Hikes – Page 5 – David Kotz

Percy Peaks

My third hike in three days – again, with limited views.

They say the third time’s the charm. Two days ago I hiked to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain, nestled among the rolling hills and bogs of Nash Stream Forest in northern New Hampshire. Though I had waited out the rainstorm before hiking, the low clouds clung to the nearby peaks and the summit offered limited views. Yesterday, sunny weather with cloudless skies offered better luck for our hike to Mount Magalloway, whose fire tower provides wide views into Canada, Vermont, Maine, and the northern-most tip of New Hampshire… only to be foiled by dense wildfire smoke drifting in from faraway Manitoba.

Views from North Percy Peak on a cloudy, rainy day.

Today we struck out to climb the Percy Peaks, a pair of notable nubbins just downstream from Sugarloaf in the Nash Stream Forest. (I had a view of these paired peaks two days ago.)

Mount Magalloway

Irony: this fire tower’s views were obscured by smoke from wildfires.

The afternoon sun burned hot overhead as we bumped along miles of remote dirt roads, in the far northern corner of New Hampshire. We were aiming for one of the most remote peaks on the “52 with a view” list – Mount Magalloway. This steep-sided peak has a commanding view of the rolling hills of northern New Hampshire, a sparsely populated region that has long been an important source of timber and pulp. A coalition of timber-management companies built this fire tower in 1935, where a fire warden would keep a keen eye out for the emergence of any fires – which could clearly be devastating to their business.

Jon and the views from the fire tower on Mount Magalloway.

Sugarloaf Mountain

Another 52WAV without a view.

As I sat in my car waiting for the rain to let up, while parked far up a remote dirt road in northern New Hampshire, I read again the description of the trail I was about to follow. It was quite steep, apparently, but this small peak promised strong views in almost every direction. Read on and check out the photo gallery!

View from the summit of Sugarloaf mountain, Groveton NH.

Profile Falls

A beautiful scene just outside Bristol NH.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, so we took a road-trip to Bristol NH, about an hour from home. Our long loop drive took us through some beautiful New Hampshire countryside, with a stop at a new Mexican restaurant, Cielito, in Bristol. (Recommended!)

I thought perhaps there might be some interesting waterfalls along this route, so I checked my friend Eli Burakian’s book Hiking New England Waterfalls for some ideas.

Mount Shaw

Another 52WAV peak – this time, with a view!

After two weeks of unusually hot and humid weather, a proper summer’s day finally arrived here in New Hampshire! The forecast was for clear skies and cool-to-moderate temperatures – and my morning calendar was blank – so I headed for Mount Shaw, the highest point in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. I’d had my eye on this peak for a while, and today was a perfect day for it. I encountered nobody on my 90-minute climb to the summit – no humans, that is… but read on for my encounter with the mountain’s ursine inhabitant!

View of the White Mountains from Mount Shaw.

Sandwich and Jennings

Two peaks with famous views, on a day without views.

As I drove past Mount Cube on NH Route 25A, early this morning, I noted that the cloud deck was low. Very low. Indeed, all the way down to the road! The view of Mount Moosilauke, to which drivers are treated as they round the bend at the height of land on this sector of Route 25A, was simply a wall of white. And the subsequent view of Mount Cube – although it is much closer – was a fuzzy mix of green hillside and puffy white clouds, some of which touched the road in front of me. I was headed for a hike, deeper in the White Mountains, in hopes of summiting two of the peaks on the “52 With a View” list. These steamy morning conditions did not portend well for good views today. Read on to see what happened!

Mount Cube

An early-summer outing to an old reliable.

One of my favorite, go-to hikes is Mount Cube, a pretty little bump along the Appalachian Trail north of my home in Lyme New Hampshire. Not quite 3,000′ in elevation, it nonetheless earns a spot on the “52 with a view” list of high peaks in New Hampshire because it has a delightful view to the west and northwest, from the Connecticut River valley in the foreground to the Green Mountains of Vermont in the background. Read on!

Moosilauke

Revisiting old friends at our beloved lodge.

It’s always a pleasure to return to Mount Moosilauke, and especially to Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. One of my best friends – from our student days in the Dartmouth Outing Club – was visiting from Australia. I joined a group of common friends at the Lodge on Friday evening for dinner and conversation. The evening was cool and the skies were clear as we watched the first stars appear in the late twilight of summer solstice. This morning, we stoked up on a hearty Lodge breakfast before striking out on the Gorge Brook trail for our ascent to the summit. The skies were sunny, with a light breeze and mild temperatures, a perfect day for a hike. Read on!

A stream on Snapper Trail, Mount Moosilauke.

Aspen

A return visit to a beautiful place!

I was delighted to again have the opportunity to spend a week in Aspen, Colorado, at a small workshop hosted by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAA&S) for leaders in higher education. It was a fascinating workshop, this year – as you might imagine, given the impact of federal actions may have on the future of higher education in this country – but in this blog I will focus on my outdoor activities while in Aspen. Read on!

Lupine, decorated with raindrops – Aspen Colorado.

Wandering the spring forest

When you really pay attention, you notice the small beauties of the forest.

I try to get out at least once a week into the forests of Lyme, NH, where I live. Regular readers see my videos from wildlife cameras placed at undisclosed locations in the woods. Although I enjoy witnessing the secret life of Lyme wildlife, and sharing it with you all, I mostly enjoy the opportunity to wander, off trail, with no particular destination in mind. The month of May adds the opportunity to enjoy small wonders along the way.