SpencerVT
Member
I climbed Whitewall Mountain and Shoal Pond Mountain on Sunday which completes every 3000'er in New Hampshire.
It was a quintessential fall day. Brisk air, smell of decaying leaves, endless sunshine.
Every single hiker and family on the trail had a dog except me. It got to the point where I thought a forest ranger was going to take me into custody for not hiking with the seemingly mandatory dog.
The whack up Whitewall was really easy taking an approach from the north and avoiding the cliffs. Whitewall is one of the best trailless peaks in NH in my opinion. Views all over the place. I then whacked down the southeasterly portion of Whitewall avoiding the cliffs. It was actually a pleasant whack down with periodic southern views. Nice meadows with withered fall ferns and grass. It had the vibe of the opening credits to that television show "Little House on the Prairie. A quaint frolicking bushwhack down to Thoreau Falls.
I crossed the brook and began the ascent to Shoal Pond Mountain. The hobblebush was way over Shoal-der-high. Near the summit the woods changed to horrendous conditions and it was a decrepit chaotic mess of thick matchstick forest and relentless blowdown. I finally found the canister and then whacked down the (also super thick) western side to the Thoreau trail where I hiked back to the Zealand parking area in the dark.
32 degrees back at the trailhead. A fantastic NH day!
Views from Whitewall, a NH trailless gem:
Looking back up towards Whitewall during the descent, the sky looks like Smurfs playing Twister:
It was a quintessential fall day. Brisk air, smell of decaying leaves, endless sunshine.
Every single hiker and family on the trail had a dog except me. It got to the point where I thought a forest ranger was going to take me into custody for not hiking with the seemingly mandatory dog.
The whack up Whitewall was really easy taking an approach from the north and avoiding the cliffs. Whitewall is one of the best trailless peaks in NH in my opinion. Views all over the place. I then whacked down the southeasterly portion of Whitewall avoiding the cliffs. It was actually a pleasant whack down with periodic southern views. Nice meadows with withered fall ferns and grass. It had the vibe of the opening credits to that television show "Little House on the Prairie. A quaint frolicking bushwhack down to Thoreau Falls.
I crossed the brook and began the ascent to Shoal Pond Mountain. The hobblebush was way over Shoal-der-high. Near the summit the woods changed to horrendous conditions and it was a decrepit chaotic mess of thick matchstick forest and relentless blowdown. I finally found the canister and then whacked down the (also super thick) western side to the Thoreau trail where I hiked back to the Zealand parking area in the dark.
32 degrees back at the trailhead. A fantastic NH day!
Views from Whitewall, a NH trailless gem:
Looking back up towards Whitewall during the descent, the sky looks like Smurfs playing Twister:
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