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 ~