Mt. Monadnock

Mark and I had a brilliant day hiking up Monadnock.  The morning temps were in the low 30's with a blue sky and crisp New England feel to the air.  From the visitor's center we started up White Dot and quickly made our way to the Cascade Link Trail to connect with Red Spot.  From Red Spot we ascended from 2000 to 3000 feet and connected with Pumpelly trail to the summit.  It was brisk, cool and windy - Classic New England!!

Given how quickly we reached the summit Mark and I decided to shift the day and descend via the White Arrow Trail.  It started steep but we quickly got below the tree line and soon fell into a more moderate decline.  We lunched in the "Amphitheatre" where we were entertained by a red squirrel who sure had something to say.  Perched on a rock and letting us know we disrupted his environment,  he skirted away before I got the photo opportunity.  We resumed making our way down.

In keeping with the spirit of the day, we again shifted and took a short detour to tag Monte Rosa - why not, we were there!  (Truly, Mark was a trooper, I was really shifting the day!!)  From Monte Rosa we made our way down to the Old Toll Road and a short distance later we picked up the Parker Trail.  On the Parker Trail we met an interesting couple, she from Chile and he from Japan - neither appeared to speak the others language and neither spoke English but the gentleman from Japan insisted we get a photo with the woman from Chile! Roughly a half mile later, we found ourselves back at the visitors center.

We started at 9am and finished at 3:30pm - we had a great day, hiked at a decent pace and enjoyed the views, nature and a brilliant sunny day.

Hi Guys… I invite you to join me for a fun hike up Mt. Monadnock.  A quick look at my recent events attended and you will see I’ve been having much fun taking advantage of the New Hampshire White Mountain Region.  For the next few weeks I am unable to get away and so I’m leaning on reliable Monadnock for a little fresh air and exercise for something closer to home.  I also want to break in my new hiking boots and gear!!

The mountain has an elevation of 3,165 feet and offers outstanding views on the clearest of New England days.  From the peak you can see faint skyline views of Boston, MA.  I last hiked the mountain in January 2015.

Monadnock can be described as a moderate to strenuous hike.  At this time of the year conditions can vary from dry to wet to possible ice and/or snow.  Anticipate colder temps at the summit, possibly strong winds.  You should have proper footwear, micro spikes in the event of some ice, and proper clothing for layering to stay warm.  This is approximately 4.5 miles and we’ll allow for 4 to 5 hours of casual hiking.

We will meet at the visitor center, hike a short distance up white dot trail, cut over to Red Spot Trail, connect with Pumpelly and summit. We’ll lunch at the top and descend the white cross trail.

This is a SUNDAY hike…. Come prepared, plenty of water, snacks and layered clothing – NO COTTON.