Trip/Event Location: Holderness, NHUS
Trip Leader(s): Gandalf , JDNnh
Max # People: 15
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Join GO Members Mike and Jon for a jaunt up to Mt Webster in the Squam Range! We will meet at the Brooks Fisher parking lot off of Perch Pond Road. This 5.5-mile, moderate hike with 1100’ of
Meet at the Brooks Fisher Trail trailhead. Take I-93 to Exit 24 (Ashland). Turn right onto Route 3/Route 25. In Ashland, bear left at the Y, continuing south on Route 3/Route 25 for 7 miles. Turn left onto Route 175 and go 1.7 miles. Turn right onto Hardhack Road. Go about 75 yards and take a right onto Perch Pond Road. Go a little over 2 miles and the trailhead is on the right. We’ll be driving a blue Toyota Tacoma Truck.
Twelve GO members enjoyed a 5.6-mile hike to Mt. Webster in Holderness; not be confused with Mt. Webster in Crawford Notch! We were joined by guys from as far away as Boston and Stowe. We had a mix of sun and clouds with temperature around 40 degrees. Periodically, we had a few snow flurries.
The trails were blanketed with heavy leaves completely hiding the trail. We first followed the Brooks Fisher Trail up an easy-graded climb with many switchbacks to the crest of the Squam Range on the south shoulder of Mt. Webster. At this stage, we hiked 1.3 miles and climbed up just 450 feet.
We took a break at the junction of the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail and got some views of Squam Lake through the leafless trees. We followed an inviting corridor and reached the east edge at an excellent viewpoint!
We continued with some nice ridge walking and about a half-mile before the actual summit of Mt. Webster is herd path on the right to a ledge with gorgeous views of Squam Lake. This herd path is very easy miss since there are not any signs. The 2077-ft. summit of Mt. Webster is a half-mile farther north along the ridge, but it is wooded and off trail. Two in our group who were ahead missed the turn. The were so far ahead they could not hear our shouts that they missed it. We figured they would eventually figure it out and turn around.
The ledge had breathtaking views of Squam Lake and Lake Winnipesauke! What an amazing view!!! This ledge view was our destination for the day.
We retraced our route back to our vehicles. The round trip to this Mt. Webster outlook via Brooks Fisher Trail and Crawford-Ridgepole Trail is a very enjoyable 5.6 miles with 1100 ft. of elevation gain. Overall, it was a wonderful day with great conversations and laughs shared throughout the hike. Thanks to everyone who came out today! Mike and Jon
Outdoor Fitness Level: Very Strenuous
Outdoor Fitness Level: Easy to Moderate
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Outdoor Fitness Level: Strenuous
