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

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17 June 2014

Bushwhack to a Nameless Peak Located South of Mt. Hope

There's a branch off the Montalban Ridge called the Bemis Ridge which includes the named peaks of Mt. Crawford, Mt. Hope, and Hart Ledge. This ridge also includes an unnamed peak (approximately 2,180 ft elevation) that is situated between Mt. Hope and Hart Ledge.  Since this peak hasn't been given an official name by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, some lighthearted suggestions for a moniker have included: No-Hope; Hope-less; Little Hope, etc.  However, for the purposes of this report  I've decided to use the name "South Hope" in deference to its geographic location in relation to Mt. Hope.

My recent trek to South Hope in June 2014 was my second visit.  I had been there once before in April 2010.  The rationale for making a return visit was twofold.  I wanted to visit a ledgy area on the south slope of Mt. Hope that seemed like it might provide a unique profile view of South Hope.  Also, I wanted to experience a new route by going over the top of Mt. Hope, and then onward to South Hope.

Both of my bushwhacks to South Hope were launched from the Davis Path.  Shown below is a map which roughly depicts the routes that were used for my trek in 2010 and in 2014.
Map showing approximate route of travel for trek in 2010, and in 2014
(Click to enlarge)
I cannot say that one route is more preferable than the other.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages.  In terms of distance, the two routes are nearly identical with a round-trip mileage of about 5 miles.  Of course, the shortest route would be to park along Rt. 302 at a point nearly opposite South Hope, and then make an ascent after fording the Saco River.  However, except at times of very low water, this could be a risky venture!

It can truly be stated that both treks to this nameless peak along the Bemis Ridge were very enjoyable adventures and provided some fond memories.  However, it has run its course with me.  And so, dare I say that there is "little hope", or even "no hope" that I'll be making a return visit to South Hope in the foreseeable future. :-)

Shown below are few snapshots associated with my South Hope trek.
Shown here is the profile of 'South Hope' as viewed from a ledge on the south end of Mt. Hope.  (On the horizon (left side of photo) are Bartlett Haystack and Bear Mountain)
View from 'South Hope' looking northward.  Mt. Hope dominates on far right, and to its left are Mts. Willey, Bemis, and Nancy.
View from 'South Hope' looking northeasterly.  Mt. Hope dominates on far left, and to its right is Mt. Resolution, followed by Mt. Parker on far right.
View from 'South Hope' looking easterly.  Mt. Parker dominates on far left.  At the top center are the south cliffs of Iron Mountain.  (The tops of Mts. Sable and Chandler are seen on the distant horizon between Parker and Iron Mountain.)
 
View from 'South Hope' looking westerly along the Sawyer River Valley.  Mt. Tremont is on far left.  Although I'm uncertain, I think maybe Mt. Kancamagus and the Osceolas are on the distant horizon in center of photo?

This photo was taken on my earlier trek to South Hope in April 2010.  As compared to a similar photo taken on my 2014 hike, it seems to be a better view of the Sawyer River Valley. 
As mentioned in my narrative, my 2014 route of travel took me over the top of Mt. Hope.  Trees are now filling in the more open views that were once there, as evidenced by this composite photo showing the westward view (top frame), and the northward view (bottom frame).

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ADDENDUM (Added 18-June-2014):

A reader sent me a private e-mail asking if there were ledges on 'South Hope' that were imperceptible from the profile photo shown at the beginning of this report.  There are indeed!  Perhaps the best way to show these ledges is via the Google Earth image presented below (click to enlarge).


13 June 2014

Unexpected Rainy Day at Vermont's Groton State Forest

On a day in mid June, I  headed off to spend the better part of the day hiking within Vermont's Groton State Forest, which is less than an hour's drive from my home in New Hampshire.  I've hiked here before. (Click HERE and HERE to read two of my reports.)  

It's not too surprising that there are still locations within the Groton State Forest that are new to me.  Especially considering that it's comprised of 26,000 acres which is Vermont's second largest contiguous land holding.  Mt. Mansfield State Forest is the largest at 40,000 acres.

Although the weather forecast indicated that there was a 20% chance of rain, this was of little concern to me.  I felt fairly certain that if it rained at all, then it would only be a brief shower.  Well, to 'cut to the chase', when I arrived  at Groton State Forest, there was an intermittent drizzle! That was okay for awhile.  However, when the drizzle changed to rain that showed no signs of abating anytime soon, I opted to cut my plans short!

Despite the unexpected poor weather,  I managed to complete two short mini-hikes to locations that were new to me.  One was to Owl's Head, and the other to Silver Ledge.  (Click HERE for a map and trail descriptions.)

Shown below are some snapshots taken during my two tiny treks at Groton State Forest.

1) OWL'S HEAD HIKE:
My favorite view of the day was from atop Owl's Head overlooking Kettle Pond
Another pleasant view from Owl's Head is the vista of Lake Groton with several 4K peaks in New Hampshire on the distant horizon
Way off in the distance to the west, I was able to get a fuzzy highly-zoomed image of the top of Camel's Hump
This is a photo taken of a placard at the top of Owl's Head.  It identifies some of the more notable landmarks that can be seen. (Didn't realize until later that my photo cut off a small segment of the right side of the placard.)
Also at the top of Owl's Head is beautiful stone structure that was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935.

A view from inside the stone building looking out one of the windows
In addition to the stone building on Owl's Head summit, the CCC also built the still exiting roadway leading to the trail that takes you to the summit.  Along this trail are stone stairs constructed by the CCC that are still in place after all these years.  Plus, the CCC built a picnic shelter at the end of the roadway, and it also still exists.
These are a sampling of the wildflowers seen during my Owl's Head hike
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2) SILVER LEDGE HIKE:

This photo collage shows the beginning of the Silver Ledge Trail (top) and a portion of the trailhead parking lot.  The lightly-used trail leads through a fairly thick forest.  Parking lot has room for at least 4 vehicles.
The view from Silver Ledge is quite limited, presumably due to tree growth over the years.  Big Deer Mountain is directly across from Silver Ledge.  It's the dominant peak seen in center of photo.  (A small portion of Lake Groton is visible at lower right.)
Although the weather caused me to shorten my plans for the day, there are positive aspects. First of all, the two small hikes were both new to me, and they were enjoyable.  Also, now that there is still some unfinished business at Groton State Park, I have a good reason to return to this location for other new adventures!

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