Kearsarge South, 8/31/13

[RoySwkr]

Last day for state walk-a-mile-a-day challenge [www.nhmoves.org] so I decided on a real hike as most days were just walks around town.

Started up Rollins Trail, after big switchback started looking where old trail crossed. Climbed ledge at cairn, more cairns and footprints in woods but this route not cleared so finally angled back to present trail. Summit in clouds but pleasantly cool with no bugs.

Went down the upper .4 mi of the Lincoln Trail and it gave the appearance of not having been worked on for years. I couldn't see any fresh cut ends on the scrub and some places it was actually touching across the trail, making it hard to walk in the right place even if you could see where that was. Two places in particular need attention. Somewhat over halfway down, some branches were cut off well away from the trunk and they are right at eye level risking serious injury - I guess most people hike this trail uphill so it's not an issue. And at the boulder field, there was no marked path going down while from the bottom there were 2 different routes marked going up neither looking very good.

Some days I get lucky with the weather. On Kearsarge the rocks and bushes were slightly damp presumably from earlier sprinkles but I had no rain on me, while I heard that Cardigan got over 3 inches!

 

[dbcooperisalive]

dbcooperisalive approves

"Come to the woods for here is rest" John Muir.

Kearsarge is such a great place to hike. I love bald summits. VFTT of this summit can see 6 ski areas (3 VT and 3 NH). Check out some of the names chiseled out by people over the years. I have seen one from the 18teens (think it was 1817) along with the name of that person. It's wonderful. It's to bad they had to put in the tower though but maybe down the road and with better technology that it will be downsized.