Walking up Mount Wachusett (Princeton, MA)

Views of Boston (35 miles away), cars, birders, picnic tables, a pond (rumor has it it's usually stocked with koi), and port-a-toilets greet you when you reach the summit of Mt. Wachusett. It's a very easy walk, easily done in sneakers. We walked through a birch forest, then a conifer forest, then a mixed deciduous forest (with maple trees). Despite the time of year, very few trees were in fall colors; as in the Boston area, most trees' leaves are simply turning brown, crinkling up and falling off. The result, no doubt, of the warm nights and lack of rain.

We saw a turkey vulture and red-tailed hawk soaring at the summit. Several birders with their scopes identified the bird sitting on the fire tower as a red-tailed hawk. It's no surprise that Mt. Wachusett is an official hawk watch site.

AMC Narraganset Chapter's Linda Pease, who was the kayaking guide at the Squam Lakes weekend, led the hike today with Yvonne Federowicz and Mike.

~6 miles; ~900 ft. elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Wachusett = 2,006 feet
Route: Stage Coach Trail (from Westminster Road) and Harrington Trail to the summit; then a figure eight loop via Old Indian Head, West Side, Semuhenna, Harrington, Jack Frost, High Meadow and Echo Lake trails back to the trailhead.

Crawford Path to Mts. Pierce, Eisenhower & Monroe

The Crawford Path ascends at moderate grade from the parking lot (across from the AMC Highland Center on Route 302) to the summit of Mt. Pierce. It's a far easier way to reach the Presidential Range than the Caps Ridge Trail to Mt. Jefferson. Once you've made it to Mt. Pierce on the Crawford Trail, the raging wind (approaching 50mph or more) is a constant companion, threatening to knock you down in spots. The incessant wind continues along the entire stretch of the Crawford Path -- essentially along the entire ridge to Mts. Eisenhower and Monroe. If the weather cooperates, and yesterday it did, you can see the summits of the entire Presidential Range, including Mt. Washington. It was a "beyond perfect" day; the expansive views are the best in the White Mountains, in my opinion. But so much depends on the weather; I know many hikers haven't been so lucky. When we were on Eisenhower, the views toward Mt. Washington were unimpeded... not a cloud in the sky!

Mt. Monroe can be summited from the southwest via the Mt. Monroe loop, or from the northeast from the Lake of the Clouds hut. Either way it's a challenge to battle the wind and stay on the steep, rocky path.

The Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail would clearly be a better trail to ascend than descend: it requires some scrambling and BIG steps to get down. But it's still no match for the much more difficult (i.e., more scrambling) Caps Ridge Trail.

Leaders Nelson Caraballo and Don Provencher were excellent, giving AMC's Boston Chapter a good name! The pace was excellent: a "talk while you walk" pace. I'd like to hike with them again.

9.8 miles; 3,750 ft. elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Pierce = 4,312'; Mt. Eisenhower = 4,760'; Mt. Monroe = 5,372'
Route: Crawford Path to Mt. Pierce and Mt. Eisenhower; Mt. Eisenhower Loop to Mt. Eisenhower summit; Crawford Path to Mt. Monroe; Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail down from Mt. Monroe to Base Road

Red Hill via Eagle Cliff Trail (Squam Lake, NH)

Some stunning views of Squam Lake are available from several locations along the Eagle Cliff Trail (see photo), as well as 360 degree views on the top of Red Hill from the fire tower. Both the Eagle Cliff Trail and the Red Hill Trail meander through deciduous woods, with only a few ascending sections, giving the hiker grand views for a moderate effort. Car spotting is necessary.

4.3 miles; 1,200 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Red Hill = 2,033 foot
Route: Eagle Cliff Trail to Red Hill, then Red Hill Trail

An easy walk in the woods near Squam Lake, NH

Christine and I and 8 others staying at Camp Deerwood in Holderness, NH braved the rain and cool temperature on Saturday morning, Sept. 15th, to do a nice walk in the woods--the Crawford Ridgepole Trail. Despite the rain, the trail was fairly solid underfoot, with few rocks or roots causing it to be slippery. In fact, it was a very easy walk, with a nice, level grade. Virtually no elevation gain. It is entirely in the woods, with only one view of Squam Lake (see photo). Our walk took a little more than 5 hours. Thanks to AMC leaders Herb Kingsbury and Dave Forman.

~5 miles. <500 foot elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Morgan = 2,220 foot (not attained)
Route: Old Mountain Road to Crawford Ridgepole Trail to Mt. Morgan Trail (ending at Route 113)