BACKGROUND:
In late
July 2018, there was a day when my time for hiking was limited. After a bit of consideration, I opted to
drive less than an hour from my home to hike to a cliff that is named Victor
Head. Many years had passed since I last
visited this precipice located in the relatively remote Great North Woods region
of northern New Hampshire.
Since
the Great North Woods is off the beaten path, this region generally receives
less hiker traffic than some of the more popular destinations in other parts of
the State. And as a result, you stand a better
chance of being alone here to more fully experience Mother Nature’s sounds,
sights, fragrances. Even if it’s just
for a brief visit, I think many of us have a hunger to witness the more
primitive form of nature that our ancestors knew.
Anyway,
my hike to Victor Head was a simple “out-and-back” trek using the same trails
for the outbound and inbound segments of the journey. The round-trip distance was just under
5-miles with a modest elevation gain of about 1,130 ft.
Map showing my route of travel as highlighted in purple |
PHOTOS:
A segment of the Old Summer Club Trail on the final approach to the Victor Head Side Trail. Remote, lightly-used, lovely! |
Shown above is a view of South and North Percy from a short spur path off the Victor Head Side Trail.
(Perhaps it should be noted that you can reach these two peaks by continuing onward on the Old Summer Club Trail beyond the turn off for Victor Head. Doing so would ADD about 2,100 ft of elevation gain, and about another 5 miles to your round-trip journey.)
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A short distance off the Old Summer Club Trail is this small, but picturesque, cascade along Rowell Brook. |
Along the way, a quick side-trip was made to admire the brand new Devil’s Rest Shelter. It’s located along the Old Summer Club Trail, just a short distance west of Rowell Brook. Click HERE to read a very nice write-up about this new shelter. |
This is just a random photo taken en route to Victor Head.
Bunchberry, moss, fern . . . what’s not to like about the ground cover of our New England forests? :-)
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TO SUM IT UP:
Since
this was just a short write-up about a short hike, perhaps this blog posting is best
ended with a short quote from the naturalist John Muir: “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
2 comments:
What a pleasant hike, John! I love the ground cover of the eastern forests, considering that our ground cover usually consists of sand and thorny, prickly plants.
The shelter looks like a wonderful place for a rest, or an overnight backpack stop. Christine Lake is beautiful. And what could be better than a remote, lightly-visited place.
I like your summary with its emphasis on the word "short". I would add that the hike, the write-up, and the quote are all "short, but very sweet"!
Hi Rita,
Thank you for your kind comment stating “. . . the hike, the write-up, and the quote are all short, but very sweet!” That brings to mind a Scottish Proverb stating “Better short and sweet than long and lax." :-)
Happy travels!
John
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