Sunapee on an Increasingly Cloudy Day

[grouseking]

Today seemed like a day to hike south of the whites...and I think we made a good decision. The destination...Mt Sunapee, via the Newbury Trail. Its about a 3.5 mile trip to the summit going this way. Weather for the day was cloudy, cool and breezy. Later in the afternoon, the clouds thickened up, the cloud line descended to about 2500 feet, and some occasional spits of rain started. If it wasn't for the foliage, the hike would have been drab, and somewhat depressing, cause the clouds were quite dark today. But anyways, time to use some pics for words.

And we are off

significant shroom

View of Lake Sunapee from the summit of the south peak

Foliage

Hobblebush

I really like this one

After we reached the top of the south peak, it meandered thru the woods, and I waqs able to take those pics I posted above. Foliage is almost peak at those elevations...quite early if you ask me.

Before long, we made it to Lake Solitude, and the amazing views from the rock ledges.

Wicked buddy

chillaxing to the maxing

cont in a moment

 

[grouseking]

Part 2

Well, it was another mile or so to the summit. Most of the trail was flat..or actually slightly downhill in places, till near the summit, where we came out to the ski road and had to climb quite a bit to the summit. We prob spent a good hour there.

Lynn and reflection taking pics

Ascutney

The unknown range of Croydon Mountain

nice ski slope

Fav fall pic of the day

Now heading back, we took a side trip to Lake Solitude

All I can say is, hooray for fall!!!

The trip back was a nice walk, till the steeper sections heading off the south peak. Before the bottom, there was a side trail called the Eagle's Nest, which revealed a nice view down to the lake...and it looked kind of like a fjord to me.

Enjoy folks!

grouseking

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Very nice. My father-in-law has a place on the biggest island ("Great Island") in your fourth photo.

Tim

 

[Jimmy Legs and Little D]

Phil,
Your foilage pictures are fabulous! It does seem very early to be peaking in the southern section of the state. Wish we were there to enjoy the beauty
of the fall foliage season.

Donna

 

[erugs]

The ledges over Lake Solitude -- ah, a favorite place to sit. Thanks for sharing the foliage shots. What a difference in temps between Saturday and Sunday!

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

Newbury Trail Trimmed

Glad to see people enjoying our work. Over last Saturday and the previous Sunday we patrolled that trail, removing blowdowns too high to step over and trimming back this year's growth of brush. The forest is recovering well from the ice storms of 1998 and two winters ago. In 2003 we relocated the steepest and most unstable part of the Newbury Trail to the present moderate climb across a slope and short walk in a spruce forest to the Rim Trail, whose upper part became the middle of the Newbury Trail including the full view of Lake Sunapee 1200' below. The rock steps just uphill of Rim Trail junction took 5 visits including 2 with a very skilled rock man and Griphoist from AMC-NH Vol Trail Crew doing mutual aid.
We also visited White Ledges last Sat and enjoyed the colorful trees before descending Andrew Brook Trail (another blowdown) to our car.
We'll work several more days in October. For details reply by private message here. Willing workers welcome on the Cardigan Highlanders Volunteer Trail Crew. Creag nan drochaid

 

[erugs]

Glad to hear about the work on the Newbury Trail. I've got to check that out as it's been quite a few years since I've been up that way. Thanks for the reminder...

 

[Gillian]

Beautiful pics. I want to get up there sometime soon. Isn't there some old growth trees in that area?

Phil,
Your foilage pictures are fabulous! It does seem very early to be peaking in the southern section of the state. Wish we were there to enjoy the beauty
of the fall foliage season.

Donna

yeah, it does seem early, I wonder if there will be any color left for the "Warner Fall Foliage Festival"!

Thanks for the trailwork Creag Nan Drochaid.

 

[stu]

Very nice foliage shots. The best time of the year. Cheers, Stu

 

[1HappyHiker]

Phil . . . a really nice report + you really out did yourself with those dazzling autumn photos! Sorry I'm a bit late in responding . . . been sidelined with a non-hiking related hand injury . . . typing with one hand is a tedious process.

 

[grouseking]

Very nice. My father-in-law has a place on the biggest island ("Great Island") in your fourth photo.

Tim

I was looking at the island and thinking about how nice a summer place would be there. Cool!

Phil,
Your foilage pictures are fabulous! It does seem very early to be peaking in the southern section of the state. Wish we were there to enjoy the beauty
of the fall foliage season.

Donna

Thank you Donna. Colors are a couple weeks early this year, though these were taken around 2500 feet, so they going to have advanced foliage anyways. Plus, I consider Sunapee more central, west.

The ledges over Lake Solitude -- ah, a favorite place to sit. Thanks for sharing the foliage shots. What a difference in temps between Saturday and Sunday!

I'd love to be there on a quiet morning during sunrise, or seeing a moose hang around...we saw LOTS of tracks and dingleberries along the Newbury Trail. It reminded me of being further north.

Glad to see people enjoying our work. Over last Saturday and the previous Sunday we patrolled that trail, removing blowdowns too high to step over and trimming back this year's growth of brush. The forest is recovering well from the ice storms of 1998 and two winters ago. In 2003 we relocated the steepest and most unstable part of the Newbury Trail to the present moderate climb across a slope and short walk in a spruce forest to the Rim Trail, whose upper part became the middle of the Newbury Trail including the full view of Lake Sunapee 1200' below. The rock steps just uphill of Rim Trail junction took 5 visits including 2 with a very skilled rock man and Griphoist from AMC-NH Vol Trail Crew doing mutual aid.
We also visited White Ledges last Sat and enjoyed the colorful trees before descending Andrew Brook Trail (another blowdown) to our car.
We'll work several more days in October. For details reply by private message here. Willing workers welcome on the Cardigan Highlanders Volunteer Trail Crew. Creag nan drochaid

Very cool, thank you for clearing and fixing up the trail. I read about the maintenance somewhere online and we tried to find the old trail, and after your description, I think we were right on.

Beautiful pics. I want to get up there sometime soon. Isn't there some old growth trees in that area?

yeah, it does seem early, I wonder if there will be any color left for the "Warner Fall Foliage Festival"!

Thanks for the trailwork Creag Nan Drochaid.

Thanks! Not sure if there are any old growth, but if so, I missed them. I'd say there will be colors left over, because these were taken at over 2000 feet, and the lower elevations are definitely more spotty.

Very nice foliage shots. The best time of the year. Cheers, Stu

Thank you Stu!

Phil . . . a really nice report + you really out did yourself with those dazzling autumn photos! Sorry I'm a bit late in responding . . . been sidelined with a non-hiking related hand injury . . . typing with one hand is a tedious process.

Hey John, thanks, as usual. I'm hoping to get a new peak tomorrow, Black Mtn....I think they are peaking up there right now, so that should make for more foliage vistas.

Hope your hand feels better!