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

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28 May 2014

Two Tiny Treks in the Adirondack Mountains

My fondness for the Adirondacks began several years ago (more than I care to remember) when upon graduating from college I took a job in a little town in Upstate NY named Norwich.   I now live in Bethlehem, NH where the White Mountains are almost literally at my doorstep, and as such, they provide a portal to outdoor adventure that is definitely more convenient than a 3 hour drive to the Adirondacks.  Nonetheless, there is still a soft spot in my heart for the NY mountains, and therefore trips are made there as often as opportunities present themselves.

Over Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I had an opportunity to visit the Adirondack region.  Although our trip was primarily for some personal business, there was time to fit in two tiny hikes, as briefly described below. Both of these hikes were new to me.  This provided added enjoyment since exploring unfamiliar places is a personal passion of mine.

1) Rattlesnake Mtn  (1,292 ft); 3 miles RT; Trailhead on Rt. 22, about 4 mi south of I-87 Exit 33 and 4 mi north of Willsboro, NY. (Click HERE for more details about this hike.)

2) Cobble Hill (2,332 ft); 1.6 miles RT; Trailhead off Mirror Lake Drive, Lake Placid, NY.  (Click HERE for more details about this hike.)

As is often said, a picture is worth a thousand words, and so I'll simply present a few snapshots taken during the course of these two treks and let the pictures "do the talking"!
RATTLESNAKE MTN HIKE: Looking east over Lake Champlain toward high peaks in Vermont
RATTLESNAKE MTN HIKE: Another view overlooking Lake Champlain from one of many ledges on this mountaintop
RATTLESNAKE MTN HIKE: One of several picturesque corridors leading from one ledge to another
RATTLESNAKE MTN HIKE: Looking southwesterly toward Giant Mountain (large rounded peak seen directly over Long Pond in the foreground)
COBBLE HILL HIKE:  At center is Mt. Colden (peak with several slides visible); tallest peak to its left is Mt. Marcy; prominent peaks to right of Mt. Colden include Wright Peak, Algonquin Peak, Boundary Peak, Iroquois Peak.
COBBLE HILL HIKE: Highly zoomed view showing ski jumps (foreground, just right of center) from the 1980 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid.
COBBLE HILL HIKE: Zoomed view of downtown Lake Placid as seen from Cobble Hill ledges
Wild Columbine was in bloom on Rattlesnake Mountain
An Adirondack sunset


~ THE END ~

22 May 2014

A Short Bushwhack to Bald Mountain (Chocorua) from the Hammond Trail

Throughout the U.S. there are several mountains named Bald Mountain.  New Hampshire has its fair share of peaks bearing this namesake, including the 2,140 ft. peak located off the Hammond Trail in the Mt. Chocorua region of the White Mountains.  My attention was directed to this mountain by reports posted by Steve Smith in his Mountain Wandering Blog. (Click HERE for a link to one of his reports.)

My trek began at the trailhead for the Hammond Trail on Scott Road.  I eventually left the trail to do a short bushwhack eastward to the ledges on Bald Mountain.  As can be seen on the Google Earth image shown below, the trail comes very close to the ledges, but doesn't actually go over them.
Google Earth image showing Bald Mountain and the Hammond Trail
(Click to enlarge.)
From a historical perspective, the Hammond Trail is one of the oldest pathways in the Mt. Chocorua region.  I think it has been around since the late 19th century.  From reading descriptions of this trail in early 20th century trail guides, it appears that the ledges have never been incorporated into the routing for the Hammond Trail, nor has there ever been a spur trail leading to them.

My visit to Bald Mountain was a very pleasurable experience.  I enjoyed the views, and relished the fact that it was a place that was new to me.  It has generated ideas for yet other pioneering adventures in this same vicinity, which often happens when I visit a new location.

Shown below are some snapshots taken during my Bald Mountain journey.
Ledges on Bald Mountain provide classic views of Mt. Chocorua, the Three Sisters and Carter Ledge rising above the Chocorua River valley
Zoomed view of Mt. Chocorua.  (If you look very closely, you can see hikers standing atop this mountain on right side of summit cone)
There are many fine viewpoints from the ledges on Bald Mountain, but I found the widest vista to be from atop this rocky outcrop.  (None of my snapshots showed this outcrop as well as one taken by Steve Smith who granted permission to include his photo in my report.)
From the rocky outcrop, you can see some of the other Bald Mountain ledges
One of these ledges has an interesting assortment of randomly scattered rocks
A vista that includes the Moats, Kearsarge North, peaks in the Green Hills
Looking southward toward Chocorua Lake and the Ossipees
An eastward view where Pleasant Mountain in Maine is seen on the distant horizon (right of center) rising above its surroundings
Zoomed view of Pleasant Mountain; Whitton Pond is in foreground
After visiting Bald Mountain's ledges, I returned to the Hammond Trail, and opted to extend my hike by continuing onward to the Liberty Trail junction. This is where the Hammond Trail ends at its northern terminus.  Along the route, one can catch occasional glimpses of the imposing presence of Mt. Chocorua, as seen in the above photo.
  

~ THE END ~

16 May 2014

Loop Hike to East Royce Beginning at Laughing Lion Trailhead

It has been nearly 5 years since I last visited East Royce Mountain in western Maine near the New Hampshire border.  In keeping with my desire to try doing something new for each of my hikes, I began my hike from the Laughing Lion Trail which was a corridor that was new to me.  This trail was just one component of a loop which also involved the Royce Connector Trail, and the East Royce Trail, plus a 15-minute road-walk along Rt. 113 from the East Royce trailhead back to my starting point at the Laughing Lion trailhead.

This hike was done in mid-May.  The total distance for the loop was about 4 miles, and there was an elevation gain of about 2,000 ft.  This loop is depicted on the Google Earth image shown below (Click on photo to enlarge). 
Google Earth image showing route of my loop hike
As to how the Laughing Lion Trail got its name, I presume it was named after a popular rock climbing spot called Laughing Lion Cliff on the southeast slope of East Royce Mountain.  I've not personally seen the "lion face", but must admit that I've not made a concerted effort to do so.  Regardless, shown below is an image which I grabbed off the Internet from SummitPost.org.  The "Laughing Lion" image is contained within the area circled in yellow.  You really need to use your imagination to visualize the lion, but with any luck the image will eventually become apparent.
Laughing Lion Cliff
Several nice vistas of the surrounding mountains were seen during the course of this hike.  In my opinion, the best locations for these were from various vantage points around the summit area of East Royce, as well as from ledges reached by a short bushwhack off the southeast side of the Royce Connector trail.  In addition to the mountain vistas, there were also a couple of picturesque cascades along the route.

Shown below is a collection of photos taken during my hike.
Some of the notable landmarks in this photo include Speckled Mountain (far left); ledges on Blueberry Mountain (just right of center); Pleasant Mountain (on distant horizon, far right)
Prominent landmarks in this photo include nearby West Royce (far right); Baldfaces (at center)
Zoomed image of Baldfaces
Caribou Mountain (far left); Speckled Mountain (far right)
Westward view from East Royce includes nearby West Royce (far left); mountains in Carter Range (behind and right of West Royce); and behind the Carter Range is Mt. Washington (right of center), and other peaks in the Presidential Range (far right)
Saw two cascades along my route.  As far as I know, neither are named.  The one on the LEFT is less than 10 minutes from East Royce trailhead on Rt. 113.  The one on the RIGHT is located near the junction of Laughing Lion Trail and Royce Connector (might be a seasonal cascade that flows only during snow melt, or heavy rain)
Moose poop and moose fur (seen near summit of East Royce)
There were several stretches of trail with patches of snow that were above ankle-deep in spots
The only Springtime wildflower seen along the route was Purple Trillium


~ THE END ~

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ADDENDUM (added 19-May-2014):

For anyone who has difficulty with conjuring up an image of a Laughing Lion from the photo posted in this report, you are not alone! 


Shown below is a slight enhancement of the photo.  The eyes and mouth have been somewhat accentuated, and they have been labeled.  But of course, this is only my perception of what constitutes the Laughing Lion image.  Others might envision a Laughing Lion using other features of this rock formation.

12 May 2014

A Hike to Devil's Hill (near Peacham, VT)

With only a few hours available for hiking, I drove less than a hour from my home in New Hampshire to do a short hike to Devil's Hill (near Peacham, VT).  This mini-adventure was ideal for the amount of time that I had to spend, plus it was a perfect fit for my goal of doing hikes that are new to me.  And to cap things off, this was a surprisingly nice hike with nice views.  The trail was in good shape, and easy to follow.  I would recommend it!

Click HERE for directions to the trailhead and a brief description of the Devil's Hill hike.  According to the information presented in this link, the one-way distance to Devil's Hill from the trailhead is 0.5 mile. (My personal sense is that it might be slightly longer than that.)  And, if you opt to do the loop that is mentioned in this link, it adds a bit of extra distance.  But regardless, the loop is certainly no greater than 1.5 miles (round-trip).  The overall hiking time is under an hour.  If you factor in the time you might spend enjoying the views, then this can be an outing lasting well under 2 hours.

On this particular day, it fit my purposes to do this hike without bundling it with other hikes in the area.  However, for most other occasions, it would make sense to combine this short trek with other nearby hikes within the Groton State Forest.   Or, as another alternative for using any leftover time, you could simply enjoy the scenic Vermont countryside by exploring some of the back roads in this remote section of the State!

Presented below are some photos taken during my hike to Devil's Hill.
Perhaps a bit of Vermont humor?  Sign located at the turn off for the road to the trailhead.  The road had a very short section of deep ruts, but overall was in pretty good shape.  (I've driven on much worse roads to get to a trailhead!)
There is plenty of parking at the trailhead, and there is good signage for the starting point for the trail
On one portion of my loop hike, there was a picturesque patch of Trout Lily alongside the trail
Moderately-zoomed photo of Mt. Washington and other peaks in Presidential Range as viewed looking eastward from Devil's Hill, VT
Looking over the edge of one of many ledges on the west side of Devil's Hill.  Was struck as to how much the coloration of the budding trees resembled Autumn foliage!

It was late afternoon when I arrived at Devil's Hill and lighting was poor for westward vistas.  As a result, the next 2 photos are rather dull and lifeless.  But perhaps they will at least provide some idea as to the views that are available.
The left side of the photo shows 3 other peaks within the Groton State Forest that have hiking trails.  In the center of the photo on the distant horizon is the well-known silhouette of Camels Hump.
This photo shows Peacham Bog and Spruce Mountain, both of which can be reached by hiking trails.
The location for this hike is rather remote.  Perhaps this map will provide a general sense as to where it is in relation to known locations in VT and NH.

~ THE END ~

09 May 2014

A Trek to Plymouth Mountain and to Nearby Rainbow Falls (NH)

Plymouth Mountain:

For at least 5 years (or more) it has been on my mind to do the hike to Plymouth Mountain (2,187 ft. elevation).  Okay, I finally did it, and am now wondering why I procrastinated for so long!

It's a terrific hike which can easily be done in less than 4 hours (round-trip), even if you go all the way to the summit.  And, since this was my first visit to this mountain, I did go all the way to the top of the mountain.  However, the summit is wooded and viewless.  And so, for any future visits, I'll likely stop at the ledge known as Pike's Peak.  It's located about 0.4 mile below the summit.  It's easily accessible via a side path and has marvelous 180-degree views.

The hike begins on the Fauver Link Trail which eventually morphs seamlessly into the Sutherland Trail.  Directions to the trailhead and a complete trail description are contained in the Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide.

If I had to say anything disparaging about this hike, it would be that the vistas are very far away (40 miles or so, as the crow flies).  It's a wonderful "in-person" experience to see so many of the high peaks in the White Mountains from one spot.  However, to make out any detail, you really need binoculars.  And photographically speaking, a camera with zoom capability will certainly provide more satisfying images.

Rainbow Falls:

Following my trek to Plymouth Mountain, there was more than enough time to pay a visit to Rainbow Falls, which would be yet another hike that was new to me!

It's only about a 1.5 mile drive from the Plymouth Mountain trailhead and the trailhead for the waterfall.  As with the hike to Plymouth Mountain, the Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide also contains directions and a trail description for the hike to Rainbow Falls.  

I did the loop that is described in the guidebook.  However, if you just want a quick and easy visit to the waterfall, then I'd recommend doing a simple "out and back" trek via the Ruth Walter Trail which begins about 100 feet from the parking lot.  Simply walk across the highway bridge on Cummings Hill Road, and look for the trail kiosk on your right.

The hike to the waterfall, and the waterfall itself, were both a very pleasant experience.  It's easy to understand why this destination is a local favorite.

Photos:

Shown below are a series of photos taken from my trek to Plymouth Mountain and to Rainbow Falls. (There is poor resolution for the highly-zoomed photos, but they will at least provide a general idea as to to what can be seen.)
Pike's Peak ledge and a portion of the vista that can be seen from there
Highly-zoomed image of Franconia Notch area from Pike's Peak ledge
Highly-zoomed image looking northeasterly from Pike's Peak (ledges on Welch-Dickey are in foreground, and to the right on the horizon is a silhouette of Mt. Carrigain; behind Mt. Carrigain is a slice of snow-covered Mt. Washington)
Highly-zoomed image of Squam Lake and the Ossipee Range
This sign didn't appear to be firmly anchored, and so it might not always be present.  But if it's there, then you'll know you're getting close to a sharp left turn (no signage) off the main trail to reach Pike's Peak via a short spur trail.
This composite photo shows the sign at the summit, as well as the benchmark embedded on the rocky surface.
Several wildflowers were in bloom.  This composite is a sampling of just a few that were seen (from left to right: Dutchman's Breeches; Yellow Violet; Purple Trillium)
As a sure sign that Springtime has arrived, there was a picturesque patch of False Hellebore (a.k.a. Indian Poke)
Frontal view of Rainbow Falls
Side view of Rainbow Falls
Map showing locations of trailheads for Plymouth Mountain and Rainbow Falls, as well as GPS track for trail leading to Plymouth Mountain
Map showing details regarding hike to Rainbow Falls (click to enlarge)
~ THE END ~