On Saturday I found myself in that odd scenario where the kids and wife are all off doing their own thing, and I have an afternoon to kill. So, after taking care of a few work items that carried over from Friday, I got the urge to expend some energy in the only place that ever seems to fully unwind my coiled body: the White Mountains.
But Where To?
During a recent trip to Sawyer Pond, my brother-in-law gave me one of those 52 With A View journals, which probably subliminally influenced my decision making this weekend. I’m a little over halfway done with the list, mostly by accident, but I’ve found the list is one of the most rewarding ones to follow when it comes to mountain exploration. For the most part, every peak on it has had a very memorable summit view and been a fantastic hike. Except, for some reason, Stinson—I have no recollection of Stinson. Maybe I’ll have to go back and find out why.
But the real beauty of having a list like the 52 With A View, is that I don’t have to think too hard about trying to find a new mountain to climb. You just see what’s left on the list and go.
My only constraint on this day was time. I was getting a late start and wouldn’t arrive at the trailhead until after 1 p.m.
When I climb these days, I’m making sure to really soak in each peak and each step.
Bald Peak: The Perfect Fit
Looking online, I could tell that Bald Peak was a hike of about two miles to the summit, and less than a two-hour drive from my house. Of the mountains that remain on the list, this was far and away the most time-efficient peak to tackle, so it was the obvious choice. Its trailhead is also the beginning point for one of New Hampshire’s 4000-footers—North Kinsman—so I knew the trailhead would be easy enough to find. Anytime a 4000-footer is involved, the trailheads are always easier to locate because they are so well-marked. Well, unless you attempt the old Mount Cabot Trail, which has been discontinued (ahem, sabotaged). If you try that one, you better bring a beacon and a shotgun.
But at a height of approximately 2,460 feet, with an easy trailhead to find, Bald Peak looked like the perfect fit for a stress-free, impromptu hike on a Saturday afternoon when I wasn’t planning to go hiking at all. Bully for me!
The Mount Kinsman Trail
Tamarack Green Recreation manages the trail and there is a $10 fee for parking. I didn’t know this before I left the house, but finding a $10 bill in my wallet upon arrival, was a welcome relief. Who carries cash these days?
After paying the fee, I started off at a brisk pace. I’d been craving a mountain and needed to get the lead out. I also didn’t want to be exposed in the sun too long, because it was getting HOT. The quicker I got to the summit, I thought, the quicker I could hopefully enjoy a nice mountain breeze. I wasn’t quite wogging (half walking, half jogging) to shorten the time, but I was certainly hustling.
Beware of Yellow Vespas
Shortly into the climb I was met by a guy motoring down the trail on a yellow Vespa. In all of my time in the wilderness, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen that before. The driver shouted, “Good day,” with a smile, and zoomed right past me as I joked, “That’s not something you see every day!” He may have said, “Have a good day,” but I only heard the last two words, which made me think he was Australian.
Not too long after the scooter sighting, I came across a storage shed of sorts, over twenty feet tall. I imagined that’s where the Vespa driver was coming from because it looked like a good place to keep trail maintenance equipment. Or a prisoner, gagged and bound. Yikes. So many mysteries out there, happening every day.
This has to be where the yellow Vespa was coming from, right?
The Way to Bald Peak
The 2.3 miles to the summit of Bald Peak runs at a very consistent incline for over 90% of the hike. Sure and steady, you don’t work too hard, but there aren’t many easy spots either. Make no mistake, you’re going up, even though this isn’t the tallest mountain (it actually ranks 49th on the 52 With A View list in terms of height.)
With about .2 of a mile to go, a sign appears, giving climbers the option to either head to Bald Peak, or attempt the more challenging North Kinsman. Seeing that it was only another 1.6 miles to the Kinsman Ridge and the summit of North Kinsman, I was very tempted, but I’m trying to be more mindful about what I’m after on my climbs these days. This is the new me. Not the pre-4000s by 40-me, who climbed everything nearby on the map. Now I’m trying to soak in one mountain at a time, fully embracing the area and the nuances of the trail—yellow Vespas and all.
For the Experience
Should there be a couple of peaks on my route, that’s great, but my purpose is to get out and just enjoy nature. I also want to really remember each climb and why I liked it (or didn’t.) Racing off to grab another peak, just because, is a great way to forget the current mountain I’m on. I don’t want to ever do that again.
Speaking of, Bald Peak has a great view of several mountains from the summit. You can see Moosilauke in the distance, and North Kinsman directly above you. Orangey rust-colored circles cover the summit, some of which look like dried up lichen, but more of which look like iron-oxide deposits of some kind. I’m no expert geologist or botanist, but that’s my best guess. I’m trying to learn. Hopefully someone out there can verify my conclusions for me.
Moosilauke is the second peak noted from the left (credit a new app discovery, Peak Visor, for the marked photo). Also see the orange circles in the foreground? Some look like scorched grass, but some had no grass at all. Dr. Matt says that has to be iron.
Time at the Summit
With North Kinsman looking oh-so-close, I ran some numbers in my head, just out of curiosity, but adding it would have put me way behind schedule for the day. Maybe if I had started out in the early morning, I may have tried it, but I didn’t want to get home after dark. Besides, I told myself, the whole point was to really just see this mountain.
In response, I dumped my pack and took a good long sit on a flattop boulder. I also got the camera out and examined the flora and surrounding landscape. It was a beautiful August day, and I had the peak all to myself. There were well over ten cars at the trailhead, but not a soul was on the summit—everyone must have gone to North Kinsman instead. What are the chances? On the ascent I ran into two young ladies who had just left Bald Peak, and one of them encouraged me after I asked if I was getting close. “If you hurry,” she said, “you’ll have it all to yourself.” She was right.
View of North Kinsman from Bald Peak Summit
Recounting Mountains
Normally I have more trail pictures from a climb, but nothing really drew my attention too intently on this hike. I took some pictures, but the trail felt a bit devoid of those special spots of beauty that bring a poem to mind—or free it entirely. Maybe it was just the day. August hikes are like that: green and hot, with not much else. The brooks had also dried up significantly in the summer swelter, making them less interesting. It just seems to happen this time of year on some trails. But every mountain is different, and the same mountains tell a different story every month.