunger, plus the side-trip to White Rock Mountain, and to the quarry.)

19 August 2012

My First Climb on the Camel's Hump!


For the past few years, my friend Marty and I have talked about hiking to the summit of Camel's Hump mountain in central Vermont.  Well, 18-August-2012 was the day that we finally made the 2-hour drive from Bethlehem, NH and climbed up to the top of "hump"!

Camel's Hump (4,083 ft. elevation) is Vermont's third-highest mountain.  Because of its distinctive profile, it's probably the state's most recognized mountain.  And actually, Camel's Hump was chosen as a prominent feature for the quarter-dollar coin issued under the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters program.  A seven-person panel ultimately decided on including Camel's Hump in the design, saying: "It's wild and natural, like the Vermont countryside. It's unique and asymmetrical, like the independent and quirky reputation Vermonters have."
Composite photo of real-life view of Camel's Hump, plus the backside of Vermont quarter-dollar coin

The following text is a brief compilation of some additional information about Camel's Hump.  It was gathered from a variety of Internet resources.  The first European to see this mountain was probably Samuel de Champlain during his expedition of 1609.  The mountain has had several names related to its distinctive shape.  De Champlain named the mountain as "Le Lion Couchant", which roughly translates as "The Resting Lion".  On a 1798 map, the mountain is referred to as "Camel's Rump". It was around 1830 when the name "Camel's Hump" came into general usage.  Although Camel's Hump looks somewhat volcanic from the east and west, it was the movement of glacial ice which created its current form.   On the summit, there are about 10 acres of fragile alpine tundra vegetation.

Okay, with that rather lengthy introduction, here are some details about our hike, as well as a few snapshots that were taken along the way.

Regarding our route, we did a loop (approximately 7.5 miles round-trip).  We ascended using the Monroe Trail, plus a short segment of the Long Trail.  For our descent we used a combination of the Long Trail, the Dean Trail and the Monroe Trail.  Our route is highlighted in pink on the map snippet that is shown below.  If you look closely, you'll see that some of the pink highlighting protrudes into the Alpine Trail.  We did a short side-trip along a small portion of that trail in order to check out the crash site of a World War II bomber (more about this later in the report).
Our route is highlighted in pink

Marty and I have hiked all of the NH 4K peaks, as well as a 4K peak in Maine.  By far, Camel's Hump (via the Monroe Trail) was the easiest ascent of any 4K peak that either of us have hiked to date.  The trail's footway has relatively few rocks and roots, as compared to many other trails that lead to 4K destinations.  And, except for the last 0.3 mile ascent of the summit cone, the incline is overall quite gradual.  Shown below is a typical segment of the Monroe Trail.
Typical segment of the Monroe Trail

Once we arrived at the top, it was as "party-time"!  This is a very popular destination, and as a result, there were a lot of people!  However, the summit area is large enough to accommodate a large crowd, and there are plenty of nooks and crannies where you can find your own personal space.  Shown in the next photo is just a small snippet of the folks congregated at the top of Camel's Hump.
A small vignette of the many folks atop Camel's Hump on a lovely day in late summer

Once we found a nice spot to enjoy our personal experience on the summit of Camel's Hump, we then started looking around and were thrilled by the multitude of magnificent views in all directions.

Shown below are a series of photos taken toward the four major directions of the compass.  Hopefully, you can get some sense of the vistas by looking at each snapshot along with the caption that appears beneath each of them.
A view looking northward toward Mt. Mansfield

 A zoomed view of the Mt. Mansfield area

A view looking southward along the ridgeline traversed by the Long Trail

A view looking westward across Lake Champlain toward New York's Adirondack Mountains

Zoomed view toward Burlington's airport runway.  (It must be a magnificent sight to fly into Burlington on a clear day!)

A view looking eastward toward Mt. Hunger in the Worcester Range of mountains

Yet another eastern view, but from a different perspective

Just a random scene (looking downward from Camel's Hump summit)

Another random scene (looking upward toward summit of Camel's Hump)

We could've spent more time on Camel's Hump, but it came time when we knew we needed to begin our descent.  As mentioned earlier in this report, we made a short side trip on our way down.  We hiked for about 0.2 mile along the Alpine Trail in order to visit the crash site of a B-24 Liberator bomber from the World War II era.   The plane went down in 1944 during a training mission. While most of the plane was salvaged and removed, a wing section still remains (photo below).
A wing section from a WW II era Liberator bomber aircraft that crashed in 1944

After visiting the crash site, we backtracked to the Long Trail and proceeded southward toward the Dean Trail.   Neither Marty nor I have ever hiked any portion of the Long Trail prior to this.  Therefore, we have no idea if the short segment that we hiked is representative of the Long Trail as a whole.  Regardless, we can say with certainty that the portion we hiked is nothing remotely similar to the Monroe Trail!  This segment of the Long Trail was indeed "long", and it was very arduous with many "ups & downs".  In the White Mountains, we call these PUDs (i.e. Pointless Ups & Downs).  In addition to the PUDs, there were many steep sections over rock that was slippery, even when dry!  Is this perhaps the type of rock that is called schist??

Despite our issues with the return leg of our journey along the Long Trail, it was a still a fun adventure.  Plus, the trail has one very redeeming feature!  At a point about midway along the route, there is a magnificent head-on view of south-face of Camel's Hump.  The next two photos show this remarkable vista.
Head-on view of south-face of Camel's Hump

Zoomed snapshot of the same view as shown above

Just as we were beginning to think it would never happen, we eventually met up with the Dean Trail which would lead us over to the Monroe Trail and then back to the trailhead where we were parked.   What a contrast there was between the Dean Trail and the Long Trail!  The footpath was smooth, and the trail was relatively flat with only a slight downhill grade.   There was even a lovely meadow of wildflowers at one point along the way (next photo).
Meadow of wildflowers along the Dean Trail

To sum it up, this hike has to rank right up there with one of the best hikes I've ever done!  The weather was nearly perfect, and the views were spectacular.  The Monroe Trail was a true delight to hike!  And although the segment of the Long Trail was "long" and grueling, it provided challenges and scrambles that added some extra spice to the adventure.  Moreover, Camel's Hump was a destination that was new to both Marty and me.  Doing something new and different always thrills me!
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ADDENDUM:

A few days after hiking to Camel's Hump, I returned to Vermont in order to hike to Mt. Hunger in the Worcester Range.  One of the photos in this report shows a view of the Worcester Range as viewed from the top of Camel's Hump.  If you're interested in reading the Blog report that was written about my trek to Mt. Hunger, then please click HERE.