The plan was to climb Mount Hayes, but the route I picked was blocked. I didn’t know much about the area, and I thought one of the roads I saw on satellite images was a way through. Turns out it was a hydroelectric power station on the Androscoggin River that was off-limits to hikers. I could have gone the long way around it to climb Hayes, but I didn’t have time for that. My daughter had a soccer game in Berlin in the afternoon, and I didn’t want to miss it.
Blocked at the pass! The Androscoggin River Reservoir was in my way, with a hydroelectric plant taking up the bridge line.
Mountain Audible
Seeing that I was in mountain country, I opted to head back to the truck and drive to the soccer field at Berlin High School. I figured if I got my bearings, I could see if there were any hiking trails close by that I could tackle without mucking up my timetable. It was a fortuitous decision because there was a great one right next to the field.
Jasper Mountain in Berlin, NH, is a little over 1500 feet, so not a big mountain. But it goes straight up over a short distance, so it’s a pretty good workout. Because of the short distance, I ditched my backpack and just carried a bottle of water in case I got thirsty.
Of course, in typical Wrong-Way Matt fashion, I COMPLETELY missed the start of the trail. There’s even a sign at the trailhead detailing how Native Americans discovered Jasper 12,000 years ago and mined it for tools and weapons, so you would think I couldn’t miss it. But I did. The angle of the sign was situated such that my eyes were drawn to the path running down around the soccer field instead. I walked a few minutes in the wrong direction before I figured it out. Typical. When I got back to the sign, it was totally obvious where the trail went. I just love making mistakes, I guess.
The way up Jasper Mountain in Berlin, NH
The Blue Blaze Trail
There are a few trails going up Jasper that crisscross each other, but if you head up from the high school, just follow the blue blazes. It’s not a long trail—under a mile, I expect, but there is a fantastic view of the city of Berlin, NH, from its summit. Mount Forest sits across the valley, looking out on the city of Berlin like a sentinel protecting the people below. Tucked behind it, windmills spin away on Jericho Mountain, providing more energy-efficient power to the community. Between hydroelectric plants and windmills, I’d say Berlin is figuring out some pretty good ways to manage the future up there. Must be all that Scandinavian influence.
Standing on Jasper Mountain’s summit was a good reminder that we don’t always have to work so hard to earn a good view. That when climbing, you don’t always have to go for the big mountains on a recognized peakbagging list. Sure, climbing lists help you get to some special places, but there are so many other options for climbing, hiking, and getting outdoors—you don’t need to stay married to any kind of list.
Good view, right? Mount Forest drops off to the left, and you can see the windmills on Jericho Mountain to the right.
How’s That Saying Go?
There is a familiar expression that goes “Grow where you are planted,” which I recently learned is actually a variation of a quote from Saint Francis de Sales, who said, “Bloom where you are planted.” It’s a good quote. My wife even has a pillow with the saying stitched on it, somewhere in the house. Where is that thing?
What I like about the quote, though, is that it points out that you’ve got enough to worry about without worrying about all the places you’re not. That your spirit and energy will do well if you tend to the garden you have and enjoy where you’re at in life. Well, after yesterday, I’d like to add a climbing component to that philosophy, because after failing to find access to Hayes, I think an older version of me may have been annoyed and would have bemoaned not getting to follow through on my plan. But instead, I figured that it just wasn’t in the cards for the day and I’d be better served by going to explore Berlin. Or maybe, I thought, there’s something else I can climb.
And of course, there was.
After running around on the Mahoosuc trail for a mile, trying to determine a way to Hayes, I chose to return to this trestle bridge, head back to the car, and find another mountain to climb. I’ll see Hayes another day.