9-16-06 Potash Mtn...an Underappreciated Wonder

[grouseking]

Not much to say in this trail report....it was just simply awesome!! The leaves are changing, making the trip up fantastic. I got to hike with a friend of mine I haven't seen in months and the weather was picture perfect. The views were from Chocura, to the Sandwich Wilderness, to the Pemi Wilderness, and all the way up to Washington. It was a little buggy but fun nonetheless! I think my friend truely enjoyed the experience on a somewhat less known peak surrounded by much more known 4ks. But in my opinion, the views from Potash far surpassed lots of 4ks I have visited. Here are the pictures.

Potash Mountain

grouseking

 

[Amicus]

Not everyone underappreciates Potash. It's one of my favorite short view hikes in that area - good for guests who aren't hard-core hikers. That river crossing at the beginning can be very difficult in high water, but can be avoided by the trail that leaves the Kanc a little to the west of the trailhead and runs up the west bank, connecting to the Potash Trail shortly above the crossing.

The Potash summit is one of 11 added by Brent Scudder to the 2d Ed. of his View Guide, mentioned by Paradox in a post recently. Get hold of his diagrams before your next hike to Potash and you're bound to learn something.

 

[grouseking]

Not everyone underappreciates Potash. It's one of my favorite short view hikes in that area - good for guests who aren't hard-core hikers. That river crossing at the beginning can be very difficult in high water, but can be avoided by the trail that leaves the Kanc a little to the west of the trailhead and runs up the west bank, connecting to the Potash Trail shortly above the crossing.

The Potash summit is one of 11 added by Brent Scudder to the 2d Ed. of his View Guide, mentioned by Paradox in a post recently. Get hold of his diagrams before your next hike to Potash and you're bound to learn something.

Very cool, thanks for the info. And I know not everyone underappreciates Potash. I've been to Hedgehog, and that is what brought me to Potash in the first place. But some hiking buddies I go with want to do a 4k if they had a chance. I had two chances this weekend, and didn't do one. And we saw bunches of people coming down when we were heading up. Its truly a magical mountain.

grouseking

 

[Paradox]

Nice hike. I guess I've seen Potash from all sides but never from on top. Odd name, I wonder if they used to make potash in the vicinity?

 

[Pamola]

Nice hike. I guess I've seen Potash from all sides but never from on top. Odd name, I wonder if they used to make potash in the vicinity?

Again, my job doing web research comes in handy, although this one wasn't as tough as the Black Angel Trail.

under the trail history section for potash mtn, our friends at the mountain wanderer cite the probable source of the name. It looks like an inverted potash kettle evidently, and not due to mining of potash in the area.

More:
http://www.mountainwanderer.com/paths_peaks.html

 

[bintrepidhiker]

very nice man. looks like peak is maybe what a week or 2 away? i wonder if there is a setting on your camera to turn the exposure down some. other than that the pics were good

 

[Stan]

It is a good snowshoe hike, too, for either someone fairly new to snowshoeing who can be enticed for more with a sense of accomplishment and views ... or for someone without a lot of time to hike on a given day.

 

[grouseking]

It is a good snowshoe hike, too, for either someone fairly new to snowshoeing who can be enticed for more with a sense of accomplishment and views ... or for someone without a lot of time to hike on a given day.

Indeed. Since I went with my friend, who attends Plymouth State, getting up early isn't exactly the easies thing in the world. Plus I work 2nd shift till 11:30, so I don't wake up too early either. I am very curious about doin a little snowshoe up there sometime...I did Hedgehog after that dumping of snow last October and everything was gorgeous. I would like to see the whole landscape covered in snow from the peak, especially the view of Carrigain. It really is special.

grouseking

 

[LittleBear]

Potash and Hedgehog were my very first winter snowshoe hikes. I have done them at least 6 times in winter - never in any other season. They are both great hikes, and easy enough that I have taken several "newbies" up them. I haven't been in a couple of years - time to make another trip.