Mt. Kearsage North Winter Hike

It was a gorgeous day with blue skies to kick off spring! Dozens of other hikers and their dogs on the trail. On the icy side so MicroSpikes were a must. The Fire Tower was in great condition. This hike is so much fun in any season! Up and back was 6.25 miles.  Views were excellent, Mt. Washington was clear.   Clear views 360 over to Maine and its lakes, Mt. Chocorua and the Ossipee’s, and Franconia Ridge to the top of the Waterville Valley ski area and further south!

A superb viewpoint on the eastern side of the Whites from firetower, taking in 36 four thousand footers!

Mt. Kearsage North [3268'] is an open ledgy summit featuring panoramic views is most directions. We'll utilize the Mt. Kearsage Trail up and back. While the distance to the summit is fairly short, the significant elevation gain compressed into that distance puts this climb on par with many 4,000 footers.    

Total Distance and Elevation Gain:  6.2 miles with approximately 2600 feet in accumulative elevation gain.

We will be hiking in winter conditions at a moderate pace with time to enjoy the scenery. There will be ice and snow. First day of spring so who knows what we'll encounter but bringing snowshoes will be highly recommended...be prepared to strap them on your pack with bungee cords in the event the ground is bare at the start with more snow higher up. If you don’t own a pair of snowshoes, you can always rent them from your local outdoor gear shop. Otherwise we'll use light traction devices. Light traction can be either Kahtoola MicroSpikes or Hillsounds Crampons that can purchased from your local outdoor outfitter such as REI or EMS; or online. 

Please have the appropriate gear/clothing to hike this time of year and the appropriate amount of layers to keep your core body warm. We recommend WINTER hiking boots, MicroSpikes, wool hat, gloves, hand warmers, rain/wind gear, warm layers, HEADLAMP and NO COTTON. Carry at least 2 liters of water, lunch and snacks.

Event Coordinators: Mike Boisvert and Jon Normand