Trip/Event Location: Albany, NHUS
Trip Leader(s): dpbyrnes
Max # People: 10
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Strenuous
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-hampshire/mount-tripyramid-via-pine-bend-brook-trail This hike hits three 4000 footers, North Peak [4180], Middle Peak [4140] and South Peak [4100] with some
Parallel Parking is on the roadsides of the Kancamagus Highway (NH Route 112) where the Pine Bend Trail head starts. The trailhead (Coordinates: 44.001728, -71.413359) is about 1 mile west of the Sabbaday Falls Picnic Area. Space is limited and first-come, first-served. Most hikers park on the north side of the highway where there is a wider pull-off. Parking on the south side is pretty tight to the road. The trailhead is on the south side of the highway. There are no restrooms or potable water at this trailhead. The nearest restrooms are at the Sabbaday Falls Picnic Area just to the east. Sabbaday Falls also has a trailhead and parking lot so if a lot of folks sign up we might spot a car there.
It was a beautiful morning drive up Rt 16 for me to get to the trailhead. Fred, Russell, Mo and I set out to tackle three of New Hampshire's 4000-footers in a single out-and-back push on the Tripyramids: North Peak (4,180'), Middle Peak (4,140'), and South Peak (4,100'). Although there was a low-ish possibility of rain, the day was perfect (albeit with a cloud cover for half the time) for hiking - comfortable temperatures with a steady breeze throughout the day,
The journey began easily on the Pine Bend Brook Trail. The first two miles were nearly flat, keeping our heart rates low as we navigated several minor water crossings. Right around the 2-mile mark, we officially crossed into the Sandwich Range Wilderness. After entering the wilderness area, the trail tracked alongside the brook bed before throwing its first real challenge at us. The path angled up into a rugged steep slope, grinding continuously until we reached the junction with the Scaur Ridge Trail.
From the junction, we enjoyed a brief, highly-welcomed ridge walk that let us catch our breath. It didn’t last long, though—the trail soon kicked back up for a final, steep scramble to the summit of North Tripyramid. Once there, traversing to Middle & South was relatively easy in comparison and we made good time overall for the day. We started around 8am and back by 3pm.
After tagging the wooded summit of South Tripyramid, we reversed our direction to retrace our steps and backtracked to the North summit for lunch, then headed back down. There are no spectacular views on this hike but the trails themselves are really pretty (especially the ridge) and much easier to climb/navigate than your typical 4000 footer (perhaps the nicest NH hike out there is). Plus there was a surprisingly large number of fellow hikers and the views of many of them more than made up for the lack of summit views. And Fred could cross of 3 peaks on his list. All around a great day.
This route would make a nice winter hike and also is a good moderate hike for folks starting or getting back into hiking.
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Outdoor Fitness Level: Strenuous
