Copy/Repost Hike

Shelburne-Moriah Mountain (3,735 ft elevation) is a terrific peak!  It ranks #5 on the "New Hampshire 52 with a View" list.  It would unquestionably see a lot more hiker traffic if it were easier to access! But with COVID, we were fine with less hiker traffic!

Our approach was to take the Rattle River Trail and Kenduskeag trails up from Route 2, near Gorham, NH. This involved an 11.2 mile round-trip hike with an oftentimes tricky crossing of Rattle River about 1.7 miles at the outset of the hike.    

This past Saturday (July 25, 2020), seven of us started from the Rattle River Trail.  We followed an old logging road at easy grades and reached the Rattle River Shelter at 1.7 miles. We then crossed Rattle River and another branch of the brook at 3.2 miles. The climb became more moderate over a long stretch of rock steps and getting much steeper as the trail became a relentless climb out of the valley eventually reaching the junction with Kenduskeag Trail at 4.3 miles.

It was then onward and upward to the top of Shelburne-Moriah. Many segments of the Kenduskeag Trail were beautifully "laurel-lined"! Many portions of the trail had long stretches of boardwalk.  And although the insertion of man-made structures can sometimes be unattractive, I thought that some of the wooden pathways were quite picturesque.

The top of Shelburne-Moriah is so expansive and is so attractive!  There are acres of bare rock interspersed among pockets of low-growing vegetation.  This arrangement provides a wealth of nooks and crannies to explore.  Without too much exaggeration, just exploring the top of Shelburne-Moriah could almost be a hike unto itself!

By roaming around this sprawling mountaintop, you can get views in all directions.  One view that dominates is the scene looking westward where the tops of the northern Presidentials loom on the horizon!

The ending of this adventure on our return was after we crossed the Rattle River and took a refreshing dip on a gorgeous swimming hole with a delightful cascade. Afterward, most of us went to Mr. Pizza for an early dinner on their outdoor deck along the Androscoggin River.

To sum it up, this was an enjoyable hike.  It supplied a nice variety of views. Finding the picturesque swimming hole for a refreshing dip was awesome. Thanks everybody who joined!!! 

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