Mt. Wolf (New Hampshire)

[Raymond]

Could someone please remind me what the peculiarity is regarding Mt. Wolf’s summit and the Appalachian Trail? I’m sure I’ve read on these forums that there’s something about the trail and the high point, but I can’t for the life of me remember what the story was.

I think maybe it’s that the trail doesn’t go exactly over the tippy-top point, just near it, but a check of topozone shows the trail not anywhere even near the summit — which doesn’t jibe with the AMC’s White Mountain Guide or accompanying map — so something’s screwy there. Any help? I tried searching the forums but got pages of Wolf Jaws and whatnot other wolf references and grew tired of looking for this particular needle in that haystack (no pun intended).

Also, I suppose the 3009-foot peak the trail traverses on its way north to Mt. Wolf is the 3009-foot ‘‘Blue Ridge (N Pk)’’ on the Three Thousand-Footer list, but I don’t see any mention in the Guide or on the map that that part of the Kinsman Ridge is called Blue Ridge. Where did the name come from? This isn’t a mistake, is it, somehow mixed up with the Blue Ridge (N Pk) up in the Dixville area?

Lastly, it looks like the best way to tackle the Wolf Cub or Gordon Pond Peak would be to go past Gordon Pond. Anything I should know before putting that plan of attack into action?

Thanks.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

The Kinsman Ridge Trail has been rerouted at some point. The trail now passes the summit of Mt. Wolf on it's west side. There's a short path up to the summit. As I recall there is a sharp turn in the trail right at the junction.

Haven't whacked Wolf Cub yet.

 

[audrey]

We tackled the Wolf Cub via a brook lower down on the Gordon Pond Trail. It became a full-day adventure, with wet areas, cliffs, and a nasty stick forest to negotiate. If I ever were to do it again, I'd try the ridge from Gordon Pond.

 

[albee]

Here's a couple versions of the trip from early this past spring:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16528&highlight=wolf

(I searched for "Wolf Cub"... )

When I did it, the Blue Ridge Peak is a real short bushwhack on the west side of the trail... maybe 40 yards off the trail or less.

The Kinsman Ridge Trail does indeed pass close to the summits of Wolf. There will be a west bump and an east bump. The west bump is a short, straightforward bushwhack west of the trail straight up to the high point, and I found an old piece of string tied to one of the highest trees, but no cannister. The east bump has a spur trail to the east with a viewpoint, and it was snowy and scrubby up there so I couldn't tell what the high point was or which of the 2 bumps were higher.

I found a new snowmobile or skid trail had been cut in the col between Wolf and Wolf Cub. It started at the far end of Gordon Pond. If you can take this to the height of land (which I did) it will make the bushwhack much easier, but I have heard widely varying reports of the woods in there. I recall it being slightly thicker than average, but some have said it was easy going and others have said it was a slice and dice nightmare. Good luck!

My trip report in that thread has split times that might be helpful, but keep in mind that I usually hike 30 to 60% faster than book time. Enjoy the hike!

 

[Raymond]

Thanks very much for the information, everyone. I did not realize that the Blue Ridge summit was also off the trail; better to find out now than later.

With luck, I'll be able to update this thread next weekend.

 

[albee]

Lastly, it looks like the best way to tackle the Wolf Cub or Gordon Pond Peak would be to go past Gordon Pond. Anything I should know before putting that plan of attack into action?

I just remembered that there was no jar on Wolf Cub last spring. There should be survey flagging and the remains of an old summit sign on the ground at the highest point... any chance you wouldn't mind placing a new jar and register?

 

[Raymond]

I’ll have to see if I can find an empty jar.

 

[Mtnbuster]

Wolf Cub

N Blue ridge of the AT was easy found jar in 5 mins. Back on trail to wolfcub went down to Gordan pond and followed old trail along inlet brook to height of land between wolf & cub turned right and b-wacked though some thick spruce and some open areas . There were some bumps along the way, with higher trees up ahead, so continued along and almost steped on the jar . There are 3 jars there. one red, one small, and a large one now tied up on the tree. took a compass bearing straight to the pond, alot easier, but still some blow-downs. A long but nice hike. Mt wolf is a short b-wack on w pk just off the trail . On Wolf cub ,there was broken parts of a sign on the ground . Herb and I were there Sept 1st. It was 10 + years since I had been there.

 

[Motabobo]

Soooo that makes a jar for all three 3ks...I would have guessed there were none on Blue Ridge and Wolf...I'm going there pretty soon, I'll try to find them all

 

[albee]

I'm confused - there aren't any jars on Wolf's main summit, right? Wolf Cub sounds like it has a new cannister - the other 2 are on the ground and may have been under the snow when we had gone there back in the spring. Could you clarify this, Mtnbuster?

 

[Mtnbuster]

Wolf jars

As you are heading to the summit of Wolf, before you get to the hairpin turn, there is a bump on the left side of the trail. That is the summit with the jar. If you go beyond that , you drop down a little , go back up and your at the ledges view point. It took me awhile to find the jar as I thought that the ledges were the top. All I had was the AMC map, not a topo and I came in from Reelbrook trail. Someone told me there was a jar there so I went back , this time south to north . Found jar , but no pencil. made my own from a small dead stick , now a charcoal pencil and signed in. I have'nt been to WOLF in awhile , so don't know if the jar is still there. It was when I found it. The other pks have jars, Herb and I were there Sept 1st. Ther were 3 jars on the ground when we got ther . We put up the large jar with the log book . The others are still on the ground at base of tree. Hope this helps.

 

[Raymond]

I didn't see any jar on Wolf when I was there September 12, but I must have climbed a different bump. I found a small cairn on what I assumed was the western summit and thought that the eastern summit was the viewpoint rock.

I didn't even get very far toward Gordon Pond Peak. I went to the far side of the pond and struck off into the woods. Got tangled up in the spruce on the opposite side of a hillock, the mountain was supposedly off somewhere in a valley, so I gave up and went back. Lost my sunglasses somewhere in there.

I went into that grassy area closer toward Mt. Wolf, too, but while it was criss-crossed with herd paths, it was pretty mushy.

How did Gordon Pond Peak get the name "Wolf Cub" anyway? When I was in school, bears had cubs, wolves had pups. It makes no sense to call it Wolf Cub.

Anyway, I did manage to find the jar on Blue Ridge (North Peak). It was tough getting the lid screwed back on straight, but I eventually got it. There was a little bit of water inside, but I shook it out as best I could. I'd suggest calling this one Wolf Pup, as, aside from the AMC maps not labeling that section of the Kinsman Ridge "Blue Ridge," there's already a Blue Ridge (North Peak) in Dixville and one in Vermont as well. We don't need three of them (or more?).

 

[Zimmer]

How did Gordon Pond Peak get the name "Wolf Cub" anyway? When I was in school, bears had cubs, wolves had pups. It makes no sense to call it Wolf Cub.

"Cub" is actually fairly common nomenclature for a baby wolf. It must depend on which school you went to.

 

[Nate]

Raymond, thank you for the follow up report. It sounds like the jar on North Blue Ridge still needs to be replaced (when it was up there over Memorial Day Weekend I found it to be cracked and plastic). I would have put up a new canister myself, but the one jar I had on me I had already planted on Wolf Cub.

It sounds like you were on the true summit of Wolf (there wasn't a canister on the site in 2005, but in doing it on a clear day, it was obvious the western bump was higher than the eastern (viewpoint) one. As for Wolf Cub, from what I observed, the best way to go is to follow the trail to Gordon Pond, then skirt the pond on the grassy western shore up into the woods north of the pond. Near the tributary stream a rough, blowdown infested trail marked with surveyor's tape heads north into the Wolf-Wolf Cub col. Rather than follow this just to the closest point to the Wolf Cub summit before starting your bushwhack, go a little further north before turning right. The spruces are thick on the south and west approaches, but are more open the more north on the mountain you are.

More detail on these peaks can be found on Onestep's trip report from March 24.

 

[Raymond]

Thanks, Nate. Maybe I’ll give that another try next week. I kept looking for the skidder road Albee described; maybe it was the rough trail you found.

I started out going around the eastern side of the pond, but when I came back out of the woods I went around the western side back to the Gordon Pond Trail. Guess I should have headed into the woods rather than stay in the grass. Probably the rain the previous three days didn’t help, either. It seemed too wet to me to consider heading north toward a pool of water I could see through the trees.

Incidentally, does anyone know where the old Appalachian Trail route was? There was a real wet spot I think not far beyond (toward Wolf) the Gordon Pond Trail junction that seemed to have a faint trail branching east. Could that have been the old AT, or just my imagination?

 

[J&J]

We hung a new glass jar on the summit of Blue Ridge North yesterday (Saturday 9/29/07). We also placed the new jar on a substantial live tree right next to the dead snag that held the old plastic jar since that snag looks like it could fall over any day now. We left the old plastic jar hanging because it's a little higher than our new jar. There is also a new register courtesy of Keith and Julie we believe.

I wish we had brought an extra jar to place on Wolf because there is none, just an old piece of leather where a jar used to hang.

 

[Motabobo]

I believe we would be the first to sign in the new register then
We went on Sept. 29th as well but started kind of late since we didn't see anyone on the trail !

 

[J&J]

Motabobo,

We must have missed you because we took the Gordon Pond trail in and out so we were only on Kinsman Ridge time enough to hit Blue Ridge and Wolf.

Next time!