HIKING Mount Kearsarge North

My neighbor and friend, Pennie, and I have been training for the last month by walking our Golden Retrievers, Shawnee and Britt, on the various mountain roads and trails for one to two hours several days a week.  Our mission is to summit the 4,000 footers in the White Mountains. 

Yesterday, we hiked to the summit of Mount Kearsarge North that we both see from our backyards.  Many of our guests enjoy hiking this trail because it’s located one minute away from the Buttonwood Inn on Hurricane Mountain Road and there is a 360 degree view at the top.   There is also a well-maintained fire tower with a log book for hikers to sign about their experience going up the trail. 

It is not a 4,000 footer, but a very good start because it’s a 6.2 mile round trip strenuous climb that can be achieved in five hours.  We started out at 9:30 am and were fortunate that the day was crystal clear blue sky and sunny with a cool 60 degree temperature.  We reached the summit at 3,268 feet in 3 hours, but we had to stop many times to catch our breath on the steep trail incline.  It gave us a chance to feel the cool breeze and catch the morning sunlight dappling the evergreen trees that the forest offered us. 

About two-thirds of the way up, we came out into the sunlight onto the rock outcroppings.  A little further up, we rested for a time to drink water, eat snacks, and take in the view West of North Conway, the Moats, and Cathedral Ledge and the many mountains beyond. From there, we continued climbing another hour and reached the summit at 12:30 pm.  How exciting it was for us because we’ve been talking about climbing this mountain for several year!.  

Our perseverance paid off because the 360 view was astoundingly beautiful.  We spent an hour at the top having lunch, taking photos, and climbing the fire tower signing the hikers’ log book of our excursion up the mountain.

At 1:30 pm, we proceeded down the trail which seemed much easier on our cardiovascular system as our breathing returned to normal.  The challenge was to carefully proceed down the rocky and root-bound craggy trail until we reached the gently slopping  rock outcroppings.  Back in the forest, we were shielded us from the mid-afternoon sunlight and the dogs were able to dip into several little pools of water to cool down.  The last 20 minutes of the trail rewarded us with a gentle climb down to an almost level trail on the soft pine needles.  Pennie and I reached the end in two hours and “high fived” each other on our first mountain adventure together!  We plan to summit South Moat Mountain on our next hike and will keep you posted.

Come stay with us for your hiking adventure at the Buttonwood Inn and BOOK NOW or call us at 1-800-258-2625.