The end of my 4000-footer journey was rapidly approaching, and after showing the pictures I took on Owl’s Head, Liz wanted to go on some hikes together. Hiking during fall foliage is a special treat and we had a little time to get away because the kids were still young, so we didn’t have to spend the weekend racing around to tournaments yet. My parents offered to take the kids, and we spent a few days hiking in the land that I love. It was fitting that Liz and I would get to hike again at the end of my quest, as she was the one who helped start me off.
Artist’s Bluff
The first day we went on a relatively small hike up the classic Artist’s Bluff. If you google pictures of fall foliage in New Hampshire, you’re bound to come across a few photos of this quintessential New Hampshire hiking location. Near Cannon Mountain, it offers a quick path to a rewarding view of Echo Lake below. It’s the kind of place where you can linger for a while, and certainly, if you’re a painter, get a terrific model for your canvas.
Artist’s Bluff is also a wonderful place to go if you’re new to hiking: a gateway drug of sorts, showing you a glimpse of what is out there if you’re only willing to walk uphill.
While one angle shows Echo Lake, another gives you a view of Mittersill Alpine Ski Resort, an extension of Cannon Mountain where many of our New Hampshire youth race during the winter. It’s home to some of the biggest ski competitions in the state each year.
Frankenstein Cliffs
Looking for something new, we decided to check out the Frankenstein Cliffs on our second day of hiking. This is a very cool spot that takes you under a trestle bridge and can be incorporated with some waterfall hunting. Ripley Falls and Arethusa Falls are both accessible as part of the loop hike stemming from the trailhead. We were in no rush to see it all though, and simply ambled our way along, letting earth show us what it wanted us to see.
Up on the cliffs, we took in some spectacular views of New Hampshire’s fall foliage. It was amazing to see how much the colors had changed in a week. The yellow’s I enjoyed on Owl’s Head were now replaced with a deeper orange hue. Rusty almost. We hung our feet over the cliff’s edge and basked in the autumn sun. I honestly can’t remember another hike where we hurried less. It was so peaceful.
We spent a fair amount of time walking underneath the Frankenstein Trestle Bridge, which is still in use by the Conway Scenic Railroad. Without even realizing it, we slowed down and spent an unusual amount of time admiring the juxtaposition of the historic train track against the changing leaves. It was so nice to just scope things out and not “get after it.” Looking up at the tracks, I have to admit: if it wasn’t part of an active railroad, I’d definitely be tempted to walk upon it.
Tackling Potash Knob: A Long Sought After Summit
I’ve been exploring Lincoln, New Hampshire, and the surrounding areas for over forty years now, which I don’t know how that’s possible since I’m only 33! One of the mountains I’ve had my eye on all these years is a bump along the Kancamagus Highway that sits directly across from Loon Mountain. Before we had all of this technology, nobody could tell me what it was called, but through the use of some GPS apps, I was able to identify the mountain as Potash Knob.
Not many choose to climb Potash, and now I know why. There’s no trail and as you approach the top, you have a pretty crazy bushwack. It was very difficult to navigate the tightly wound trees littering the summit. At some points we had to shimmy ourselves between them, scraping our bodies and our faces a little bit. We both agreed that this was a one-and-done hike, but it meant a lot to me that she was willing to check out this place that I had been curious about for so long.
Along the way we found “The Slide.” An open rock face easily observed from across the highway when looking out from Loon Mountain, it’s a bit precarious to navigate freely, so climbing on all fours came into play at times. The safest way to enjoy it was to emerge through the woods on its topside before returning the way you came.
3 Days, 3 Hikes
It’s always good to get out there for a hike, but getting to do so with Liz over a long weekend was a special treat, and a far better hiking experience than solo-missions on a 4000-footer. Taking on smaller trails with her allowed more time to just relax and commune with nature in a way that you can’t quite achieve sometimes on a big hike, where it’s critical to manage your time. As the end of my 4000-footer quest approached, I was glad for it, knowing that more hikes like these were waiting for me in the future.
View from “The Slide” between Potash Knob and Whaleback in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Overlooking the town is Loon Mountain, a premier ski destination in New Hampshire. But from this vantage point, after a tough bushwhack, it was hard not to think about anything other than getting some food and drink at the Common Man.
The White Mountains
For more stories about the White Mountains, you can find more at 4000s by 40.
Looking for photos of more 4000-footers? Head back to the 4000s by 40 Visual Companion to explore the other peaks.