Trip report
Spring into Summer Hike 2: Kearsarge N.
Hiking/Walk DATE: 05/25/2014 - 05/25/2014
Trip/Event Location: Intervale, NH
US
Trip Leader(s): WalkaboutBrian , markus24
Max # People: 15
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Join Mark and me on the second of three spring hikes which will become progressively harder. On this trip we will hike Mount Kearsarge North, a 3268 foot mountain in Intervale, New Hampshire.&
...From the junction of River Road, just north of North Conway, follow NH Route 16 north for 1.8 miles. Turn right onto Hurricane Mountain Road which is just after Intervale, an area with a scenic view point and railroad crossing. Follow Hurricane Mountain Road for about 1.4 miles, where the trailhead will be on the left. Parking may be minimal.
Suggestion: If you are planning to drive NH Route 16 from the south consider taking this alternate route around Conway and North Conway to avoid most of the heavy traffic you may encounter. The speed limit is slow, but this route is much less busy and scenic. From the junction of NH Route 112 and NH Route 16 drive north 0.8 miles and turn left onto Washington Street at the first stop light. In 0.2 miles turn slightly left onto West Side Drive. Drive 5.1 miles to River Road and turn right. Drive 0.9 miles on River Road to NH Route 16 where you will turn left and follow the directions above.
Trip Report/Photos
Nine plus one of us met along the roadside of the trail head. We were not alone. There were many other people from several other, quite large, groups setting off around the same time. We even had a big black bear stroll by as we waited.
At about quarter past the hour it was our turn to cast off. Our trail was initially easy with a slight incline and very good footing. Along this leg we passed, and were passed by, a group of twenty-five hikers at multiple occasions. While we continued the incline increased and the terrain shifted from a rocky path to long stretches of ledges which gave small hints of the views to come. Around the midpoint of the hike our “plus one” member, Mark, decided to turn back to make a personal engagement on time. We encountered some rain requiring a stop to pullout the raingear and backpack covers. Luckily the rain passed by and hints of sun helped to dry us out. Eventually we crested the summit. Our summit was only within ten minutes of our estimated time, not bad for the overall pace we kept.
We were greeted by spectacular views and random clouds that partially obscured the mountain ranges and valleys as they moved. The summit also had a very nice fire tower which was open for us to have shelter and gain the best views possible. We spent a half hour during our summit stay for before heading back down the trail we ascended.
After a much more sunny and moderate hike down we finished the hike shortly after 4pm. It was a unanimous decision for all of us to cap the hike with a local brew and meal at the nearby Moat Mountain Brewery.
Welcome to RockJim, jc_mass, and Mark (username?) for their first GO hikes. Meeting past hiking comrades and new members always makes for a great trip.
There are 33 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)
What Members Are Saying About This Trip/Event
- Thanks Brian and Mark for hosting the trip. It's a nice day to get some fresh air and sun, and the occasional rain. Seeing a black bear running across the road was pretty neat. - jcinmass
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