Day 2 of Slabs and Ledges - Fisher-Hogback-Green-Foss-Dickey Mountains 11-22-11

[J&J]

For today, I was planning on taking a quick jaunt up Cone Mountain since I had never been there before. While talking over my plans with a friend, he suggested doing Fisher Mountain. That sounded good to me.

As we talked, we both struck upon the idea of a loop from Fisher up to Hogback and then Green and then hiking down to Foss and then Dickey. This loop had been done before but not by either one of us. I decided I'd give it a shot.

My views on the day's hike? Outstanding. Great views, great terrain, a great experience.

View from one of the many slabs on Fisher Mountain. That's Cone Mountain in the foreground.

More slabs on Fisher.

The slabs just didn't stop. I had to be very careful in many areas since there was an abundance of black ice on which a slip could be exciting.

View of Franconia Ridge from Fisher.

Hogback Mountain in the foreground with pyramid shaped Foss Mountain behind it. The summit of Tecumseh is off to the left.

The double dip summit of Carrigain to the right of the ski lifts, Washington, Signal Ridge and Monroe.

The Tripyramids.

Looking down on Welch and Dickey.

A beautiful mountain tarn with Sandwich Dome rising up behind it.

The rocky ledges of Fisher Mountain in the foreground with the Cannon Balls, Cannon and Franconia Ridge behind.

I saw my first Snow Buntings of the year on the Dickey ledges.

A very noisy bird was soon spotted. At one point, it appeared the copter might have landed on the open ledges of Dickey on the north side.

Two back to back days of fun slab climbing, great views, great weather and great explorations. This trip will be repeated next year, once all the snow and ice have melted off.

 

[Becca M]

nice!!!! Looks like some great explorations!!!!

 

[Jazzbo]

Great route!

We did that route couple of years ago. It was very rewarding. We had terrible time passing over that knob on the way up to Green from Hogback. Very thick spruce... in hind sight I wish we'd given that knob a wider berth. Did you find it thick in that area as well? Otherwise the terrain is very nice everywhere else.

 

[Amicus]

That is a great loop. Jazzbo (who planned it) and I enjoyed it in August 2010. There was one thick belt of scrub between Hogback and Green, but otherwise solitary slabs and mostly smooth sailing. I think that same tarn - between Foss and Dickey - caught my eye:

P.S. Jazzbo and I were typing simultaneously. Similar but slightly different takes, as you'll generally find.

 

[TDawg]

Nice trip! Some of those slabs on Fisher are damn steep and lichen covered, making them slippery when wet!

 

[Barbarossa]

Did you go in from the Welch-Dickey parking lot?

I approached from Millbrook Road and ending up following an old or little used trail part of the way.

 

[Casual Hiker]

Thanks for sharing the story and the pictures. I'm laid up after meniscus surgery, and this is the next best thing to being there.

 

[bjc]

Nice report and photos, thanks.

I know of the old trail up Fisher. Was it all bushwacking from there to Dickey ?

 

[natron]

thanx for sharing!

Fisher looks like a good time, the slabs remind me of a couple of my favorite maine hills..

 

[J&J]

We had terrible time passing over that knob on the way up to Green from Hogback. Very thick spruce... in hind sight I wish we'd given that knob a wider berth. Did you find it thick in that area as well?

I don't think there is an "easy" route between Hogback and Green. For me, it varied from open to thick to very thick along the way. The woods did open up on the Green summit approach though so that was nice.

 

[J&J]

Did you go in from the Welch-Dickey parking lot?

I approached from Millbrook Road and ending up following an old or little used trail part of the way.

Hey Barb,

I went in from the Millbrook Rd. side and followed the old trail to Fisher, did the loop and then walked the Brown Ash Swamp bike path back to Millbrook Rd. A fun day.

John

 

[J&J]

Nice report and photos, thanks.

I know of the old trail up Fisher. Was it all bushwacking from there to Dickey ?

It was pretty much a whack from Hogback to Green. Then there's a "magical" path from Green to Dickey.