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Trip report

Get Fit Hike #3: Mount Cardigan

Hiking/Walk DATE: 05/31/2020 - 05/31/2020

Trip/Event Location: Alexandria, NH
AF

Trip Leader(s): Gandalf

Max # People: 10

Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Thinking of getting in shape for a hike in the Whites, here is your opportunity to participate in a series of 3 hikes that will get progressively harder to get you fit for the upcoming summer hiking

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Copy/Repost Hike

Driving directions to the location and spot to meet at:

Carpooling: It's not the easiest place to find so if you prefer, meet us at off Exit 23 [Meredith/New Hampton] exit for 8:50AM at the Park 'N Ride [right of the exit on Route 104 East] to carpool. We'll be driving a blue Toyota Tacoma truck.

GPS: Or most GPS systems will get you there if you type in 774 Shem Valley Road, Alexandria, NH. Or perhaps get driving directions from the web yourself.....mapquest, etc.

And as a last resort directions to Cardigan Lodge from I-93:

Take exit 23 for NH-104/NH-132 toward Meredith/New Hampton
Turn left onto NH-104 W/NH-132 S Continue to follow NH-132 S for 0.9 miles
Continue onto NH-104 W for 4.7 miles

Slight right onto Pleasant St for 0.2 miles
Continue onto Lake St for 0.4 miles
Turn left onto Bristol Hill Rd for 1.1 miles
Slight left onto Plumer Hill Rd for .08 miles
Turn left to stay on Plumer Hill Rd for .04 miles
Take the 1st right onto Town Pound Rd for 0.7 miles
Continue onto Washburn Rd for 0.2 miles
Slight right onto Mt Cardigan Rd for 3.6 miles
Continue onto Shem Valley Rd for 1.4 miles
Cardigan lodge will be @ the end of the road

Trip Report/Photos

This is the mountain everyone should have ticked off their list at some point. It’s on the 52 with a view list (as are many other fine peaks) so that’s as good an excuse as anyone needs, right? Right!

Started at 9:30. There were ten of us and we did our best to practice social distancing. Down in the trees, it was a delightful spring hike. Wildflowers, spring green leaves above us. Plenty of painted trillium and saw a small patch of goldthread near Firescrew. The approach was fairly easy.

As the trail pitched upward, a bit more strenuous. Nearer the top, some light scrambling. Approaching tree line, trees thinning out, and ledgy rock taking over.

Above tree line, wind. Wow, lots of wind today. Not particularly epic wind, but it was constant. And yet, the view was unimpeded to wherever we turned. Vermont, the Whites… we probably could have seen out to Maine if the curve of the earth didn’t get in the way!

It was very windy on the summit so we did not linger for very long; there were only 6-8 people on the summit besides our group. We had lunch on a ledge above the Fire Warden’s Cabin to get out of the wind.

It’s a nice, fun little mountain. Overall, we enjoyed every bit of the enchantment that we found in the bigger peaks, without as committing of a drive, nor as long a day. The views were stellar, period!

No doubt, in the summer, it will be crowded. But today, while we encountered a fair amount of people, it never felt crowded. .

We are going to let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

~ Mike and Jon