Cannon Mt. Hike -
September 11, 2005
Activity, Trip Report, and Photos by Don B. and Pat J.
| Last minute cancellations found Don and
Patricia heading up Cannon Mountain via the Hi Cannon Trail. The weather
was unseasonably warm and the skies were clear……. perferfect weather for
a hike !
The trail started as a gradual
incline but became steeper with each step. Beautiful views of Mt.
Lafayette teased us along the way before we met the wooden ladder about
three-quarters of the way up the mountain.
Beyond the ladder was a short
climb to the summit and those great views of Lafayette, Lincoln and
Liberty. After taking some pictures, we found a spot to sit and relax
our tired feet. The Svea stove was fired up and we had hot chicken soup
in a few minutes.
 |
We ventured to the tower and we caught
a photo of the American Flag being taken down from its temporary
perch. It was nice to know that we have fellow hikers who are
willing to take the time to have our flag flown at all of the 4,000
foot New Hampshire peaks. |
We decided to descend Cannon on
foot and stop by the Lonesome Lake Hut. We met a dozen or so hikers
along the way and enjoyed some great trail mix that Pat bought at
Wal-Mart. Now don't get me wrong….I am NOT a big fan of mega-stores but
Saams Choice Mountain Trail Mix has the right combination of raisins,
nuts, M&M's, etc. I would highly recommend trying it on your next
adventure. Our entire hike was about seven hours long and we would
definitely recommend this hike for someone who wants a challenge for the
day. |
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Mt. Lafayette - August 6, 2005
Activity by Diane K.
On a bright and sunny 80 degree day nine of
us met and mutually agreed to start our journey with option 3 of the 2
posted options and did a reverse of the previously advertised loop. We
went up Falling Waters Trail and within two and a half hours we reached
Little Haystack and were rewarded with stunning views of the
Presidentials and Pemi. We rested and got a few pictures being sure to
allow “ample time“ for Mark to get his shots (okay so we didn’t allow
him ample time but he still got some pics)….
We headed over Franconia Ridge to Lincoln and were treated to a tiny air
show of gliders which Ileana was able to snap photos of. Then we headed
over to Lafayette. Judy, usually in the front of the pack, was vigilant
in staying back and tugging Mark away from the shutter and on to the
next mission…
Across the ridge and up a bit and a bit more we hit Lafayette and
lingered briefly amidst awesome views. Then we headed down to Greenleaf
Hut where some enjoyed lemonade and brownies before our departure down
Old Bridle Path. Near the bottom a couple folks enjoyed a cooling wade
in the water before meeting up again. After our seven hour journey eight
of us went to dinner at Truant’s Tavern in North Woodstock while
Bernadette faithfully waited for her hiking/running partner at the base.
At the tavern Ileana entertained us with stories of anything but a
typical day at work…..
Oh, did we mention that this was Janine’s first four thousand footer -
and, oh, that she did two of them and that one was over five thousand
feet? (and then there was the one that didn't count Way to go Janine!!! |
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Black Mt.
-
July 23, 2005
Activity by Kathy K.
Photos and trip info from Tom S.
<-- The group before starting out. KK seems a
bit outnumbered!
Wait...Is that Sugarloaf and not Black Mt.? Tom
isn't sure.
Old hatchet trail blazes -->
<-- The last false summit before the top |
Skatutakee and Thumb -
July 17, 2005
Activity by Ken L.
It was a misty July day when Michelle M. and I
wandered over to Skatutakee and Thumb in southern NH. It's not a
difficult hike from the Harris Center, and the views of Mt. Monadnock are
great...well, when you can see anything.
Can you see the toad attempting to climb the tree?
As soon as I took the photo, gravity got the better of the little bugger.
And he tried it again.
Red eft.
Indian Pipe appearing.
click for larger/wetter image
Blueberries! Along the trail we found some blueberries
to munch, and there were some at the tops of both Skatutakee and Thumb.
They'd been picked over, though, so not too many were left, but there were
enough for a bit of blue lunch.
Atop Skatutakee we noticed that some trees had been cut
down. We had no idea why, and all I could think of was the fate of
hills like Watatic. Then I joked that wouldn't it be ironic if someone
started cutting down trees to improve the view. Sure enough, some
local residents hiked by and told us that's exactly what it was - clearing
out some trees to preserve the view.
Over at Thumb we got a great view of...fog. But there
is a spot to sit and have some lunch, and Michelle and I talked about the
Sox and how she met Johnny Damon before he became well known (little did we
know what would eventually become of him in late 2005). Anything you
want to know about baseball? Ask Michelle.
By then we encountered a bit of rain, and it was light but
steady on our way down. No matter. It was a warm day and good to
be out.
Respect for Your Webmaster? "Talk to the hand!"
The hike from the Harris Center to Skatutakee and Thumb can
be done as a loop and is highly recommended. It's not very long or
very steep, but it'll give you just enough of a workout to some nice
views...when it's not foggy!
click for larger/spookier image |
Mt. Sunapee -
July 4, 2005
Activity by Ken L.
They do not make weather any more beautiful than
this...period.
Errrrrr...ummm...OK, no, it wasn't quite that hot... :-)
Randy, Dawn, Shadow, Pam, ...
...and Your Webmaster took the usual trail from the ski area
to the top of Mt. Sunapee. The trailhead can be found at the far end
of the ski area parking lot near some small maintenance buildings. It
goes through some woods, across a ski trail, then on up to the top of Mt.
Sunapee. For about halfway the grade of the trail is moderate with
switchbacks, and it gets a little steeper, but overall it can be tackled by
just about anyone. At the top are some excellent views. Then if
you wander off following a road that bends to the right, go down a bit, and
look to the right, you'll find the trail over to Lake Solitude---a great
place for lunch with comfy places to laze in the sun and more nice views.
Unfortunately only Pam, Randy, and Shadow made it over to
the Lake, as Dawn had to head out early and Your Webmaster was not feeling
well. After Dawn left and the others made their way over the ridge to
the lake, Your Webmaster found a nice, quiet shady spot looking out over
Lake Sunapee to lie down for a while before the trip back.
Mt. Sunapee is a mild hike that you can do on the spur of
the moment. Recommended! |
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