Date of Hike:8/7/10
North Twin/North Twin Spur Trail: 5.6 miles
Twinway: 6.2 miles
Lend-A-Hand Trail: 2.7 miles
Mount Hale Trail (Fire Warden's Trail): 2.5 miles
North Twin Trail: 1.0 miles
Total Miles: 18.0 miles (5,300 elevation gain)
Trip Report:
- Left RI at 4:45am, on trail at 8:15am, finished at 4pm. Temps in 50's and 60's, high cloud cover with terrific views.
- From studying old AMC maps, guide books, and reading some of the hiking forums I discovered a pretty awesome loop hike hikers do of the Twins, Zealand, and Hale using the old defunct Mount Hale Trail (AKA Fire Warden's Trail) from the summit of Mount Hale back to North Twin Trail to create the loop.
- The hike up North Twin went pretty fast, I only ran into two other people at the water crossings, helping them find an easier way across the third, they were on there way to North Twin for the day.
- The views from North and South Twin were incredible and once on the Twinway I started running into lots of hikers for the remainder of the day heading in all different directions, some over to Galehead, some to Guyot and the Bonds, others to Zealand Falls Hut, and one to Springer Mountain in Georgia!
- At Zealand Mountain summit I saw a Golden Retriever who was carrying his leash in his mouth, I think I heard his owner call him Bud, which fit him well because he looked like "Air Bud". Bud looked like a dog who loved to be out climbing in the mountains unlike my Golden Retriever "Air" Mr. Smackers who just climbs on couches!
- At Mount Hale Summit it was pretty easy to find the old Mount Hale Fire Warden's Trail. I was amazed as to how great a shape this discontinued trail was in and how gentle the footing and grades were. The trail passes through Birch glades which were pretty incredible and must be quite the site in the fall.
- On the way down the Fire Warden's Trail I even stumbled into another hiker on his first time on the trail, he had hiked in the day before and stayed at the Guyot campsite while doing a Twins//Bonds/Zealand/Hale Traverse.
- The Fire Warden's Trail came out about a mile from the North Twin Trailhead on the bushwhack between the first and second water crossings. I probably would have never found it from the bottom as it's not noticable from the trail.
- This loop hike was very fun, I hope to get up the Fire Warden's Trail when the leaf's are changing color!
Pictures: Click here for all Pictures
North Twin/North Twin Spur Trail: 5.6 miles
Twinway: 6.2 miles
Lend-A-Hand Trail: 2.7 miles
Mount Hale Trail (Fire Warden's Trail): 2.5 miles
North Twin Trail: 1.0 miles
Total Miles: 18.0 miles (5,300 elevation gain)
Trip Report:
- Left RI at 4:45am, on trail at 8:15am, finished at 4pm. Temps in 50's and 60's, high cloud cover with terrific views.
- From studying old AMC maps, guide books, and reading some of the hiking forums I discovered a pretty awesome loop hike hikers do of the Twins, Zealand, and Hale using the old defunct Mount Hale Trail (AKA Fire Warden's Trail) from the summit of Mount Hale back to North Twin Trail to create the loop.
- The hike up North Twin went pretty fast, I only ran into two other people at the water crossings, helping them find an easier way across the third, they were on there way to North Twin for the day.
- The views from North and South Twin were incredible and once on the Twinway I started running into lots of hikers for the remainder of the day heading in all different directions, some over to Galehead, some to Guyot and the Bonds, others to Zealand Falls Hut, and one to Springer Mountain in Georgia!
- At Zealand Mountain summit I saw a Golden Retriever who was carrying his leash in his mouth, I think I heard his owner call him Bud, which fit him well because he looked like "Air Bud". Bud looked like a dog who loved to be out climbing in the mountains unlike my Golden Retriever "Air" Mr. Smackers who just climbs on couches!
- At Mount Hale Summit it was pretty easy to find the old Mount Hale Fire Warden's Trail. I was amazed as to how great a shape this discontinued trail was in and how gentle the footing and grades were. The trail passes through Birch glades which were pretty incredible and must be quite the site in the fall.
- On the way down the Fire Warden's Trail I even stumbled into another hiker on his first time on the trail, he had hiked in the day before and stayed at the Guyot campsite while doing a Twins//Bonds/Zealand/Hale Traverse.
- The Fire Warden's Trail came out about a mile from the North Twin Trailhead on the bushwhack between the first and second water crossings. I probably would have never found it from the bottom as it's not noticable from the trail.
- This loop hike was very fun, I hope to get up the Fire Warden's Trail when the leaf's are changing color!
Pictures: Click here for all Pictures
South Twin Summit
Owl's Head, Liberty, and Flume Mountain
Pemigewasset Wilderness
Carrigain Notch
Defunct Mount Hale Trail (Fire Warden's Trail)
Nice pics Chris. That Fire Warden;s Trail looks pretty cool, where off the summit is that found? Do you have a GPS or any reading of that trail?
ReplyDeleteHi Dan and Meena
ReplyDeleteI don't have a GPS reading of the trail but if you're on the summit of Mount Hale and standing at the big rock pile just head away from the rock pile to the west and you'll see a herd path, follow this and in a few seconds the path then comes to a "T" and you will take a right and head north and the trail is very obvious. Right next to the rock pile there are a couple of herd paths but those just wonder off into the woods and end.
Hope this helps!
Hi Dan and Meena
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to my GPS data of my Twins/Guyot/Bonds/Zealand/Hale traverse I did Friday through Saturday. Unfortunately my battery finally died before finishing the the Fire Warden Trail. If you zoom onto the top of Mount Hale you might get an idea of where the trail starts.
http://connect.garmin.com/player/43609014
Great Trail!
Rick
If I were to remove south twin from this loop how much milage would that take off?
ReplyDeleteYou can't, South Twin is part of the Loop, no way to skip south twin and do the other three as a loop!
Delete