Mount Monadnock via Pumpelly Trail

It was an absolutely wonderful, fun and carefree day for the five us hiking the challenging, 9-mile Pumpelly Trail on Mount Monadnock!  Although the weather was predicted to be mostly cloudy, it actually turned out to be mostly sunny with some clouds, making for excellent hiking conditions and breathtaking views all around us.  The hike is a stenuous one, mainly because of its length (it's the longest trail up the Mount by far) and one long, very steep stretch of the trail.  Also, there's a lot of climbing over exposed and sometimes, short, steep stretches on the massively exposed summit area.  Although we didn't encounter too many people on the trail (except for hop-scotching with one family with cute rug-rats!), the summit of the Mount was a bit crowded, as it tends to be on a good day - after all, it's the second most hiked mountain in the world (after Mount Fujiyama in Japan)!  The views from the top were staggeringly beautiful - and Jeff made a good attempt to identify the numerous distant peaks to the north and east, including Mount Ascutney and the White Mountains.  Our nice, restful lunch stop was followed by the long descent - and the panoramic views were even more breathtaking and awesome on the way down!  After the long, 7-hour hike we finally reached the trailhead at about 5 pm and had a much-deserved rest over a little tail-gating with cider, beers and munchies.  What a great adventure with great guys - Ricardo, Russ, Jeff and Mark!  Ed   

Spectacular Mount Monadnock is one of the most climbed mountains in the world. It's so famous that a geological term was named after it - a "monadnock" is defined as "an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain." It attracts many, many hikers each year, which can make some trails busy.  That said, please join Ricardo and I on the route to the summit via the scenic, 9-mile Pumpelly Trail, the longest trail on the mountain - and one of the least popular!  The trail ascends the Pumpelly Ridge, the mountain's long, northeastern extension. The first 1.75 miles of the trail is a moderate hike through gradually rising woodlands, but the rest of the trail has numerous steep - and at times difficult - ascents, including the final mile over open ledges on the ridge to the summit. This is where the trail will provide us with constant, spectacular and panoramic views.  Following our hike we'll do a little tailgating to wind down and relax.  Please bring your favorite beverage and munchie to share for that.

This will be a STRENUOUS and LONG 9 mile hike, taking approximately 7 hours (with breaks).  You will have to be prepared for that and be in good condition for it.  Bring plenty of water, food and sunblock - the trail is long and dry and a large part is exposed.  Hiking boots (broken in) are a must.  The summit can be very windy and cool, so please bring a warm layer to wear for that.