Sonic the Hedgehog . . . The Mountain

Date of Hike: 12/5/14

Downes Brook / UNH Trail: 5.8 (1,600 feet elevation gained)

Trip Report:
- Our original plan was to hike Hedgehog and Potash, but the water crossing of the Downes Brook at the beginning of the Potash Trail was glazed over with ice.  Nether of us felt like taking a chance of falling in or heading back to the trailhead and up the Kanc to hook onto the logging road bypass so we just headed over to the UNH Trail up Hedgehog.
- The eastern loop of the UNH Trail has been relocated, Hurricane Irene ripped 0.9 miles of it up so the loop has become a lollipop loop as the first 0.6 miles now coincides with the western section of the loop, got that, good! 
- Anyway at 0.6 miles the eastern link branched off and soon hooked onto the old part of the trail. From here the trail meandered its way through the woods before popping out onto the lower ledges on the eastern side of Hedgehog.  Views from the ledges to the east into the Oliverian Brook valley over to Chocorua, and southwest to Mount Passaconaway were fantastic.  From the ledges the trail dipped back down into the woods before wrapping around the western shoulder as it headwd up to the summit.  Views were pretty stellar on the summit of Hedghog, there is a real great long range view over to Carrigain, and one of the best views of the Captain I have seen, to date.
- Nothing else really to report about this hike, if you like views for little effort head to Hedgehog!

 Route for the day, click here for details
 Lower end of the UNH Trail
 Heading up through the woods to the ledges
 Approaching the first ledges
 Whitney makes her way up Hedgehog Mountain
 Mount Chocorua, Passaconaway, Tripyramids, and Carrigain
 Looking towards Mount Washington and Mount Carrigain
 Descending the UNH Trail
Allen's Ledge
 

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