Rt 11 Alton Bay, NH - Mt Major Trl & Brook Trail - 6 miles; maybe 1300' elevation
Visited Alton Bay last weekend, brought my snowshoes. Followed the blue then yellow blazes the long way around, ascending the western ridge of Mt. Major. My trail book said it was the safer option up, with the wife & dog in tow I didn't want surprises.
Mt. Major is a popular hike year round, so most of the trail was packed snow with good footing. We did have to break in a new trail early on in the day, mistook a drainage area for the trail and ended up plowing a shortcut. Gave us a small taste of the suck, breaking trail with just two people isn't something I'll likely repeat. We were able to bareboot closer to the summit, snowshoes almost all the way though. Saw someone with a sled going down as we were going up, not sure if thats fair, but the idea is starting to grow on me. I plan on consulting the elders at Hike-NH.com for further guidance on the matter.
Great start to my winter hiking, even if I'm a little late to the party. Hitting the trails rain or shine this weekend, just not sure where. I wanted to try Welch-Dickey but that hike is almost all open rock, and the dog can't wear crampons. I've narrowed things down to Pawtuckaway or Mt Cardigan, depending on how far I feel like driving come Saturday morning.
Visited Alton Bay last weekend, brought my snowshoes. Followed the blue then yellow blazes the long way around, ascending the western ridge of Mt. Major. My trail book said it was the safer option up, with the wife & dog in tow I didn't want surprises.
Mt. Major is a popular hike year round, so most of the trail was packed snow with good footing. We did have to break in a new trail early on in the day, mistook a drainage area for the trail and ended up plowing a shortcut. Gave us a small taste of the suck, breaking trail with just two people isn't something I'll likely repeat. We were able to bareboot closer to the summit, snowshoes almost all the way though. Saw someone with a sled going down as we were going up, not sure if thats fair, but the idea is starting to grow on me. I plan on consulting the elders at Hike-NH.com for further guidance on the matter.
Great start to my winter hiking, even if I'm a little late to the party. Hitting the trails rain or shine this weekend, just not sure where. I wanted to try Welch-Dickey but that hike is almost all open rock, and the dog can't wear crampons. I've narrowed things down to Pawtuckaway or Mt Cardigan, depending on how far I feel like driving come Saturday morning.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your posts about hiking with Zelda. I get to work with Berners and I can see what great company they can be on hikes. I have been hiking with my dog Killian, a six year old Akita, for most of his life and I really think there is nothing more rewarding than having him out there with me. We aren't up to mountain hiking yet and he has probably been retired from hiking due to hip dysplasia, but I can't wait to stretch my legs this spring.
ReplyDeleteZelda is small for her breed at 62lbs, only 2 1/2 yrs old too. Hopefully with her weight not being an issue her hips will hold out longer then average.
ReplyDeleteA small walk around Bear Brook in Allenstown or Winnikenni Castle in Haverhill, MA are great hikes with very little elevation.