The Upper Valley Land Trust recently conserved a large area of forest on the slopes of Stonehouse Mountain in nearby Orford, NH. It’s not a well-known peak – indeed, its tree-covered summit doesn’t quite poke above 2,000′ and offers no views. But when I learned they had laid out a new hiking trail to its top, and realized it was a short drive from my home, I had the urge to investigate. The advent of fall leaf-season was the clincher. Read on.
It’s a short hike – not quite one mile each way – but it’s a pleasant climb through the hardwood forest and, on this day, some of the early fall color is showing. The trail was littered with their red and yellow leaves. I particularly liked this tiny leave – perhaps an inch long – snagged during its fall on the scaly bark of a neighboring tree.
As we near the summit, the trail meanders through a dark forest of moss-covered fir trees. Bright blue blazes nailed to the trees ensure we can follow the path, year-round. (I’ll surely come back in winter!)
We might easily have missed the summit – the trail appears to head straight onward, along the summit ridge – but a timely glance to the left allowed me to spot this sign next to a moss-covered rock that, apparently, is the high point.
Hike stats:
Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
Distance: 1.7 miles (2.7km)
Gain: 644 feet (196m)
David Kotz 