Amicus
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2005
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A Saturday morning so clear and crisp demanded a hike, but I wanted to be back for the first pitch of the Tim Wakefield-Randy Johnson rematch so it couldn't be a long one. With an errand to run in the Pinkham area anyway, the Pine Mountain Loop looked worth a try. It starts from the Dolly Copp - Pinkam B road, right across from the Pine Link trailhead.
The Ledges Trail branched right, off Pine Mountain Road, and soon started angling up some south-facing slabs that gave great views south to Madison, with the Washington summit above to the left, then down the Notch to the Wildcats, Carter ridge and due east to the Moriahs. From the first ledge at 10:15 a.m., some object at or near the summit of the Wildcat ski area glowed like a fiery diamond in the morning sunlight.
The summit itself is wooded, with the foundations of what I assume was a firetower. The trail north to the turnaround provided several more excellent ledge views by short spurs to the right. I liked "Angel View" best of these.
The best view of all is from the summit to the northeast - Chapel Rock ("Pulpit Rock" on some maps). To get there, at the turnaround, continue north toward Gorham on the Pine Mountain Trail. You soon come to a power line right-of-way, which the Trail follows left. In about twenty yards, a well-maintained but signless trail on the right leads up to the bare summit of Chapel Rock. Jars holding candles mark the path. They must light the way to impressive evening song services in the summer by the Congregationalists from the Horton Center, which the Road passes through heading back down to the trailhead. The panorama from Chapel Rock on this crystal morning thrilled, marred a little however by a cellphone tower a few hundred yards to the north.
I was surprised to have such fine trails to myself - saw no one until I was nearly down, when I passed a family ambling up the Road.
I was back in plenty ot time for Wakefield's first pitch - much good that it did.
The Ledges Trail branched right, off Pine Mountain Road, and soon started angling up some south-facing slabs that gave great views south to Madison, with the Washington summit above to the left, then down the Notch to the Wildcats, Carter ridge and due east to the Moriahs. From the first ledge at 10:15 a.m., some object at or near the summit of the Wildcat ski area glowed like a fiery diamond in the morning sunlight.
The summit itself is wooded, with the foundations of what I assume was a firetower. The trail north to the turnaround provided several more excellent ledge views by short spurs to the right. I liked "Angel View" best of these.
The best view of all is from the summit to the northeast - Chapel Rock ("Pulpit Rock" on some maps). To get there, at the turnaround, continue north toward Gorham on the Pine Mountain Trail. You soon come to a power line right-of-way, which the Trail follows left. In about twenty yards, a well-maintained but signless trail on the right leads up to the bare summit of Chapel Rock. Jars holding candles mark the path. They must light the way to impressive evening song services in the summer by the Congregationalists from the Horton Center, which the Road passes through heading back down to the trailhead. The panorama from Chapel Rock on this crystal morning thrilled, marred a little however by a cellphone tower a few hundred yards to the north.
I was surprised to have such fine trails to myself - saw no one until I was nearly down, when I passed a family ambling up the Road.
I was back in plenty ot time for Wakefield's first pitch - much good that it did.
