McRat
New member
I had often heard of Mt. Potash described as a fine smaller hike, and I was looking for something in the lower elevations to enjoy the end of the foliage season. When Karen (Happyhiker on RoT) also suggested it for Sunday, I figured it should be a joint effort.
We had both decided that a lazy day was in the works, met at the parking lot around 10:00, and enjoyed a Double Bag for breakfast. Before long, the skies cleared and we were fired up for the trip and on our way.
We made it to the first water crossing – too high to cross. We rolled out the map and noticed a road on the map that intersected with the Potash trail above the river crossing and headed west down the Kanc.
If you choose to bypass the river this way, there are a couple of places that could be mistaken for this road. Be sure you hit the one just past the Downes Brook with a full metal gate for an easy, wider walk around the river crossing.
The logging road allowed some nice views to the blue skies, and the extra sunlight hit the slightly damp leaves with a brilliant glow. The junction with the Potash trail was marked with flagging, a visible pathway across the road, and a small cairn on the right side.
The trail resumes with a fairly modest grade until the first switchback, after which it gets steeper as it zig zags up the mountain. As you get higher, the trail gets more eroded and root-filled until you reach sections that are essentially roots and slab, many of which were wet, making for amusing travel. Eventually, there is less leaf but more green as the vegetation switches from hardwoods to scrubby pines and moss.
As you work towards the summit cone there are increasing amounts of stone among the pines allowing fine views towards Chocorua, Passaconnaway and Whiteface. Very enjoyable, but I was not expecting the open and breathtaking view north into the Pemi right after you hit the summit.
Absolutely gorgeous.
While it was past peak foliage, there were still wonderful pockets of color down low; and the bare trees higher up made them easier to see. It was mind boggling to consider not only the view, but that we were able enjoy a couple more beers and Bogart the view for another hour and a half by ourselves.
While I didn’t remember my camera, it was another one of those situations where it would take a better camera (and better photographer) to even attempt to do the day any justice.
Too often we tag a peak, admire the view, and charge on to the next objective. I highly recommend picking a nice, less-visited peak and making yourself stay on the summit for any reason. A great view, good company, and a cold beer are among the most satisfying reasons I’ve found.
PS - I suppose the high water scared some of the crowds away. We ran into one other couple as we were coming down who offered helpful tips about avoiding the rock on the trail by walking in the muddy vegetation around it. They mentioned taking the road and I wonder if it was their car parked outside the gate in front of the ‘No Parking’ sign…
We had both decided that a lazy day was in the works, met at the parking lot around 10:00, and enjoyed a Double Bag for breakfast. Before long, the skies cleared and we were fired up for the trip and on our way.
We made it to the first water crossing – too high to cross. We rolled out the map and noticed a road on the map that intersected with the Potash trail above the river crossing and headed west down the Kanc.
If you choose to bypass the river this way, there are a couple of places that could be mistaken for this road. Be sure you hit the one just past the Downes Brook with a full metal gate for an easy, wider walk around the river crossing.
The logging road allowed some nice views to the blue skies, and the extra sunlight hit the slightly damp leaves with a brilliant glow. The junction with the Potash trail was marked with flagging, a visible pathway across the road, and a small cairn on the right side.
The trail resumes with a fairly modest grade until the first switchback, after which it gets steeper as it zig zags up the mountain. As you get higher, the trail gets more eroded and root-filled until you reach sections that are essentially roots and slab, many of which were wet, making for amusing travel. Eventually, there is less leaf but more green as the vegetation switches from hardwoods to scrubby pines and moss.
As you work towards the summit cone there are increasing amounts of stone among the pines allowing fine views towards Chocorua, Passaconnaway and Whiteface. Very enjoyable, but I was not expecting the open and breathtaking view north into the Pemi right after you hit the summit.
Absolutely gorgeous.
While it was past peak foliage, there were still wonderful pockets of color down low; and the bare trees higher up made them easier to see. It was mind boggling to consider not only the view, but that we were able enjoy a couple more beers and Bogart the view for another hour and a half by ourselves.
While I didn’t remember my camera, it was another one of those situations where it would take a better camera (and better photographer) to even attempt to do the day any justice.
Too often we tag a peak, admire the view, and charge on to the next objective. I highly recommend picking a nice, less-visited peak and making yourself stay on the summit for any reason. A great view, good company, and a cold beer are among the most satisfying reasons I’ve found.
PS - I suppose the high water scared some of the crowds away. We ran into one other couple as we were coming down who offered helpful tips about avoiding the rock on the trail by walking in the muddy vegetation around it. They mentioned taking the road and I wonder if it was their car parked outside the gate in front of the ‘No Parking’ sign…
