Mt. Cabot, North Country, NH

For my first hike in New Hampshire's North Country, I joined the NH Chapter of AMC and ascended the region's highest summit. Mt. Cabot is the North Country's highest 4,000 footer. This bagged peak was particularly special because it was Leslie Greer's final 4,000-footer -- Mt. Cabot was her 48th!

I wonder just how many 4,000 footers I've actually done? Perhaps I should count them....

A treed summit, Mt. Cabot offers some views both from the cabin a few hundred feet below the summit and from a viewpoint looking eastward about half-way up the Kilkenny Ridge Trail.

Thanks to Bob Janukowicz (aka "Pilgrim") and Norm Michaels (the weatherman) for leading the hike!

9.6 miles,~2,700' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Cabot = 4,170 feet high
Route: Unknown Pond Trail to Bunnell Notch Trail to Kilkenny Ridge Trail
3-1/2 hrs to Cabot Cabin; 7-1/2 hours to Mt. Cabot and back

Haunted Hiking in NH - Madame Sherri Forest

The estate of Madame Sherri is meant to be haunted. It is in ruins today, but in its time it was an exotic stone castle in Chesterfield, NH that was the summer home of Madame Antoinette Sherri, an eccentric Parisian singer who is rumored to have had a pet monkey and visited town wearing nothing but her fur coat.

I didn't hear any, but some visitors to this forest report hearing voices, music and the sounds of parties from a long time passed. Occasionally a visitor will even encounter the ghost of Madame Sherrie, beautiful and young, gracefully descending the stone stairway which still stands today.

The outdoor pool she built is so massive it looks like a pond. It's overgrown now, but it's easy to imagine what it was like in the 1920s when it was built with the house.

From the ruined estate, the Ann Stokes Loop is a pleasant 2-mile hike featuring exceptional views of Vernon Yankee (from East Hill ledge) and of Indian Pond (not a good swimming spot; it's reportedly full of leeches!) You can also reach the summits of either Daniels Mtn or Wantastiquet Mountain.

Wantastiquet Mountain (near Brattleboro, NH)

I couldn't remember this Indian name until I learned of this mnemonic device - I "Wanna- stick - it- in". Now I remember it!

For modest elevation gain, one gets some very nice vistas, including Monadnock and Stratton Mountains:

1) From East Hill ( a ledge looking south), you can see Northridge Mtn.
2) From Mine Ledge, you can see Mt. Monadnock
3) from Wantastiquet (the ledge at the Walter H. Child monument), you can see Brattleboro, the Connecticut and West Rivers, the Brattleboro Meadows (by the Retreat), Haystack Mountain and Stratton Mountain (the Meadows and Stratton are pictured).

Highlights were beautiful Indian Pond (with lots of leeches), Mine Ledge and the views over Brattleboro from the ledge with the Child Monument.

Thanks to AMC leader Lisa K. (not pictured) for leading the hike with Bridget, me, Betty Anne, Bridget's father Don and Pat (not pictured).

~6 miles, ~1,100 foot elevation gain
Summit: Wantastiquet Mountain = 1,350 feet
Trailhead: Madame Sherri Parking lot (on Gulf Road)
Route: Ann Stokes Loop SE toward Daniels Mtn, and then NW over East Hill (scenic view), around Indian Pond, and then west to Mine Ledge (scenic view) and the ledge with the Child Monument, then down Wantastiquet Mtn. to the Wal-Mart parking area (and Mountain Road trailhead)

Quincy Quarries' Rock Climbers and Boston City Views

After a brisk 6-mile hike around the Blue Hills today, our AMC group took a side trip to Quincy Quarries. As it was a beautiful sunny day, there were quite a few rock climbers there. Today the Quincy Quarries are known as an excellent place to rock climb. And about 10% of the Big Dig's dirt was used to fill in the largest quarry.

In their heyday, the quarries yielded granite that was used to:

1) Build Boston's King's Chapel in 1749-1754. King's Chapel, is still standing on the corner of School and Tremont Streets in Boston and was at that time the greatest stone construction ever undertaken in Boston, and possibly in the country.
2) Build the Bunker Hill Monument.
3) Build the country's first railroad, in 1826. The railroad was used to transport the 3,000 tons of Quincy Granite used in the Bunker Hill Monument to the water. The raised bed of the old railroad is still visible in the woods near the quarry.

The granite was prized for it's seeming imperviousness to the elements and the fact that when it was polished or sandblasted, the text was much clearer and longer-lasting than when it was hammered.

It's unfortunate that there's so much graffiti on the rock faces. But at least the rusting hulks of old cars and bodies were fished out several years ago when the Big Dig dirt was piled there.

Mt. Pemigewasset - like an old friend

This moderate hike provides an excellent outlook for relatively little effort. I've done it countless times over the years, and it never disappoints.

The White Mountain Guide says that the true summit is just beyond the first ledges and a bit to the left. Most people don't venture to this side and look northeast, and that's unfortunate because they miss the best views -- the entire Lafayette Ridge, from (right to left) Mt. Lafayette (5,260' high).

This trail is ideal for families with children. And I was pleased to see so many parents with their kids on this trail.

Note: Hike done and this blog post written on 9/8/09.

3.6 miles, 1,250 foot elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Pemigewasset = 2,557 feet
Route: Mount Pemigewasset Trail

Geocaching near Sabbaday Falls, NH

On Sunday, in addition to hiking around Sabbaday Falls, a beautiful must-see 5-level cascading waterfall off of the Kancamangus Highway (Rte. 112) in the White Mountains region of NH, we did some geocaching. In all, we found 6 geocaches in about an hour and a half.

Near the falls, we picked up four: Sabbaday Falls, Sabbaday Falls Cache, Sabbaday Brook, and Sabbaday Picnic Area.

Off of the Downes Brook Trail, we found two -- Blackheart Joe's Revenge and Hidey Hole. (We took the wrong trail so we actually bushwhacked for more than 0.2 miles to get to the first one. Oops!)

And right on the Kanc is the hide, Beautiful Memories. Everyone should try to get this one because it showcases a beautiful section of the river that would otherwise be missed.

With these additional finds, I am now up to 49 caches found in 9 states and Peru.

Hard to believe, but we walked a total of 4 miles between the walk on the trail and geocaching!

Beebe Falls & Mt. Israel in NH's Lakes Region

This hike is an easy ascent via a relatively easy path (i.e., not as rock and boulder-strewn or rough as most White Mountain trails). Highlights include excellent views of the lakes, Mt. Mousilaukee, the Tripyramids and Mt. Chocurua. And if you're (un)lucky, a black bear!

We started the hike not at the beginning of the Wentworth Trail, which is the traditional trailhead for this approach to Mt. Israel, but about a half a mile away near Beebe Falls. The falls are quite unusual in that the water falls down a vast surface of relatively smooth granite, perhaps 50 yards across, into a pool of water that's all less than knee deep and extremely calm. It would be a fantastic place for children to play safely in the water, with no eddies or currents.

The side trail before the summit provides a lookout area with a lovely view northwest -- of the lakes in the area's famed Lakes Region and Mt. Moosilaukee, which dominates the horizon.

Beware of black bear in the area. A hiker we met on the trail just before the lookout had just accidentally come face to face with one. He said the bear was just as surprised as he was, and fortunately for everyone, the bear scampered away. No one seemed to see the bear for the rest of the day at least.

We mistook the ridge, just before the peak, as the summit, and ate lunch and enjoyed the view there. We fortunately learned of our mistake from another hiker. Another 5-10 minutes on the trail, and we hit the actual summit (marked by a 5' high cairn). The unmistakable jagged rock profile of Mt. Chocurua is one of the highlights of the view, as well as the Tripyramids to its left.

Word of warning: Don't drive the western part of North Sandwich Road to the trailhead -- unless you have a high-clearance vehicle. The "road" is actually a rough dirt road that's very poorly graded. My Audi bottomed out on several occasions because of deep ruts and potholes.

5.75 miles,~1,700' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Israel = 2,260 feet high
Route: Trail from Beebe Falls (near Bear Camp) to Wentworth Trail