Trip report
Mt. Robert Hike
Hiking/Walk DATE: 01/12/2019 - 01/12/2019
Trip/Event Location: Moultonborough, NH
US
Trip Leader(s): Gandalf
Max # People: 15
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Open ledges that provide grand views of Lake Winnipesaukee and summit has views of the White Mountains! This hike is in the Castle in the Clouds Conservation area that is managed by the Lakes Region
...FROM THE SOUTH
Take Rt. 93 N to Exit 23 [New Hampton/Meredith]. Take a right at the end of the ramp onto NH Rt. 104 toward Meredith. At the ned of that road take a left onto Rt. 3 and head toward Meredith, then take a right onto Route 25. Follow to the intersection of NH 109 and take a right on 109 towards Melvin Village. Stay left on NH 171 then take a left onto Ossipee Park road, [not Ossipee Mountain Road].
FROM THE EAST
From Route 16 in Ossipee take Route 28 south and then turn right onto Route 171 west. After about 15 miles on Route 171, you'll reach the Lower Trailhead on your left. Continue on Route 171 past the main Castle in the Clouds entrance 1 additional mile to Ossipee Park Road on the right to reach the Upper Trailhead.
Travel about 1 mile Ossipee Park Road, you will pass a stone gatehouse on your left, continue to the parking lot at the end on your right. We'll be driving a blue Toyota Tacoma truck.
Trip Report/Photos
Mt. Roberts
Elevation: 2,582ft
Trails: Mt. Roberts Trail
Elevation Gain: 1,313ft
Distance: 5 miles roundtrip
Duration: 4 hrs.
Difficulty: Moderate
Warm hearts kept us heated on this frigid hike! Stunning views!!!
With over a foot of fresh snow, our house had huge snowbanks! The view of the Sandwich Range was fantastic. When we woke up the outdoor temperature was two degrees.
Jon and I met up with 6 other members today. The trailhead parking lot is located on Ossipee Park Road off of NH 171. We spotted the gatehouse at the entry as well as the busy bottling plant next to the parking lot.
There was plenty of parking at Castle in the Clouds. We did not realize that Castle in the Clouds in now open on weekends so the road is plowed all the way to the facility. You can now park closer to the trailhead in winter if you go through the gates. We parked at the gate. Only adds another .1-.2 miles.
We started up the Mt. Roberts trail which winds around the barn and pasture. The trail continues past a logging road, then behind the stables along an electric fence.
We thought we would need snowshoes with the recent storm a couple of days ago but I guess the locals hit this trail regularly because it was already packed down. The trail is clearly marked, easy to follow and well maintained. Some of us used snowshoes while others used MicroSpikes. MicroSpikes worked fine.
The elevation gain is gradual and the views from much of the trail of this little mountain are stunning! This trail is also very well marked with oranges blazes. During our ascent, I kept turning back to see the view and snapped photos every opportunity I had. We met several hikers on their descent. It was very sunny but very cold, probably around 15 degrees and a bit breezy.
There were several ledges leading to the summit. At these ledges we stopped to catch our breath as well as snap photos. The "Lookout Point" was a great place to snap photos with its views of Lake Winnipesaukee. And as we neared the summit, the Cairns became frequent. When we reached the summit, we took a group photo. We hung out a bit to take in the view....so breath-taking! We even got to see the top of Mt. Washington!
It was breezy so we decided to drop down to one of the ledges for lunch. It was still breezy this further down so we had an abbreviated lunch.
On the descent, Jon stopped frequently to take in the views, snapping photos along the way. Great winter hike! This hike would be a must any time of year for its steady ascent and breathtaking views.
Back at our house, we sat by the fireplace, gazed at our snow covered Christmas tree on our deck and enjoyed a delicious homemade pizza prepared by Jon.
Report by Mike Boisvert
Pictures by Mike Boisvert and Jon Normand
There are 97 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)
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