A Hike to PATN (Peak Above The Nubble)

It has been over a month since I've posted anything to this blog.  Not only is there an element of laziness involved, but also a fair amount of time has been spent over the past few weeks coordinating and attending a large family gathering.

Regardless, here is a brief posting about a trek recently taken to visit a mountain that is on the list of New Hampshire Hundred Highest peaks, and also on the list of New England Hundred Highest.  The mountain of which I speak has an elevation of 3,813 ft, and is often referred to as simply PATN, which stands for Peak Above The Nubble.  The "Nubble" part of its name refers to a smaller, but very prominent, peak just to the north of PATN that tops out at 2,713 ft.

There are no formal hiking trails to PATN.  Reaching the summit involves a bushwhack.  The more traditional route involves an approach from the north beginning at Haystack Road. (Click HERE for a link that describes this route.)

    

Rather than using the traditional northern route, I recently bushwhacked to PATN using a western approach which is preferred by some, myself included.

Shown below is my GPS track superimposed on a topographic map.  The round-trip mileage was about 3.9 miles.

My GPS track superimposed on a topographic map

The majority of this bushwhack was through open woods such as shown in the following snapshot.  However, there were a few sporadic gnarly spots, especially near the top.

Majority of this bushwhack was through open woods, but there were some gnarly spots, especially near the top.

I exited the woods about 0.25 miles from the top of PATN, and then followed a slide for a little over a tenth of a mile.  The photo shown below was taken looking down the slide from near the spot where the slide ends.

Looking down a slide which I incorporated into my trek to PATN

From the slide there is a view of peaks in the Franconia Range (upper left of photo below).

Photo taken from upper end of the slide where there is a view toward peaks in the Franconia Range (upper left).

Shown below is a snippet from my GPS track that is superimposed on a Google Earth image.  It shows the portion of the slide that I traversed.  I purposely waited until reaching this spot before incorporating the slide into my route.  From previous explorations in this area, I knew that the upper portions of the slide tended to be more navigable than the lower portions which can be very slippery/wet and more like a steep brook bed with actively flowing water.

A snippet from GPS track superimposed on a Google Earth image.  It shows the portion of the slide that I traversed en route to PATN.

Upon reaching the top of PATN, there is a viewpoint just below the summit that provides a sweeping vista.  It includes the Presidential Range, as well as Middle and South Sugarloaf, plus Mt. Hale, the Willey Range, and North Twin.

Sweeping vista from viewpoint near summit of PATN.  It includes the Presidential Range, as well as Middle and South Sugarloaf, plus Mt. Hale,the Willey Range, and North Twin.

Also taken from the viewpoint on PATN is the slightly zoomed photo shown below.  The Presidential Range is featured, but also seen are the tops of Middle and South Sugarloaf, as well as a portion of Mt. Hale.

The Presidential Range is featured in this slightly zoomed photo taken from the viewpoint on PATN.

Shown below is another zoomed photo taken from PATN.  It shows a rare look at the orange-colored ledges on top of South Sugarloaf (center of photo).  And, directly behind South Sugarloaf, are the ledges on Middle Sugarloaf.

(As an aside, a report was posted to this blog in April 2013 about a bushwhack to South Sugarloaf.  Click HERE.)

Zoomed photo showing a rare look at the orange-colored ledges on top of South Sugarloaf (center of photo).  Directly behind South Sugarloaf, are the ledges on Middle Sugarloaf.

During this bushwhack adventure to PATN, I didn't see any moose.  However, I did see something that was once attached to a moose!  Certainly wish I'd gotten to this antler BEFORE the woodland critters gnawed on it.  It was simply too chewed up to bother carrying it out of the woods to add to my collection.

A moose antler seen along my route to PATN

To sum it up, I'm not a person who aspires to hike a mountain just because it's on a particular list.  But, will admit that it's gratifying to navigate your own way to a trail-less mountain, and then have it be one that qualifies as a New Hampshire Hundred Highest peak, as well as one of the hundred highest peaks in all of New England. :-)

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POSTSCRIPT:  Please note that at the top of each of my blogs there are two search tools that can be helpful in locating a particular topic.  One is an icon labeled "CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF ALL MY BLOG REPORTS".  And located above that icon is a search box that enables you to search my entire collection of blog postings for specific words and word combinations.