medium hike – Page 2 – Virginia Trail Guide

This three mile hike takes you through cool boulder field up to a ridge with a couple spectacular viewpoints! It’s an easy hike with a big pay-off!

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The Albany Covered Bridge. Below: Parking for the loop; Trail signage; Boulders on the route.

Adam Says…

One challenge we face often with hiking in New Hampshire is trying to pick a hike that will work for that day. Typically, weeks before traveling there we are stockpiling a bunch of hike ideas knowing that we will likely adjust to what the day gives us. The night before, we are consulting weather sources (what type of cloud coverage is in the high peaks, when showers may start, etc.), looking at how long a drive we have for the next day, and determining how the day will all fit together with meals and plans for other activities. When you’re on vacation you want to make the most of the time you have. The weather was telling us there would be some cloud coverage in the high peaks of the White Mountains, so we tried to look at some lower elevation plans. Knowing we were going out to eat for a long breakfast and showers that were likely coming in the afternoon, we felt we needed to pick something shorter. So, we decided to give this Boulder Loop a try. A few books we had read didn’t make us feel overly excited to try it, but once we were done with this one, we would highly recommend it.

Massive Boulders on the Boulder Loop — Massive boulders on the route. Below: Rocks to climb; Pretty evergreen forest with lots of rocks; A nice view before reaching the ledges.

We started off with a mostly empty parking lot. We are always early morning hikers to beat the crowds and we were glad that we did. We crossed the road and started on the trail. The beginning starts with a slight incline. At .2 miles, you come to a junction sign; either way leads to the ledges, but we headed to the left as our books had mostly done. The boulders on this lower elevation section are quite impressive, and you can just imagine the power of glaciers dropping off these large masses of rock before melting away. The yellow-blazed trail steepens through sections of rocks and roots, quite common for well-traveled trails in New Hampshire.

At the 1.2 mile marker, we came to a crest of the hill we had climbed. I noticed a rocky path off to the right leading up and decided to take it. Sure enough, this was the way we should have gone. There is a sign marked “View .2 miles”, but it is placed on a tree facing the other direction of the trail, so be sure not to miss this. We feel that many people could miss it if they weren’t paying attention and then miss all the glory of this hike. We climbed up and stayed on a yellow-blazed path that led first to a rock outcropping for some amazing views and then to a larger cliffside. Be careful up at the top of these cliffs. There is a large sharp dropoff from the viewpoint and something you don’t want to do with reckless children. While the views aren’t as high up as some of the 4000+ nearby White Mountains, they are quite impressive. We could look over to Mount Chocorua and Mount Passaconaway on clear days. We stayed up here a while until we could see clouds moving in. We then went back the way we came off the spur trail until we reached the junction again with the boulder loop.

From here, we went down to the right to continue the loop. We began to see more people coming up so we knew we beat the crowds for this hike. Based on the exhausted looks on the faces of those coming up the other side, we knew we picked the best route to ascend. The way down did seem to be steeper and rockier than the way we had come up. On the way down, you really can enjoy the openness of the forest and when you descend low enough walking through the large boulder field is impressive. The return trip from the junction was 1.2 miles back to the initial junction of the loop trail and we made it back very quickly with the descent.

We took a left at the junction and had a short .2miles back to our car. We were impressed with how the combination of the boulder field with the expansive views from the top make this a wonderful hike when you are trying to fit in a short hike into your day.

Climbing the Roots — New Hampshire’s rocks and roots. Below: The spur trail out to the view; Rocks to negotiate.

Christine Says…

We’ve flipped past the Boulder Loop in our New Hampshire hiking guide, year after year, for many years now. The hike just didn’t look fun or pretty. The only photo the book included was one of a middle-schooled aged boy looking at a shelf fungus growing on the side of a tree. Sorry, but I don’t hike for fungus! However, this year – upon closer inspection – I noticed that the long text description of the hike mentioned ‘views from a ledge’. After that, I Googled ‘views Boulder Loop hike’ and found some amazing photos in the results.

We knew bad storms were on deck for the afternoon, so we decided the short Boulder Loop would be a great choice for a quick hike. We started the morning with a big breakfast with my parents at Polly’s Pancake Parlor. The restaurant is a family tradition and we always try to eat there at least once on every visit. After breakfast, we made our way back to Lincoln and hopped on the Kancamagus Highway. The highway is a scenic drive through White Mountains National Forest. There are sweeping vistas and pull-off viewpoints along the road – it’s kind of like Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park (but free.) We found our trailhead right along the highway, next to the Albany Covered Bridge.

Views from the Ledges — Views from the ledges on the Boulder Loop. Below: More views from the Boulder Loop ledges.

We found the lot nearly empty, and paid the day-use fee for parking. I took a few photos of the bridge and the river before hitting the trail. The Boulder Loop is an interpretive trail with numbered stops and descriptions. It would probably be fun for a family who wanted to take lots of breaks along the route. We skipped that aspect of the hike and just focused on reaching the views.

We hiked the loop clockwise, passing enormous lichen-covered boulders. The trail climbed steadily uphill over lots of roots and rocks. Eventually, we reached the ridgeline and came to our first viewpoint. We could see the road and the river below, a plunging cliffside lower in the valley, and mountains as far as the eye could see. It was GORGEOUS!

After the first view, we continued along until we found the sign for the spur. The sign says ‘viewpoint’ on a small wooden plaque. It’s kind of small and blends in to the forest, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. To follow the spur, look for faint blazes on the rocks. The spur goes for about .15 mile over rocks and ledges with several places to stop and take in the views. We could see lots of mountains in every direction, but Chocorua was especially recognizable with it’s stone dome. We both remarked to each other that the ‘kid with the fungus’ was such a disservice to this beautiful hike.

More Boulders on the Descent — More Boulders on the descent.

After soaking in the scenery and watching clouds roll in from the distance, we followed the spur back to the main junction. We continued clockwise on the loop. At first, the trail dropped quite steeply over loose dirt and rocks. Eventually it leveled back out, passed through another cool boulder field, and returned us to the parking lot near the covered bridge. The hike was such a pleasant surprise – relatively easy terrain with excellent views at the top.

After packing up, we made our way into North Conway to get lunch at Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery. It’s one of our favorite lunch stops – they make great nachos.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3 miles
Elevation Change – 1161 feet
Difficulty – 3. Some of the sections are quite steep, but the shortness of the overall trail makes this one a popular family hike.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail was in good shape, but the rocks and roots can make this a challenge in some parts.
Views – 4. Nice 180 degree views from the cliff summit.
Waterfalls/streams – .5 We passed a small stream through the mountains on the way back, but nothing impressive.
Wildlife – 2. Evidently, bears can be spotted here in the fall. May be a good place for birdwatching at the low and high elevations.
Ease to Navigate – 4. It is a self-contained loop. It loses a point since the trail to the view isn’t clearly marked on both sides. Be watching when you crest the high point on the trail.
Solitude – 2.5. As mentioned above, this is popular with families, so you will likely see people along the way. Time this for early morning or late in the afternoon to maximize your solitude.

Trail Map:

Elevation Profile:

Directions to trailhead: Parking coordinates are 44.005395, -71.239270. There is a day fee for parking in this area. You will cross the Albany Covered Bridge and park in the lot labeled Boulder Loop Parking.

Mt. Kearsarge (NH)

October 21, 2018April 30, 20194 Comments

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

Mt. Kearsarge is located in state park land in Central New Hampshire with 360-degree spectacular views from the summit. On a clear day you can see Mount Washington, the White Mountain range, Merrimac Valley, and Vermont’s Green Mountains.

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Mt. Kearsarge Summit — The summit of Kearsarge is marked by a large cairn.

Adam Says…

Mt. Kearsarge kept popping up on lists of hikes we had not done in New Hampshire that had amazing views, so we decided to tackle it on a day where we could capitalize on the views. The hike starts off in Winslow State Park, reached by driving up Kearsarge Mountain Road and then taking a right on Winslow House Road to the top. The area at the top of the road is a large picnic area, with shelters and outdoor grills that would be perfect for a family gathering before or after the hike. The trail starts through an opening in the trees, near the southern back corner of the parking lot.

You quickly reach a large kiosk that shows the split of the loop trail. We took the Winslow Trail up and returned via the Barlow Trail. The Winslow Trail was quite steep and led through a lot of trail that was filled with lots of roots and rocks. If you do this hike after a lot of rain, expect it to be quite slick in some spots. The trail had us going a bit slow since it was a steep trail that required you to watch your foot placement in order to not twist your ankle.

The trail then passed a large split boulder on the left around .8 miles. We were able to climb up to the top of this rock and then look behind us which opened up some views that were getting near the top of the tree line. At .9 miles, we reached the top junction with the Barlow Trail and we pushed on from here to reach the top shortly after at the one mile mark. The tower was in the middle of the huge rock expanse, but there were views all around. We took some time to enjoy the views all around. Fairly soon, we were joined by a few other hikers that had approached the summit via Rollins State Park – this is a shorter hike to the top of Mt. Kearsarge. We first talked to a woman with her great niece. The niece was probably about 11 years old and was not a fan of the hike or views. She didn’t want to even look at the views. She just wanted to know if she could touch the rock and leave immediately. I could tell the great aunt was disappointed that her niece didn’t enjoy nature like she did, which was disappointing to witness. The next person was a young woman from New Jersey that came here to do a quick day hike. She had also approached from the Rollins State Park side, but she was hoping to make a larger loop and ended up adding the Winslow and Barlow trails to her day.

We then went to the fire tower. Christine decided to climb to the top, but when I felt the rickety nature of the structure and was nearly hit by squirrel droppings from a squirrel that Christine had upset, I decided to just wait at the bottom. Some men soon arrived to do some maintenance work on the dishes and they were talking about some of the mountain ranges around us. While I am sure they are doing some hard work, I was envious wishing I had an office view like this one.

New Hampshire Granite — New Hampshire is called The Granite State with good reason.

We made our way back to the junction at the edge of the treeline with the Barlow Trail and followed the yellow blazes for this way back down. We continued along the top as we walked by an alpine bog and then to some other views. Dragonflies were everywhere at the top and it was neat to see so many of them at this high elevation. We were glad we did the loop the way we did since we had views ahead of us on the way down. The trail had some steep sections going down but weren’t nearly as treacherous as the way up. Most of the trail was deep in the woods, but it was pretty scenery all around us. We eventually made our way back to the lower junction between the Winslow and Barlow trails at 2.6 miles and then took a quick turn to the parking lot and we were done. While the trail was a shorter one at 2.7 miles, the hike up took longer than we would have normally taken and the views at the top will make you want to take a large break to take it all in.

The books we had read and internet research we had done in advance probably didn’t give this hike enough credit. This is definitely one to hit while in New Hampshire. The length of the hike may also make it suitable for a lot of families and there is a wonderful picnic spot where you park to make this a memorable experience for the entire family.

The first views from Kearsarge on the ascent. Below: We had to crossed some slab granite. Fortunately, it was dry; Cairns mark the way over granite; Cell phone tower and an old fire tower on the summit.

Christine Says…

Mt. Kearsarge was our first new hike in New Hampshire during our summer 2018 trip. The small, but prominent, mountain is located in the Dartmouth-Sunapee region. Geologically, the mountain is what is known as a monadnock – a mountain that rises steeply and abruptly from relatively flat land. This type of mountain always looks taller and more imposing than it is in reality. It was a fantastic choice for an easy morning hike – great views, fun terrain, and not too lengthy. We chose to ascend on the Winslow Trail and then come back down on the Barlow Trail, making a 2.7 mile loop.

The Winslow Trail is shorter and quite a bit steeper than the Barlow Trail. I always think it’s nice to tackle the tougher terrain when my legs are fresh. I also appreciate the challenge of a tough climb. Upon entering the woods, the trail is soft and covered with pine needles. However, the trail footing soon becomes rooty and rocky. Red blazes will help you navigate across jumbles of boulders and granite slabs.

Your first views from the mountain come from atop a huge split boulder right before you break the treeline. This is also where the junction with the Barlow trail is located. You’ll pass the junction at this point and make your way toward the summit. In the bald, open area, cairns are used to guide hikers to the top. The park has posted several signs imploring hikers NOT to build new cairns. Moving rocks disrupts nature and building new cairns can make wayfinding confusing for hikers.

The summit of Kearsarge is marked by a big rockpile. From the top, the view rolls out in every direction. It’s GORGEOUS! When sky conditions are clear you can see the imposing White Mountains and Mt. Cardigan to the north, the Merrimack valley to the south, and to the west are Vermont’s Green Mountains. Just below the summit, the vista is interrupted by an old fire lookout and a communications tower. There is also a picnic area and a sandwich-board sign noting Kearsarge’s elevation (2,937’).

Descent on the Barlow Trail — We followed the longer Barlow Trail for our descent. Below: A small alpine bog; The descent on the Barlow trail had lots of nice views; Blueberries – some of the only ones we saw on this year’s New Hampshire trip.

While the towers aren’t pretty, they barely detract from the magnificent views in every direction. I climbed the tower while Adam hung out below. On my way up the stairs, I encountered a very angry red squirrel. I thought he was going to dive-bomb my face, but he settled for loud chattering. The view from the tower wasn’t really any better than the view from the summit, so I made my way back down and found a nice rock to sit on.

After taking in summit views, we made our way downhill to where the Winslow and Barlow trails meet. The yellow blazed Barlow Trail passes across open areas with more stunning vistas. We saw blueberry bushes and a small alpine bog on our way down. When we visited, dragonflies were swarming the mountain. If you look closely at our photos, you’ll see loads of them!

Eventually, the trail will traverse some slab granite and dip back into an evergreen forest. The trail continues downhill over roots and pine needles. There is one small footbridge over a swampy area near the end. The trail ends at the initial Winslow-Barlow junction near the picnic area at Winslow State Park.

Pine Forest — Pretty evergreen forests of New Hampshire. Below: Scenes of the descent along the Barlow Trail.

Trail Notes

Distance – 2.7 miles
Elevation Change – 1224 feet
Difficulty – 3. The trail was steeper than we would have expected, but take your time.
Trail Conditions – 3. Due to the steepness and the abundance of roots and rocks, this could make for a more difficult hike after heavy rainfall.
Views – 5. 360-degree views all around from the summit. There is a fire tower that obstructs some of the view but you can rotate around it to take it all in.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 2.5 A decent spot for bird-watching and squirrels.
Ease to Navigate – 4. The trail was fairly well-blazed. The junctions may make things a bit tricky, but follow our map.
Solitude – 2. This is a popular spot and with two approaches to the summit, you may not realize how many people you may see at the top. You should be able to carve out your own solitude at the top since there are views all around.

Trail Map

Elevation Profile:

Directions to trailhead:

Coordinates for this hike are 43.390281, -71.868260. The trailhead is located in New Hampshire’s Winslow State Park in Wilmot, NH. There is a fee to enter the park.

Blackrock (NC)

September 23, 2018Leave a comment

North Carolina Hikes

This 4.5 mile hike in North Carolina’s Plott Balsams had some great views, but the trail was in such poor shape that the hike was not that enjoyable. There were parts that were unpleasant (tall grass, blowdowns, and thick overgrowth), confusing (relatively few blazes), and even dangerous (slippery erosion and steep dropoffs).

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Sun Rays on the Trail to Blackrock — All the unsettled weather and fog made for pretty sunrays in the woods. Below: Parking along the shoulder of the road; Park along the road way just beneath the turn-off to the visitors center; Lush ferns as you enter the trail.

Christine Says…

This hike started off along the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Waterrock Knob Visitors Center at BRP mile 451. There is parking right along the shoulder of the road (as pictured above). The entrance to the trail is unmarked, so you’ll need to search along the forest line to find where the trail begins. When you see this old, broken-down kiosk just inside the woods, you’ll know you’re on the right path. The trail has occasional purple/yellow blazes, but don’t count on seeing many along the way to guide you! This area is tricky – even for experienced hikers. Meanderthals hiking blog did a good write-up where they describe getting a bit lost along this stretch of trail.

The trail begins a gradual, easy, uphill climb through evergreen forest. There are ferns and mosses draping the ground everywhere. When we hiked in June, there was a ton of blooming Clintonia borealis – a lily found frequently in woodlands around the world. The initial climb goes on for just a couple tenths of a mile before opening up to a nice view to the southeast, including a look at Yellow Face mountain. After the view, the trail descends into a brief saddle. Fog from the unsettled weather seemed to sit in every dip in the trail along the way.

Views from the Trail — There were nice views from the trail in several spots. Below: Blooming Clintonia borealis; Adam negotiating the terrain; Tons of fog and moving clouds.

At just under three quarters of a mile, we reached the summit of Yellow Face. This mountain stands at just over 6,000 feet and was donated by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to the National Park Service around 2001 or 2002. In fact, the entire trail is cobbled together across land owned the the Nature Conservancy, the NPS, and the town of Sylva, NC. Some sources say the trail itself has existed (in varying forms) for hundreds of years and was used historically by the Cherokee people. It’s currently maintained completely by volunteers – the NPS and the forest service are not involved.

When we hiked, the ‘bald’ at the summit of Yellow Face was really overgrown with tall grasses and bramble bushes. The view was nice, but definitely closing in. Near the summit, there’s a memorial plaque to Stephen Andrew Canada. I tried finding more information about him, but came up empty. Maybe he died on this peak or maybe he just loved this peak.

After the summit of Yellow Face, the trail descends again into another saddle. You’ll encounter some blowdowns, a pretty spruce forest, and some more open terrain. Near the low point of the saddle, at 1.3 miles, there are campsites on the right side of the trail. The open grassy area is littered with remnant mechanical parts from old logging equipment. We didn’t see a water source near the campsites, so if you were to overnight at this spot, you would need to carry enough water to cook and drink.

Obstacles — This was just one of the many blowdowns across the trail. This was one of the easier ones to navigate. Below: Trail scenery; Campsites in the saddle; More blowdowns.

After passing the campsites, the trail climbed again for a few tenths of a mile. We passed over and through a couple more blowdowns. At 1.7 miles, things got tricky. We began walking along a very narrow ridgeline decorated with enormous boulders. The trail was so slippery and eroded that I put my camera away to fully focus on footing and safety. There are more photos of this section included on the return hike below. I don’t think any of the photos truly do justice to the trail conditions along this stretch. It was far sketchier than it appears. The tough terrain went on for about half a mile, where we reached an opening in a dense rhododendron tunnel at 2.2 miles.

I chose this point to stop. The climb after this point was described by another website as ‘a steep climb up roots and rocks requiring hands and feet‘. On a dry day, I would probably have no problem tackling that climb, but on this particular day I’d been slipping, stumbling, and sliding so much that I decided to stop 100 yards short of the summit. It’s always a tough decision to miss the final destination of a hike, but I think the phrase ‘discretion is the better part of valor’ exists for a reason. Adam went on without me to take photos of the final vista. When he eventually came back he told me that I made the right decision and that the final climb was really slippery and precipitous. I was relieved he made it back safely!

Through the Fog — The foggy trail was beautiful. Below: Giant boulder; A view from the trail right before the final summit; The rhododendron tunnel right before the summit.

We slowly made our way back across all the terrain we had covered on our hike out. Very rarely do I feel this way, but the whole way back I kept thinking, “I can’t wait to get off this STUPID TRAIL!” We trekked through the overgrowth, slithered back through blowdowns, and slid down rocks and mud. It was a slog. It was a death march. It was not fun at all. We chatted with a couple other hikers who were hiking just to Yellow Face and back (good call!) We crossed paths with a naturalist group looking at plant life along the trail. But, generally, we had the hike entirely to ourselves for most of the day.

I was very grateful to get back to the car! Afterwards, we paid a quick visit to the Waterrock Knob Visitors Center and then made our way back toward Bryson City for lunch at Nantahala Outdoor Center’s River’s End Restaurant. I had fun counting all my new bruises and scrapes on the drive back to the valley. Maybe this hike would have been more fun on a clear day after a stretch of dry weather. But overall, it’s not a hike I enjoyed. If you’re picking a hike in this area, I recommend The Pinnacle instead. It had much more vertical gain, but the trail was in vastly better shape, and I thought the vista was much more accessible (and just as beautiful!)

Adam Says…

We had attempted to do this Blackrock hike last year. We drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway but the fog was so heavy, we couldn’t even find the trailhead. We hunted around, but with so little visibility, we decided to try this another time. This year, we had a much clearer morning and we were able to find the trailhead somewhat easily.The Blue Ridge Parkway has actually taken down the parking trailhead marker and it isn’t very well blazed (my guess is because of the danger). But, we were able to see an opening in the trees and once we were about 25 yards into the woods, we soon came to a sign that we knew we were on the right path.

Christine described the overall hike well. While the elevation gain wasn’t crazy for much of the hike, the footing was fairly horrendous. The overall hike to Yellow Face was not too bad, but the view isn’t that impressive since it is getting sucked away from overgrown flora. Once you arrive at the saddle, the footing gets very treacherous.

Blackrock Vista — It was mostly in the clouds, but the views opened enough to take in the mountain majesty. Below: Another photo Adam captured at the Black Rock Summit.

At one point, you climb in a three or four-point stance to go up a very steep terrain on the ridgeline. While we were expecting a nice view from here, it was only a bit of an overgrown one. The trail then takes a precipitous drop down a sheer rock area. Christine decided to stop before descending. I knew the view had to be just ahead, so I pushed forward but it was not something I felt very safe doing. I had to climb down the side of a rock, hanging on to handholds on the rock on the left of me while the width of my foot wasn’t able to fully fit on a step down the rock. A wrong step here, means that you could easily fall about a hundred feet down to the right. We didn’t get pictures of this area because it wasn’t safe. Once I got to the bottom, there was another treacherous climb back up where I had to hang onto roots and pull myself up. Once I got to the summit rock, there is also no easy way to get up. I had to ultimately launch my body up like a wounded sea lion on to the rock and then pull the rest of my weight up with my upper body. Christine was very worried about me making it, so I texted her to let her know that I made it and took some photos, which reduced my heart rate a bit. The views from the summit were impressive, but I could see clouds moving in and it looked like rain was coming. I texted Christine again to let her know I was leaving again, but that text never went through so my goal of easing her mind didn’t really help.

The hike back down and up was equally treacherous, but I was very glad to get reunited. On our way back, we came across an older couple, who we warned to just turn back (they were planning on it). We also came across a large group of naturalists (one was even walking the trail barefoot – crazy). We warned them also, but they said they would likely not make it all the way there since, as one told us, they “get easily distracted by every plant they walk by”. We were very glad when we got back to our car. While we thought this would have been a beautiful, fun hike, the danger really didn’t provide much enjoyment. So, if you attempt this hike, be very careful and feel free to turn around. I won’t be offended if you steal my pictures of the summit and say they were yours to show your family the summit.

Overgrown — Some more examples of trail overgrowth. Below: The memorial placque; One final blowdown before reaching the car!

Trail Notes

Distance – 4.5 miles
Elevation Change – 1800 ft
Difficulty – 4.5 While the climbing is never terribly strenuous, this hike is a series of constant ups and downs (some steep), punctuated by flat stretches. The trail isn’t in great shape, so this adds to the challenge factor you’ll experience on this hike.
Trail Conditions – 1.5. The trail was quite overgrown and eroded. The grass and bramble bushes were tall in sunny places. The steeper parts of the trail were eroded with loose soil. There were also many blows to negotiate along the route.
Views – 5 – We visited on a day with lots of fog and moving clouds, but on clear days the views would be magnificent. There are views to enjoy along the trail and at the vista.
Streams/Waterfalls – 0. None
Wildlife – 1. The trail was oddly devoid of animals – we heard a few birds, but we didn’t even see pedestrian wildlife like squirrels and chipmunks.
Ease to Navigate – 2.5. There is only one trail to follow, but it is overgrown in many places. Blowdowns may also take you off course. There are relatively few blazes along the route.
Solitude – 2. We saw a few people along the way (most turning around at Yellow Face), but generally this trail seems lightly traveled.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Blackrock Elevation — Click to View Larger Elevation Profile

Directions to trailhead: Parking is along the shoulder of the Blue Ridge Parkway, coordinates: 35.45641, -83.14319

The Pinnacle (NC)

September 1, 2018September 1, 20181 Comment

North Carolina Hikes

The Pinnacle is a 6.6 mile hike with a strenuous climb for the first two miles. Hikers are rewarded on a clear day with spectacular views from a rocky ridgeline and overlook point.

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Split Rock is a landmark just a half mile into the hike. Below: The information board at Pinnacle Park. Make sure you fill out a free permit card before beginning your hike; Trail options starting from Pinnacle Park;

Adam Says…

This hike has an incredibly generic name. I can’t recall how many hikes we have been on with the name “Pinnacle” in the title. The same can be said about “bald” (“bald knob”, “bald rock”, etc.), “buzzard” (“buzzard rock”, “buzzard roost”, etc.), “black rock”, and “devil” (“devil’s marbleyard”, “devil’s stairs”, “devil’s bathtub”, etc.). While the hike name lacks originality, by using the word, “pinnacle”, hikers should expect great views and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Getting there caused us a bit of confusion because the directions we had seemed to want us to drive on private property. However, we stayed on the main road and it soon came to a dead end at Pinnacle Park. We parked and completed the permit form at the kiosk, which were quite damp since they were exposed to the elements. Just past the kiosk was the trailhead that led through a gate. As we were starting our hike, there was also a couple of women that were getting started as well. They had backpacks to help carry their toddlers and they were taking the trail all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where they had dropped off another car. They said they were quite familiar with the trail. After we saw the steepness of the terrain, we were impressed with these young moms.

Pretty West Fork — The streams along this trail were incredibly scenic after LOTS of rain. Below: Adam hikes uphill in the fog and drizzle; Mountain Laurel were just starting to bloom; Another small waterfall and stream crossing.

The day started off foggy and incredibly humid from the recent rains, which made the footing a bit tricky for parts of the hike with either slippery rocks or muddy areas. After going a short distance, you pass by a meadow and then reach a trail junction. There are some shorter trails that break off to the right of the trail that some families take to get a short walk through the woods next to the stream. We waited to confirm with the young moms, but our path led us steeply uphill to continue the hike. As we hiked up, we passed Split Rock and we had several opportunities to get good views of the cascading stream on the left. The hike had us breathing heavily due to the steepness of the terrain and the humidity made us work extra hard.

Around two miles, we reached the junction with the Pinnacle Trail taking off to the left. The good news is that the hardest part of the climbing is done. There is still more climbing to do on this spur trail, but it isn’t nearly as steep and some areas are quite flat. This section had some places where the trail was under water or extremely muddy due to all the rain, but I’m guessing is damp during lots of the year. After another 1.3 miles, the trail reaches the summit area. As we were hiking, we didn’t see any hope of the sun coming out, but we at least thought we could have a nice hike in the woods. Right before the summit, I decided to step off the trail a bit to urinate and as soon as I started, the sun came out. Christine got a big laugh since she thought this act had summoned the sun to appear (if you run into the same situation, it is worth a shot). So, we made a quick dash to the final summit area. The clouds were still preventing us from getting remarkable views, but we could see some views as the clouds were rolling over the summit path. We stopped here to eat a snack and take in the limited views. As soon as we packed up to leave, the clouds completely covered in everything so we lucked out. On our way back down, we ran into more hikers that were going up to the point. We almost felt like we were running on the way back down and it amazed us how steep the terrain was in parts.

Hiking into the Clouds — Big clouds moved on an off the mountain throughout our hike. Below: The trail junction for Blackrock and the Pinnacle; A lot of the trail to the Pinnacle was underwater; This beard-like moss was hanging on everything.

Christine Says…

This hike was quite an adventure and a good cardio-challenge! The trailhead is located in Pinnacle Park, which is an 1,100 acre plot of land owed by the town of Sylva, NC and maintained by the Pinnacle Park Foundation. It used to provide the town’s watersource, but in the early 1990s it was put into conservation and opened for hiker access. The park has several backcountry campsites for backpackers. They ask that both dayhikers and backpackers complete a free permit form before beginning their hike. Blank forms are available at the trailhead’s informational kiosk.

When we arrived at the park (which is essentially just the dead end of the road), we had humid, foggy, drizzly conditions. The whole area was under the unsettled outer arms of Tropical Storm Alberto, so the weather was extremely changeable during our visit. We knew we had a big climb ahead of us, and really hoped the fog would clear off and let us have at least some views. It always stinks to climb and climb and climb, and then not even get a view. But, that’s the thing about these mountains – even when the valley is sunny, peaks over 4500′ often stay in the clouds and mist. You just never know what your summit weather is going to be until you get there.

The Pinnacle is a cool crag with great views all around. Below: The view moved constantly in and out of the clouds; Looking down into the valley; Upon leaving the summit, we went back into the fog.

After passing a gate, the hike starts off immediately and relentlessly uphill. The first two miles of the hike follow what seems to be an old forest service or logging road. It’s wide and covered with loose, round stones – a bit of an ankle-turner. In the first couple tenths of a mile, you’ll pass a stream with remnants of its history as a municipal water source. There are gauges and concrete channels that are now being reclaimed by nature. After that, you’ll make a wide switchback in a meadow. There will be a trail that comes in from the left. Stay to the right, climbing uphill, before eventually reaching a sign with trail mileage for the Pinnacle, Blackrock, and Waterrock Knob (on the Blue Ridge Parkway). Follow the trail toward Pinnacle. At a half mile into the hike you’ll pass Split Rock – an enormous cracked boulder right along the trail. The crack is big enough for an adult to climb in.

Shortly after the Split Rock, we had our first stream crossing. Even with the high water flow, all the stream crossings were safe and easy. I think I remember there being three crossings in the first two miles of hiking. The beauty of the stream along this trail is definitely something I’ll remember. I’m sure the water is not normally as impressive, but when we visited it was gorgeous – rapids and little waterfalls everywhere! Another thing I’ll remember from this hike is the CLIMBING! The first two miles ascend nearly 2,000 feet before moderating on the Pinnacle spur trail. It was definitely some of the steepest climbing we’ve done outside of New Hampshire. I guess the third memory from the hike is crossing paths with a Great Horned Owl! It swooped across the trail. That was an enormous bird – for a minute, we thought it was an eagle because it was so much bigger than any owl or hawk we’d seen before.

Fallen Butterfly — This fallen butterfly still had perfect wings. Below: There are five official campsites in this trail network; Blooming fire pink; A post hike stop at Innovation Brewing (after an excellent lunch at Haywood Smokehouse.)

After climbing steeply for two miles, we were relieved to reach the junction with the Pinnacle Trail. It was a traditional trail instead of a wide road. It was very wet and muddy in a few places, but generally in good condition. It follows gentle rolling terrain for about a mile before a steep (but brief) descent into dense rhododendron. On the other side of the rhododendron, the trail exits out onto a large rocky outcropping at just over 5,000′. There are views (and precipitous drops) in every direction. We felt so lucky to have the clouds partially clear when we were at the viewpoint. What a gorgeous spot!

We spent some time enjoying the vista and a snack of trail mix before hiking back the way we came up. Shortly after we left the view, the clouds rolled back around us and we were hiking in the fog again. The hike back went really quickly because it was all downhill! By the time we got to the bottom, it was full sun and blazing hot. After packing up, we headed into Sylva for some barbecue at the Haywood Smokehouse (so amazing) and beers at Innovation Brewing. These two places are both on my ‘must list’ for this area.

Trail Notes

Distance – 6.6 miles
Elevation Change – 2,441 ft
Difficulty – 4. The first two miles of climbing is relentless and steep. You’ll gain 1000 feet for each mile. Once you reach the junction with the Pinnacle Trail, the climb becomes moderate to flat.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail follows an old road grade for most of the way. The footing is a bit challenging with lots of football-sized rocks, but overall the trail is in great shape!
Views – 5 – We visited on a day with lots of fog and moving clouds, but still had excellent views at the top.
Streams/Waterfalls – 4. We visited after a time of extremely heavy rain, so the stream along the trail was simply spectacular. There were many small waterfalls and cascades to enjoy. The stream rating is probably not this high most of the time.
Wildlife – 4. We saw a great horned owl swoop across the trail. There were also salamanders, a snake, and many small mammals.
Ease to Navigate – 3. The first couple tenths of a mile of this trail are a little confusing, but if you keep climbing uphill, you’ll eventually come to a directional sign. After the directional sign, the trail is very clear and easy to follow.
Solitude – 3. We saw just a few people out for the day.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Pinnacle Elevation — Click to View Larger Elevation Profile

Directions to trailhead: Parking is at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, coordinates: 35.422738, -83.191188

Waonaze Peak

July 7, 20182 Comments

This four mile hike offers lots of hiker solitude and some nice obstructed views. The area is popular for dirt-bikes and ATV use, and while they have their own trail system, you may find engine noise distracting at times on this hike.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Adam on the Massanutten Trail — Adam hikes the Massanutten Trail toward Waonaze Peak. Below: Park in the ATV lot at Edinburg Gap; Look for the orange-blazed Massanutten trail on the other side of 675; Mountain laurel was in full bloom when we did this hike.

Christine Says…

Near the end of May, we met up with our friends, Tony and Linda, to do a little hiking near Edinburg along the Massanutten Trail. Our original plan was to hike out to Opechee Peak, but the forecast had some pretty fierce thunderstorms, so we cut it short and did a four-mile out and back to Waonaze Peak. I think both of those peaks have really interesting names for our area. I did a little research into the name origins (probably Algonquian), but didn’t find anything. I also wonder if Waonaze rhymes with mayonnaise. Hmmm…

Overall, the hike was pretty basic. We started at the big ATV parking area at Edinburg Gap. ATV trail users must pay a fee to ride the trails, but hiking is free. There’s a informational kiosk at the parking lot that outlines the different trails in the area. From the parking lot, we crossed the road and picked up the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail. The trailhead is a little hidden in the trees, so look for blazes and a mileage sign to make sure you start in the right direction.

For the first mile, the trail meanders gradually uphill through dense stands of mountain laurel. We were lucky enough to hike during the peak bloom, so it was especially beautiful. At one mile in, we came to marked spring. Shortly after the spring, we passed a second trail mileage marker. Funnily, it was identical to the marker at the Edinburg Gap crossing. The Bear Trap Trail was 2 miles away at Edinburg Gap and still two miles away at a little over a mile into the hike. I guess sometimes trail signs should just be regarded as estimates!

Timber Rattler — We saw a big, fat timber rattlesnake along the trail. Below: Trail signage was kind of funny. Even after we had come a mile, the distances on the signs had not changed. Bear Trap Trail was two miles ahead at all times; We passed a spring with a broken sign warning people to treat the water before drinking; A full view of the rattlesnake.

After the mileage sign, the trail gets quite a bit rockier and steeper. We saw a big timber rattlesnake basking in the sun. This terrain is ideal for them, so be sure you’re on the lookout. Timber rattlers are typically non-aggressive and reclusive. Basically, if you ignore them, they’ll ignore you. Someone once told me this quote about timber rattlers — “Timber rattlers are first cowards, then bluffers, and last of all warriors.” I’ve found this to be true with my encounters.

The steeper, rockier section of the hike makes several big switchbacks and passes several big boulder jumbles. As you climb toward the high point of Waonaze Peak, the view toward Fort Valley and Kennedy Peak opens up. The overlook itself is nice, but partly obstructed. It would be much prettier in the winter when leaves are down. After we reached the high point, the trail quickly begins to descend into a saddle between Waonaze and Opechee peaks. We turned around at that point, but will tackle Opechee another day.

After the hike, we headed into Woodstock for beers and lunch at Woodstock Brewhouse — always a favorite!

Adam Says…

As Christine mentioned, this is a hike that we plan to do again and get all the way to Opechee. Seeing that the summit views were a bit overgrown, our plan is to try this one again when it is cooler and leaves are mostly down. We were the only hikers from this parking lot as this area is primarily used by ATVs on the trail systems nearby. There were a few times that we could see the ATV riders through the trees (and more occasions that we could hear their engines). When we started the hike, we had heard there were storms coming in the early afternoon. With the violent storms we have been getting over the summer, we didn’t want to risk doing too long of a hike on this day.

Waonaze Peak Views — The obstructed viewpoint near the top of Waonaze Peak. It would be better in the winter. Below: A rocky descent; The trail has lots of rocky footing and boulder jumbles; More pretty mountain laurel.

The first mile of the hike was uphill but not terribly tough in terms of elevation or footing. The mountain laurel in full bloom made this a gorgeous early stretch of trail. The second mile was a bit more windy and rocky with lots of loose stones, so watch your footing especially on the downhill. Eventually, we came to an area of trail that gave us some obstructed views of Kennedy Peak. We thought about calling this hike Kennedy “Peek”, since you get obstructed views but we thought that would be just too confusing. Tony and Linda stopped at the overview here, but we decided to press on. We were first trying to see if there were better views at the top of the hill, but then the trail took off away from the view and was leading us through the saddle towards Opechee. Not wanting to leave our friends too long (and worried about clouds rolling in), we decided to turn back and make our descent.

Post hike refreshment at Woodstock Brewhouse. It’s one of our favorite post-hike hangouts.

We caught up with our friends and then continued downhill. I’m not a fan of any snakes, so I was especially cautious when we neared the area where the timber rattler had been spotted earlier. He had moved on (making me a tad nervous looking around for other spots he could be hiding) and we didn’t see any other snakes on the way back. When we got back to the cars, we then headed over to one of our favorite post-hike spots – Woodstock Brewhouse. We always enjoy talking about our hikes over great food and beverages here. While this peak didn’t lead to an amazing viewpoint, it was a good leg-stretcher that we had not explored before.

Trail Notes

Distance – 4 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 1280 feet
Difficulty – 2. It does have just a bit of uphill, but fairly easy if you take your time.
Trail Conditions – 3. The trail isn’t well traveled, which makes it a little tougher on conditions. There are some rocky, steep sections with loose rock on the trail.
Views – 2. During the winter, it would probably rate higher. The views of mountains and farms below is nice, but obstructed.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 3. We did see lots of small toads and saw the timber rattler. My guess is that a lot of the bigger animals like bears and deer are scared away by the noise of nearby ATVs. There were lots of pretty bird calls in the air.
Ease to Navigate – 3.5. Once you find the trail, it is fairly easy to stay on course. The signs showing that Bear Trap Trail is always two miles away was quite funny, so I don’t know how much you can trust these.
Solitude – 4.5. The trail you should mostly have to yourself, but you will hear some ATVs early on in the hike on nice weekend days.

Download a trail map (PDF)

waonaze_elev — Click to View Larger Elevation Profile

Directions to trailhead: GPS Coordinates for this hike are 38.789125, -78.519384. Look for the ATV/OHV parking area at Edinburg Gap. Cross Rt. 675 and look for the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail across the road from the parking lot.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Kinsman Trail to Bald Peak (NH)

April 24, 2018September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

We did this 4.6 mile hike on an especially beautiful, misty summer morning. It was a moderate climb with lots of interesting things to see along the way – from an old sugar house to the headwaters of a flume gorge, to the lovely viewpoint.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Beautiful Misty Sunshine on the Kinsman Trail — Beautiful misty sunshine on the Kinsman Trail. Below: Trailhead sign; Early parts of the trail.

Christine Says…

This was the last hike of our 2017 trip up north. By the end of two weeks that involved five different dayhikes and a three-day overnight backpacking trip, we were both sore, bruised, and covered with bug bites and scratches. We were both pretty tired, but the weather was nice and we felt we should squeeze one more quick hike in before the long 12-hour drive home. The hike up the Kinsman Trail to Bald Peak was close to my parents’ house and didn’t look too grueling, so we decided it would be the perfect grace note on our wonderful summer vacation.

We parked in the lot for the Kinsman Trail on Route 116. We arrived early and there were plenty of open spots, however it was overflowing by the time we got back to the car around 11:00 a.m. The trailhead is popular as it provides access to the 4,000 footer, Mount Kinsman. Bald Peak isn’t a true summit, it’s a rocky outcropping on the shoulder of a mountain. While it might not be the pinnacle, it provides nice views and is well worth doing.

The first half mile of the hike meanders along single-track trail through the forest. The terrain is rolling and there are abundant ferns and shady hemlocks along the way. At .5 miles in, the trail will arrive a a junction with a wider, road-like trail. Take a right onto the wide trail. In a tenth of a mile, you’ll pass a neat, but overgrown, sugar house. It didn’t look like it had been used in many years. Follow the road/trail for another half mile before coming to another junction. Bear to the right, continuing to follow the steepening blue-blazed Kinsman Trail. Keep an eye out for the blue blazes to keep yourself on track.

Sugar House — This rundown, old sugar house is right along the trail. Below: Scenes along the Kinsman Trail

About .35 miles later, you’ll make your first stream crossing – there are several on this hike, along with several lovely (albeit small) waterfalls. The waterfall pictured below was at the second stream crossing. Continue following the Kinsman Trail for .65 miles to your third stream. This is Flume Brook. Once you cross the water, look for a small sign pointing to the right. Follow a spur trail steeply downhill along the gorge. The rock walls that make the flume are steep and deep, but you will hear water rushing in the gorge below. Be careful looking down into the gorge – the terrain around it is extremely steep and slippery. A fall here would necessitate a dangerous rescue operation if you even survived the initial plunge.

After enjoying the flume, backtrack up to the main Kinsman Trail. Hike a couple more short tenths of a mile uphill, and you’ll reach the next junction. Bearing to the left will take you up the Kinsmans, so stay to the right and head along the Bald Peak spur. The trail is blazed yellow and follows a short series of ups and downs for about a quarter mile. The spur was a beautiful mix of evergreens, moss, and granite. At the end of the spur, you’ll come out onto a wide rocky ledge. From the viewpoint, you should be able to see Mount Kinsman, Mount Moosilauke, and a great peek into Vermont. Once you’ve enjoyed the view, return to your car the same way you hiked up for a round trip of 4.6 miles.

Small Waterfall on the Kinsman Trail to Bald Peak — Small waterfall on the Kinsman Trail to Bald Peak. Below: Mist in the forest; Small cascades; A look into the gorge.

Adam Says…

The Bald Peak hike had a lot of things that made us pick it – close by to where we were staying, waterfalls, plunging gorge, and view. This hike doesn’t get a lot of traffic except by locals since people will opt for bigger, grander views, but this one has a nice sampling of things to see.

The trail always seemed more of a gradual uphill and never felt too tough for us. In that first half mile, we came across the sugar house on the side of the trail. I peaked through the spaces in between the boards and saw some of the old materials used to collect maple sap inside.

Mosses on the Kinsman Trail. Below: The spur to Bald Peak; Hiking along the spur

We had picked a morning to hike this right after rain the previous day. The morning mist rising up through the trees caught the morning sunlight and the beams of light cast a mystical picture across the forest. The rain also made the hike slippery over some of the roots and rocks that you always have to step on in a hike in New Hampshire.

As Christine mentioned, when you pass over Flume Brook there is a small sign to view the gorge. We both started down this side trail, but it was incredibly slick. Christine stopped, but I decided I wanted to go further to see if I could actually be able to look down into the gorge. Christine was freaking out a bit that I was pushing on, but I did want to see if I could get some pictures. I went a bit further and actually slipped, sliding about 10 feet before I caught myself on the trail. One false step here could mean your death. The gorge was located just a few feet away from the trail and all I could see was that it went down quite a bit. There was never a good place to actually be able to see down into the gorge, so I would recommend skipping this feature – it’s too dangerous, anyway.

Bald Peak views. Below: More perspectives on the viewpoint.

When we reached the view at the top, I was impressed. It was a fairly clear morning so we could see all around us and far off to Vermont. We talked with a couple of women that loved to hike together that lived locally. They had been working on the 48 peaks above 4000 feet and had a lot of advice on places to hike in the future. We love picking the brains of local people for hiking suggestions. Many people that you may come across use this trail to go all the way to Mt. Kinsman without taking this spur trail to Bald Peak for an extra view. You will likely have solitude on this peak during most days. This was a nice final spot to take in some views of New England before heading back to Virginia.

Trail Notes

Distance – 4.6 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 1400 ft.
Difficulty – 3. Moderate and well-graded.
Trail Conditions – 3.5. The trail was nice, with some rocks and roots typical to the area.
Views – 4. Very nice, but not quite 360.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. The headwaters of the flume are pretty cool and there are several small waterfalls along the trail.
Wildlife – 3. Typical squirrels and birds.
Ease to Navigate – 4. The route was well-blazed/marked and easy to follow.
Solitude – 4. We only saw a handful of others along the way. This trail gets far less traffic than more popular hikes in the area.

Download a trail map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: Parking coordinates are: 44.165952, -71.766186. There is parking for about 8 cars.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

North and Middle Sugarloaf (NH)

April 23, 2018September 4, 20182 Comments

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

This 3.6 mile, family-friendly hike has a bit of steady climbing to reach the ridgeline, but with two summits – both with amazing vistas – it’s a hike that should not be missed when visiting this area.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Adam takes in the amazing views from Middle Sugarloaf.

Adam Says…

If you are visiting the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I would definitely put Sugarloaf on your list of must-do hikes. With a total of just 3.6 miles to cover both summits, it’s a great family hike and the views on a clear day are hard to beat.

From the parking lot, cross the bridge. You will see the yellow-blazed trail head off to the right just past the bridge. This is the Trestle Trail and it goes along the Zealand River. There are a few places to duck off the trail and get some gorgeous water views. In just a quarter of a mile, the junction for the Sugarloaf summits branches off to the left. The trail goes over some boggy areas at first before coming to a boulder field. You will see two huge boulders (among others), that were dropped off by glacial melt many years ago. The trail really starts to climb at this point and at one mile, you will reach a junction sign that points to the left for Middle Sugarloaf and to the right for North Sugarloaf.

The Zealand River — The hike starts off along the scenic Zealand River. Below: Trailhead parking along Zealand Road. For some reason, the pay stations were covered; Adam follows the Sugarloaf Trail away from the road; The trail follows the stream for a little while.

We opted to go to Middle Sugarloaf first. The trail continues to climb, often through some very rocky areas. Eventually, you come to a ladder staircase that is your last climb before reaching the summit area at 1.4 miles. After the staircase, the trail opens up from the trees and the vast expanse of views are all around you on a large open ledge. When you first emerge, straight ahead of you is Mt. Hale looking to the south. If you wind around towards the right, you will have great views of North Twin and South Twin mountains. If you wind around to the left, you will come to a viewpoint to the east where you can see the far-off Presidential Range and a keen eye may even see the tower at the top of Mount Washington on a clear day. This open area is a photographer’s dream, as there are gorgeous views no matter which way you look and it is easy to lose track of time exploring the summit area.

We eventually returned the way we came and reached the junction at 1.8 miles (keep in mind if you are tracking distances, you may have walked a couple of tenths around the summit of the Middle Sugarloaf). We then headed toward the North Sugarloaf summit, which is not as steep but winds around until it reaches the summit at 2.1 miles. The summit here gives you views of US-302 cutting through the landscape before the Presidential range, but you still have gorgeous views of mountains all around. This summit would look outstanding on most hikes but we were a little spoiled from the views at Middle Sugarloaf. Since North Sugarloaf is usually less crowded (many people just do an out-and-back to Middle Sugarloaf), you may have a little more solitude. We did come up to some families that were staying at the Sugarloaf campgrounds near the initial parking lot, that were alternating doing hikes to both summits on different days.

Junction Trail on Sugarloaf — After a bit of climbing, you’ll reach this junction. We visited Middle Sugarloaf first. Below: A few scenes from the climb up to the ridge: wooden trestles over a muddy area, a giant boulder you can walk by (or through… see photo later in post), typical New Hampshire rockiness.

After taking in the views at North Sugarloaf, we headed back the way we came, reaching the junction at 2.5 miles and then getting back to our car around 3.6 miles. These peaks were ones that I’m sure we will come back to time and time again on a clear day. When you want a relatively easy hike for this region with a big payoff, look no further than this one. I would recommend hitting it in the early morning since this is an extremely popular hike so you can pick your prime place to sit down and soak in the beauty of the White Mountains.

Christine Says…

I don’t know what took us so long to do this hike. It’s been on our radar for years – ever since my parents initially moved to New Hampshire. I guess there are just so many amazing trails in the area, that sometimes we overlook the short/popular hikes for fear of them being overrun by crowds.

Honestly, the key for maximizing solitude on hiking is simply getting up early. I find it’s true everywhere. If you can get to trailhead parking just as the sun is coming up, you’ll almost always beat the big crowds of casual hikers that come out mid-morning.

Ladder to Middle Sugarloaf — There is a ladder-stair to reach Middle Sugarloaf. Below: The forest along the ridgeline was lush and gorgeous; Adam standing on Middle Sugarloaf; Middle Sugarloaf offers views in every direction.

We got a little bit turned around when we first started this hike. There is a trail that leads directly away from the parking area. We missed the fact that we had to cross the bridge to get to the Sugarloaf Trail and instead started walking along the closer trail. In a couple tenths of a mile, we reached a campground and knew we were going the wrong way. We backtracked, reread our guidebook, and were set straight a couple minutes later.

The early part of the hike followed the scenic Zealand river. The boggy areas Adam described were extremely buggy – mosquitoes everywhere! We had to stop and coat ourselves with OFF in order to proceed. The big climb starts pretty quickly after passing the huge boulders. It’s a steady climb until the junction. Once you reach the ridgeline, the hike becomes more moderate. We opted to visit the prettier Middle Sugarloaf first. As we were walking along, I wondered why there was a north and middle summit, but no mention of a South Sugarloaf. Apparently, there is a south summit, but it’s a total bushwhack and is therefore rarely visited. I found photos of that summit on another hiking blog, and it looks like a beautiful spot for people who have orienteering skills and enjoy exploring off-trail.

On Middle Sugarloaf, we enjoyed the summit all to ourselves for a good 30 minutes. I basked in the sun and ate my traditional New England hiking snack of a whoopie pie. I rarely eat them in Virginia, but I have to have them on the trail in New England. It just seems right – possibly mandatory. 🙂

When a few more hiking groups began arriving at the summit, we decided it was time to make our way over to North Sugarloaf. The hike was pleasant and easy. When we got to the vista, we were a bit disappointed. It was just a small rock ledge with a partial view. It was packed with a large family group. Luckily, we realized this wasn’t the actual viewpoint – the trail continued from one opening back into the trees before coming out on a larger open area with another panoramic view. North Sugarloaf still doesn’t impress as much as Middle, but it was definitely worth checking out.

After enjoying a few more minutes of the view, we hiked down and made our way to one of our favorite post-hike hangouts in the area – the AMC Highlands Center. The rustic lodge serves as the main hub and information center for the White Mountain’s Presidential range. There is a gear shop, lodging, a lounge, and a decent cafe. We got sandwiches and beers and sat at a table outside so we could take in the view and sunshine. What a great day!

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.6 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 925 ft
Difficulty – 2.5. There is some climbing on this one, but since the distance is shorter take your time. Great for a family hike.
Trail Conditions – 4. This hike is very popular, so the trail is well worn.
Views – 5. On a clear day, you can see for hundreds of miles around you.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. Passing by the Zealand River in the very beginning of the hike gives you gorgeous river views.
Wildlife – 1. Other than birds, you likely won’t see a lot of wildlife due to the popularity of the hike.
Ease to Navigate – 4. There are a couple of turns to make, but overall the trail is well-blazed and signs at the junctions are helpful.
Solitude – 1.5. On a clear day in the summer, this will be a popular hike. There is typically more solitude on North Sugarloaf. Start early to avoid crowds and get good parking.

Download a trail map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: Parking coordinates are: 44.254858, -71.503993. The trail begins on the far side of the bridge on the right, on the same side of the road as the parking area. There is normally a fee station box here, but the box was sealed when we were there. Typically, the hikes here would charge $3 for parking, so bring some cash for an envelope to pay the fee.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Coppermine Trail to Bridal Veil Falls (NH)

March 25, 2018September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

This was a pleasant hike to a pretty waterfall located near a scenic backcountry campsite. At just under five miles with only 1100 feet of climbing, it’s one of the area’s easier hikes.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Bridal Veil Falls — The water level was low from dry conditions, but the falls were still pretty. Below: Signage at the parking area; Early parts of the hike followed the road; The hike enters the woods.

Christine Says…

We stumbled across this hike in one of my parents’ hiking guide books. They had never done it, but the description sounded quite appealing for a quick morning hike. Trailhead parking is on Coppermine Road, a private gravel road off NH116. Be careful to park only in the designated area, so you don’t infringe on homeowner’s private property.

The first .4 mile of the hike follows the unpaved road. You’ll pass a number of private cabins as you walk. Look for yellow blazes and a hiker sign on the left side of the road. Follow the path into shady woods. The trees are a mix of evergreens, maples, and white birches. It’s a peaceful setting and a gentle uphill. At 1 mile in, Coppermine Brook meets the trail’s right side.

The remainder of the hike stays close to the brook’s path, so this is a great hike if you enjoy the sound of bubbling water. There are lots of places to leave the trail and explore the boulder-strewn streambed. When we visited, water was running low, so it was easy to hop rocks and stand in the middle of the stream without getting wet.

At 2.2 miles, the trail crosses the stream via a sturdy wooden footbridge. Another .2 miles beyond the bridge, you’ll reach Coppermine Shelter and the base of Bridal Veil Falls. The shelter is a three-sided lean to for overnight campers. The falls are behind the shelter, tucked into a small cliffside. The falls drop several times over granite shelves. To get to the prettiest view of the waterfall, you have to cross the bottom pool and climb up one of the granite shelves.

The Coppermine Trail climbs gently and is only moderately rocky. This small bridge crosses the stream just a couple tenths of a mile before the falls. Below: Typical terrain for this hike; Stream scenery.

When we visited, the granite was really slippery from a brief rain the night before. We scrambled up to a viewpoint and surveyed the area. Adam wanted to climb even further up to another higher pool at the point where the falls take their largest plunge. We discussed the best route, as it looked a bit perilous and tricky.

While we were talking about the scramble to the top, my parent’s hiking guidebook, which I had set next to my backpack, went sliding down the rocks and into the water. It careened down two drops of the stream before settling in a eddy in the pool at the very bottom of the falls. CRAP – the book was full of years’ worth of handwritten hiking notes! Adam scrambled quickly back down to the bottom of the falls and retrieved it. It was completely sodden and I felt awful about not being more careful with it.

Adam eventually made it to the higher pool and took some closer photos of the falls, but worrying about the book kind of took the luster off the rest of the hike. Eventually, we headed back the way we came in. The hike back was quick and all downhill. When we got in the car, I turned the air conditioning on full blast to dry out the book’s pages before they stuck together. It was pretty hopeless, though.

Despite the mishap with the book, we enjoyed the hike and highly recommend it.

Adam Says…

This hike was one of the easiest hikes we have done in the area. The hike to the falls is uphill, but very gradual. We never felt out of breath on this one, so it may be a good one for a family hike. The recent rain had left some of the trail quite slippery, especially near the final climb up to the falls. When Christine mentioned it was slippery, we had to scramble on all fours to be able to make it up, because our feet could not find purchase on the slick rock.

This trail has an interesting, yet mysterious, past to it. After hiking about 1.2 miles on the Coppermine Trail (a couple of tenths after the brook and trail meet), there is a plaque on a large boulder in the streambed. While we didn’t see the plaque on our trip, we read about it later. To find the plaque, look for an area that has a steep slope down to a flat area. The boulder sticks out into the stream about halfway along the flat area and the plaque is facing downstream. The plaque states, “In Memoriam to Arthur Farnsworth ‘The Keeper of Stray Ladies’ Pecketts 1939 Presented by a Grateful One”. According to a 1987 Magnetic North article, there is an answer to the meaning behind this mysterious message. Arthur Farnsworth worked at a resort called Pecketts, located in Sugar Hill. Farnsworth’s job at Pecketts was to make his guests feel most comfortable. The actress, Bette Davis stayed there in 1939 to relax after a tiring filming schedule. Bette Davis fell in love with the beauty and anonymity of this area, feeling she could escape the burden of her fame. The story to be told here is that she strayed away from a hiking party on this trail and Arthur Farnsworth was sent to find her. They fell in love and were married in 1940 and moved to California, but often came back to the White Mountains to visit. In 1943, Farnsworth died from a fall at their Sugar Hill home. Bette Davis continued to visit this area afterwards, but eventually sold her home on Sugar Hill in 1961. This plaque showed up during this time.

As Christine mentioned, our hiking book fell into the water. To watch a book slowly go down the rocks and fall into the lower pool pictured above was worrisome. Knowing how long her parents had spent hand writing notes as a journal of all the hikes they had been on, we felt so terrible. Before we returned home with our soggy mess of a book, we stopped by the White Mountains Visitor Center and purchased two copies of the replacement book – AMC’s Best Day Hikes in the White Mountains. We bought two because we thought we would be permanently banned from borrowing books in the future. The book had been updated and now included a few more hikes. To try and make amends, I spent several hours that evening transferring all the notes from their previous book (miraculously still legible despite wet pages). Her parents were not upset, but I wanted to make sure we made it right.

We both highly recommend this hike if you want an easy day hike to do for a nice waterfall view. Just please keep your hiking book (or printouts from this website) in a safe place.

Trail Notes

Distance – 4.8 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 1100 ft.
Difficulty – 2. The climbing is gentle the whole way. The only challenge is scaling the rocks up to the base of the falls.
Trail Conditions – 4. This trail is only moderately rocky by New Hampshire standards.
Views – 0. There are no open views on this hike.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. The falls are small, but very pretty, The stream is also gorgeous. I wish we could have visited when there was more water running.
Wildlife – 2. Lots of birds and squirrels.
Ease to Navigate – 4. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow.
Solitude – 3. We saw a handful of people on our hike back, but had the falls to ourselves for almost half an hour.

Download a trail map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: Parking coordinates are: 44.180903, -71.755717. Make sure you park in the designated parking area and nowhere else. This is a private road.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Mt. Roberts (NH)

February 24, 2018September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

This 4.9 mile hike was such a pleasant surprise. Our hiking guide said there were views, but didn’t really mention how nice they were! The route had moderate grades and the most blueberries we’ve seen on any of our New England hikes.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Views from the Mount Roberts Hike — While Mount Roberts is a small peak, it offers great views of Lake Winnipesaukee. Below: The hike sets out on the grounds of Castle in the Clouds; Trails are well marked; The early part of the trail is very rocky!

Adam Says…

Since we did our big backpacking trip earlier in Vermont, we decided we would do a lot of easier hikes for the remainder of our trip to New England. We had been to Castle in the Clouds on a previous trip and there are a good number of hiking trails there that are maintained by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust. We saw a write-up about this hike in one of our hiking books, 50 More Hikes in New Hampshire, and decided to give it a try. We parked near the stables at the Castle in the Clouds. Walking up the road past the stables, the sign for the Mt. Roberts Trail was clearly labeled. We followed the trail which led us quickly into the woods and leads along the back side of the fenced-in stable property. The trail takes a sharp left and then a sharp right before you feel like you are really on a trail that is leading up a mountain.

In 1.2 miles you reach a side path that leads you to an area that is called Sunset Hill. It provides a great panoramic view of the valley below you, Lake Winnipesaukee, and mountains that range from the Belknap Range, Mount Kearsarge, Mount Cardigan, Squam Range, and Mount Moosilauke among many others. We talked to an older couple that were taking in the view and were local to the area. The husband talked about how he had been visiting this view for many years – its nice to have this as a place you can revisit. If you want to take a short hike or have small children, this may be a perfect family short out-and-back to do. After enjoying the view, we pressed on to the summit.

Ridge Walking — Most of the hike up Mount Roberts follows a ridgeline. Below: Adam makes his way along the granite ridge; Near the summit the trail goes back into a pine canopy; The summit.

The trail from this point began to be a little more steep, but overall we found it quite moderate. There were many times that the hike was in the open as we walked along rocky ridgeline, so keep an eye on the orange blazes painted on rocks to point where to go next. On the climb up, we noticed that most of the views were behind us, so we thought we would just press on and then enjoy most of the open views on the way back.

We reached the summit at 2.4 miles, which was marked by a sign in a cairn. The views from the summit were limited due to overgrowth around, but stepping on to the rocks gets you more of a view. As soon as we got to the summit marker, a snake darted out from the rocks so be careful where you step and place your hands. The view wasn’t as spectacular as what we had passed, so we made our way back after a short stay at the summit.

We noticed on our climb up, the abundance of blueberry bushes that were on the trail. We decided we would pick some to eat as a snack on the way back. I have never seen so many ripe, wild blueberries in one place than here. Everywhere we looked, there were blueberries and they were at the perfect ripeness – there is nothing like eating a snack provided by nature in a setting like this. On the way back, we took many more pictures and enjoyed the lake views from nice outcroppings.

We got back to our car at 4.9 miles and thought this was a perfect, easy hike that was much better than what we thought was described. I can see us visiting this hike often and I understand why that older couple keeps coming back. To finish the perfect day, we stopped by the Squam Lakeside, which serves our favorite lobster rolls with tons of fresh lobster and lime cream slushes.

Christine Says…

Adam described the hike really thoroughly, so I’ll chime in with just a few of my memories from the hike. The best part of the hike was the spectacular views on the hike down. It was like a mountain theater and truly breathtaking.

Another note – this hike was really popular with DOGS! I think we saw as many dogs as we did people along the way. From big labradors to jack russell terriers to a dachshund. After seeing one of the dogs make a ‘pit stop’ on the blueberries, it made me choose bushes that were far from from the trail to snack on.

Summit Views from Mount Roberts — You get great views of the Presidentials and Mount Chocorua from the summit of Roberts. Below: A great look at the rocky cone of Chocorua; Trail markers back to the castle grounds; This hike had so many blueberries!

Another thing that struck me on the early section of the hike was how tough the footing was to traverse safely. Climbing to Sunset Hill was a little bit steep, but the footing was the challenge. The area had a drought-y summer, so the dirt was loose and gritty. On top of the loose soil, there were lots of round, softball-sized stones. It was definitely ankle-turning terrain.

After we passed Sunset Hill, we came across a large group of backpackers from a girls’ summer camp. The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is packed with sleep-away camps. I was really glad to see such a big group of girls, campers and counselors alike, being exposed to overnight backpacking. When I was growing up, backpacking was typically something meant for boys. My Girl Scout troop’s camping trips were limited to cabins and platform tents. We learned to cook, do dishes, clean latrines, and make crafts. My first exposure to backpacking was a single overnight when I attended summer camp with the National Wildlife Federation the summer after my fourth grade year. After that, I never had the opportunity to backpack again until I was an adult. It’s something I truly love and I wish I’d started years before. Seeing all these girls on the trail also made me wonder how this hike hooks into the larger trail network in the area… something I plan to research!

Views on the Way Down Roberts — You get great views looking toward the lake on the way down. Below: A moment to enjoy the lake view; Shuttles and the castle’s stable grounds; Post hike lunch of lobster rolls!

I guess another favorite memory from this hike was the great view of Mt. Chocorua and the Presidentials from the summit of Roberts. Yes… the mountains were far off and the view wasn’t panoramic, but those mountains are super impressive even at a distance. Mt. Chocorua was especially breathtaking from this angle, as you could really see the sheer stone cone of its summit.

And finally… who can forget lobster rolls! Squam Lakeside finds a way to pack about two full lobsters’ worth of tender meat onto a hot dog roll for each of their sandwiches. They’re nothing short of glorious!

Trail Notes

Distance – 4.9 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 1320 ft.
Difficulty – 2.5. With a short elevation gain, we never found this trail to be very tough. There are a few rocky areas, but they are short-lived.
Trail Conditions – 4. The Lakes Region Conservation Trust does a great job maintaining this trail. We never experienced any blow-downs or overgrown areas on the trail.
Views – 4.5. The Lake Winnipesaukee views were outstanding. Views from the summit were a bit disappointing, but you have plenty of other spots to enjoy on the way up.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 3. Watch out for snakes on the exposed rocks. Lots of bird watching to be done from the rocky overlooks also.
Ease to Navigate – 3.5. The trail was mostly easy to follow, but we did have to watch for some of the blazes on the open areas.
Solitude – 3. This is a popular hike in the summer. With that being said, there is plenty of space at the views to carve out your personal space if needed.

Download a trail map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: Parking coordinates are: 43.732003, -71.324513. This is the hiker parking lot at Castle in the Clouds.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Rocky Bald (NC)

November 26, 2017September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park
(while Rocky Bald is technically outside GSMNP, it’s still part of the greater Smokies region)

This hike turned out to be a fantastic “plan B” after the weather at the higher elevations turned out to be overcast and drizzly with gusting winds. This section of Appalachian Trail was scenic with moderate grades and two nice vistas. The out-and-back route clocked in at just under six miles with 1,700′ of climbing.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Christine Says…

We initially planned to do the Blackrock Mountain hike at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, but unsettled weather forced us to find an alternative hike that stayed below the cloud shelf. We skimmed our hiking books and searched a few websites before settling on an Appalachian Trail section in Nantahala National Forest. The hike started at Tellico Gap, which is also the trailhead for the Wesser Bald hike. We parked our car and made our way south along the white-blazed Appalachian Trail.

The terrain in this area was interesting because the road leading up to Tellico Gap had been the fire line during the cataclysmic forest fires that burned during fall 2016. One side of the road was burned, while the other side was practically untouched. At the parking lot, it was easy to see that the trail headed north to Wesser Bald was heavily charred and damaged, with entire hillsides of mountain laurel and rhododendron laid to waste. Fortunately, the trail headed south from Tellico toward Rocky Bald was still green, fern-covered and lush.

The trail began climbing pretty quickly and steadily, as it so often does when you leave a gap. At 1.5 miles into the hike, we passed the Big Branch Campsite on the right side of the trail. There was space for about four tents, a register log/box, a fire pit, and a water source. There are full shelters a few miles both north and south of the campsite, so I imagine the site is mostly in place to accommodate overflow during the busy thru-hiker season.

After we passed the campsite, the trail began to level out and follow a ridgeline. In .2 miles, we reached a blue-blazed spur trail to the left leading to the viewpoint at Rocky Bald. The trail climbed for about a tenth of a mile over a wide shelf of rock before reaching another fringe of trees. There were a few dry campsites tucked in to flat spots between the trees. At the outer edge of the line of trees, there was a rocky ledge with a log bench and an excellent vista. There was sunshine, but there were also many fast-moving low clouds. We weren’t sure how long the conditions would stay clear and dry, so we moved on to visit the next viewpoint.

Trailside Camp — This trailside campsite had a water source, tent space, and a log book.

The next vista was another 1.2 miles south along the Appalachian Trail. It was all ridge walking, so the terrain was rolling and fairly easy without any big climbs or descents. Our guidebook called the next view Copper Ridge Bald. It wasn’t really a bald. It was just a rock jumble with a partly obstructed view. If you’re hiking for scenery, I’d probably suggest hiking to Rocky Bald and skipping the second view – it just wasn’t that impressive. We stopped at the second view and ate lunch and watched the clouds thicken. When we started to hear distant rumbles of thunder, we decided it was time to head back.

The return hike was quick and almost completely downhill. We flew along the trail and made it back to the car in half the time it took us to climb up. Even though it wasn’t the day we planned, everything worked out perfectly.

Adam Says…

Christine mentioned that this was a “plan B” hike, but I thought I would elaborate on the “plan A”. We drove for about an hour along the Blue Ridge Parkway early in the morning to get started on our hike. However, there was heavy fog just about the entire drive up. We got to the trailhead and pulled the car over. I got out to try and find the trailhead, which was a challenge since at this point you could only see about ten feet in front of you. After we finally found the trailhead, we decided to see if we could wait a bit to see if the fog would lift. On some of these high elevations, the fog can blow over and clear out in a few minutes. So, we waited about an hour and there was no lifting. We knew we needed to do something else. The week that we were in North Carolina, we felt the weather was spotty and there were lots of low hanging clouds, so we ended up doing lots of lower elevation hikes to try and embrace what nature was allowing. So, we drove another hour and a half to get to a hike we hadn’t done yet.

We got to the Tellico Gap parking lot and it was a little more packed than we were accustomed – likely due to our now later start. We got a parking spot and then headed south on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail. The trail was an uphill slog for the entire way to Rocky Bald, but the green and lush forest around us gave us nice scenery along the way. After we passed the campsite to the right, we arrived at the side trail to Rocky Bald at 1.7 miles. We took this side trail to Rocky Bald, which was a steep scramble up to the viewpoint. The viewpoint was marked with a nice log bench to sit on and view miles of mountains in front of us through the natural window. We took in the sites and decided to press on to Copper Ridge Bald. We rejoined the AT and continued south. This terrain was a fairly flat ridgeline. 1.2 miles away we reached the small overlook for Copper Ridge Bald. There was enough space for two of us to eat a snack, but the view was not as grand since some of the area was a bit overgrown. We questioned if we had reached the correct viewpoint so I scouted ahead and came across a hiker with his dog that said there were no viewpoints for the next bit. So, I returned and we ate our lunch (now joined by the dog begging for scraps) at Copper Ridge Bald. After eating, we made our way back the way we came and arrived back at our car quickly.

Ferns — The walk to the second view was pretty. Below: The second view marked in our guidebook wasn’t as nice; Stopping at Wesser Brew and BBQ for beers after our hike; It’s our favorite outdoor riverside bar.

This was definitely a “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” hike or maybe “when nature gives you fog over high mountains, go lower” is a better description. It wasn’t our original plan, but we had the ability to do some quick thinking and make a plan with what nature provided. When we do a lot of hiking on our vacation trips, we usually make a list of several hikes and pick what we want to do that morning. We didn’t have as much time to plan on this trip, so we had to do some “on the spot” planning. While it was a bit stressful to do so, we made a great decision and were rewarded with some nice views (and beat the impending rain storm). After the hike, we stopped at Wesser Brew and BBQ at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and enjoyed a beer under shelter by the riverside while the rain came down.

Trail Notes

Distance – 5.8 miles, round trip, out-and-back
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 1709 feet
Difficulty – 3.5. The climbing is steady but always moderate.
Trail Conditions – 4.5. This is well-maintained, nicely graded Appalachian Trail
Views – 4. The views are nice, but not panoramic.
Streams/Waterfalls – 1. There is a water source at the campsite, but there are no scenic streams or waterfalls.
Wildlife – 2. Your regular assortment of birds, squirrels, and chipmunks.
Ease to Navigate – 4.5. The trail is well-blazed and easy to follow. Look for blue blazes at the spur trail to Rocky Bald.
Solitude – 3. We saw a few section hikers and a few day hikers, but the trail was generally lightly trafficked.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From Bryson City, follow US 19/74 for 20 miles. Turn left on Wayah Road and follow it for five miles. Turn left on Otter Creek Road and drive 4.1 miles to Tellico Gap. The road is paved for the first 2.8 miles. At the crest of the hill, you will see the AT crossing and several parking spots. Follow the signs to Wesser Bald and Tellico Gap.

Category: medium hike

The Boulder Loop (NH)

Trail Notes

Mt. Kearsarge (NH)

Trail Notes

Blackrock (NC)

Trail Notes

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

The Pinnacle (NC)

Trail Notes

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Waonaze Peak

Trail Notes

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Kinsman Trail to Bald Peak (NH)

Trail Notes

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North and Middle Sugarloaf (NH)

Trail Notes

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Coppermine Trail to Bridal Veil Falls (NH)

Trail Notes

Download a trail map (PDF)

Mt. Roberts (NH)

Trail Notes

Download a trail map (PDF)

Rocky Bald (NC)

Trail Notes

Download a Trail Map (PDF)