Some mountains don’t get what they should from me. I’m not proud of it. Most of them get the respect and gratitude they deserve, but some? Well, some I treat like a simple tool for physical fitness and nothing else. It’s terrible. I should be ashamed of myself.
Such is the case of North Pack Monadnock, who every now and again I get the urge to visit, not because I love it, but because my body needs some “biggish enough” mountain to climb each week and North Pack is one of the closest ones for me to get to. It’s also an easy pick for a foul weather day, which much of Saturday morning was. Had it been nicer out, I may have opted for something new. But since the day was overcast and visibility moot, I figured I’d just go and bag a peak for the physique. Lord knows I could use it.
Ted’s Trail on a gloomy spring hike up North Pack Monadnock
Ted’s Trail and Carolyn’s Trail
But I didn’t do what I always do and just thump my way up. Maybe I’m becoming a more enlightened hiker, but on this hike, I decided to explore some routes I was less familiar with and see what I can see. I wanted to be more present, even if that meant a long walk in the misty rain. Heading up Ted’s Trail, which I’ve done parts of before, I changed things up and decided to follow it for its entire length until a cutover trail took me to North Pack’s Summit. Along the way I crossed a small waterfall known as Bonner Falls, and I stood on several open rock slabs that would have been great lookout points had the weather cooperated.
Part of my plan was to also search for a subpeak off North Pack called East Slope, but I couldn’t see how to bushwhack my way over to it in the slick and foggy conditions. The wet spring rock caused me to lose my footing a few times, making it clear that it wasn’t the kind of day where you venture into terrain you can’t decipher. So, I settled for just another old regular summit of North Pack before looping my way down Carolyn’s Trail.
Carolyn’s Trail is less rocky than Ted’s and a perfect route for the descent if you’re doing a loop hike. It’s so clearly different than Ted’s Trail in both grade and rock, I began to wonder if the trails were named to match their namesake’s personalities. Carolyn’s Trail is sensible and runs up a rational, fluid grade of the mountain. Ted’s Trail on the other hand, while not too difficult, runs over a ton of rock, a waterfall, and over several lookout notches. After the climb was over, I imagined Carolyn and Ted got into an argument one day while cutting trails and Carolyn said, “Ted, this way makes the most sense,” to which Ted responded, “Yeah, but waterfalls Carolyn. Waterfalls! And rocks!” Before Carolyn could talk sense into him, Ted bounded off in the opposite direction like a billy goat.
Bonner Falls footbridge. I couldn’t find much reference to Bonner Falls online other than here.
Getting New Reads on the Land
My dog Bullet joined me on this climb, and it pleased me to see he could still do it without too much trouble. He’s turning ten this summer, so he’s no spring chicken. By the end of the hike, he was soaked and muddy, and looking a bit like a four-legged relative of “Cousin It” from The Addams Family. It was clear he needed a haircut. Especially after he lost me twice on the trail because of the hair covering his eyes—he couldn’t see which way I turned. But he did stupendously well, hair and all.
The most interesting thing about the hike to me though, wasn’t the waterfall or the mess my dog was making of himself. It was the people. Here was a mountain I never thought too highly of, on a gross sopping wet day, and there were tons of hikers making their way up and down the trail. When I arrived at the trailhead there were four cars, and when I returned, there were eight different ones! Six of which had Massachusetts plates. What were they doing up here to visit lowly old North Pack?
Not only that, the last three hikers I met were German and couldn’t speak a lick of English. I said hi to the first one and he just nodded. The second one did the same. The third one was looking at her phone and when Bullet and I approached with a good-natured hello, her eyes bugged out of her head and she started speaking German to her friends. They didn’t seem to know any English at all—even less than any German I ever met in Germany. Why would three non-English speaking Germans come to Greenfield, NH in order to climb a random mountain like North Pack?
But then again, why do I mistreat this mountain so? Maybe I misjudge it. It’s a good hike, with a nice grade and sizeable distance. The waterfall was cool. Small but cool. And my dog could handle the effort. These were all major pluses. Maybe I’ve been so spoiled by all of the spectacular views I’ve found in New Hampshire, I’ve come to view North Pack as a peak only needed in case of an emergency. Something there for me when I just need to get out but don’t have too much time to kill. And by doing so, I’ve cheated it of its worth. And its friendship.
I hope North Pack is the only one.
On the ascent up Ted’s Trail there was nothing to see. Only on the descent did the sun creep out (top picture with Bullet, looking pretty mangy.)
North Pack Monadnock Trail Details
Route: Ted’s Trail → Crossover Trail → North Pack Summit → Carolyn’s Trail (loop)
Trailhead: Mountain Road, Greenfield, NH
Distance: ~5.3–6 miles
Elevation Gain: ~1,264 feet
Summit Elevation: 2,264 feet
Difficulty: Moderate