Hiking in the White Mountains: Old Speck Mountain

1/19/14

Old Speck Trail: 7.3 miles (3,400 feet elevation gained)
Click here for trail descriptions

Trip Report:
- Sunday I drove from Gorham, NH over to Grafton Notch in Maine to hike Old Speck. I hiked Old Speck back in September and decided it would be fun to hike it in the winter.
- The trail is pretty steep in spots and even steeper if you hike the Eyebrow trail. I decided to bypass the Eyebrow Trail because there was a lot of ice hidden under an inch or two of fluffy snow.
- The trail travels through open and then a thick pine forest and as you gain the ridge. There are a few PUDS (pointless up and downs) along the way that are a butt-kicker on the way back down.
- I wore my snowshoes for the hike up. The aggressive crampons on them came in very handy in a few spots as the hidden ice was tricky in spots.
- Just before gaining the ridge I ran into two girls enjoying the hike up in the winter conditions. Snow was falling throughout the whole hike making it very enjoyable even though there were no views.
- Just before gaining the ridge near the Mahoosuc Trail Junction and then over to the summit tower is the only time the snowshoes came in handy as there was some drifted built up snow.
- At the summit I changed into dry layers, switched out the snowshoes for microspikes, and blitzed down the mountain making sure to throttle down when I came across any steep sections where I figured there would be hidden ice lurking.
- I made it back to the car just after 1 p.m. and drove back to Gorham in time to watch the Patriots get crushed by the Broncos in the AFC championship game. The only good news about the loss was after the game the bars were empty so I was able to have a cold beer and a yummy dinner at Mr. Pizza!

Old Speck Trail, through the woods is the Eyebrow

This is a frozen over cascade / brook. The previous warm temperatures opened up the ice and created a flow leaving a road like passage.

Old Speck Trail near the Eyebrow Trail junction

Old Speck Trail

A little pine tree blanketed in snow

Gaining the ridge

Old Speck Summit Tower

Old Speck Summit

Old Speck Trailhead in Grafton Notch (Appalachian Trail)

The Jeep looks good in the snow!

Hike information. Click here for more details. As you can see it got turned back on as I drove away!

Date of Hikes: 9/6 & 9/7

Carter-Moriah Trail: 9.0 miles (3,400 feet)
Eyebrow & Old Speck trail: 7.7 miles (3,000 Feet)
Caps Ridge Trail: 5.0 miles (2,700 feet)
Total Miles: 21.7 (9,100 feet elevation gain)

Trip Report: Moriah
- After leaving Baxter State Park early Friday morning we drove to Saco Maine to a park and ride where the rest of our cars were. I jumped in my Jeep and headed to Gorham and got a hotel room. I arrived earlier than expected so I decided to head and do a quick hike up and run down Mount Moriah.
- I saw one person as I headed up, I saw him early on in the hike and then didn't see another hiker. I had the whole mountain to myself. The temps were perfect for a quick hike, high 50's and no wind. There was not a cloud in the sky and the northern Presidential Range was in full view.
- When I got back to the trailhead it ended up being my finish to my fifth round of the 48 - 4,000 footers. First round took 21 years (Washington 88' - Carrigain 09') / second round 20 years (Washington 91' - Carrigain 11') / third round 19 years (Washington 93' - Owl's Head 12') / fourth round 18 years (Washington 94' - Moosilauke 12') / Fifth round also took 18 years (Lafayette 95' - Moriah 13'). I have five or so to go for round #6.

Trip Report: Old Speck & Jefferson
- On Saturday morning I gave a car spot to my friend Tim so he could do a Mahoosuc Range Traverse. After dropping off his car we drove up to Grafton Notch to the Old Speck Trailhead. Grafton Notch is a beautiful place and the hike up to the summit of Old Speck was quick and had some really pretty outlooks along the way. Tim and I hiked up to the summit where there was an old fire tower. There is not much room at the top of the tower, maybe enough for three or four people and the ladder up to it is an old iron rung vertical one. Views from the tower are great!
- From the summit we hiked back to the trail junction where Tim took off for his trail run of the Mahoosuc Range, he ended up doing 32 miles in eleven hour and thirty minutes. Pretty impressive.
- From here I booked it back down to the trailhead and drove over to Jefferson Notch to the Caps Ridge trailhead and started trail running up the Ridge of the Caps so I could catch up with Lee and Dion.
- I finally caught up to them above the third cap at the Cornice / Caps Ridge Trail Junction. From here we hiked up to the summit together, it was pretty windy but temps were in the low 50's so it was perfect for hiking. At the summit we got out of the wind and relaxed and refueled before heading back into the wind.
- The hike down was a lot of fun and by the time we got to the Caps it was warm enough to shed layers again and hike in short sleeves. There were lots of people out on the trail, it's one of the more popular ones on a good weather day since it gets you above treeline relatively quickly.
- It was the first time I descended the Caps in a few years, usually I use the Caps Ridge as a starting point and hike back from the Ammo Trailhead using the Jewell, Boundary Line, and Jefferson Notch Road.
- It was great hiking with Lee and Dion, always enjoy their company and they have a lot of fun on the trails.
- Summer is coming to a quick end in the White Mountains and I was happy to get in a few great weather hikes before it's time to layer up!

Carter-Moriah Trail

Mount Moriah Summit just off to the right

Presidential Range from Mount Surprise

Northern Presidential Range

Carter Range

New bog bridges on the Carter-Moriah Trail

Mahoosuc Range from Mount Surprise

Tim hiking up the cable section of the Eyebrow Trail

Re-bar on the Eyebrow Trail

Re-bar steps along the Eyebrow Trail

In case you weren't sure...the trail goes up and to the right!

Grafton Notch

Old Speck Trailhead

Old Speck

Old Speck Trail

Windmill farm!

Mossy Wall below Old Speck's summit ridge

Views forever into Maine

Old Speck Summit

Looking south to the Presidential Range

Mahoosuc Range

Sunday River

View from the fire tower

Mahoosuc Range

Tim carefully climbing down the tower

Old Speck Fire Tower

AT survey marker

Old Speck Trail

Fall is creeping up on the mountains

Old Speck Trail

Ladder steps along the Old Speck Trail

Mini waterfall just off the trail

Old Speck Trail waterfall

Old Speck trail northern terminus

Old Speck Trailhead

Lower Cap on the Caps Ridge Trail

Mount Clay, Washington, and Monroe

Lakes of the clouds Hut and Mount Monroe

Lakes, Monroe, and Lil' Monroe

Looking off towards the Monticello Lawn

Mount Clay and Washington

Brenton Woods, the Twin Range, and Franconia Ridge

Lenticular clouds above the Monticello Lawn

U.F.O. Clouds!

Alpine grass and Mount Washington

Dion heading up to mount Jefferson's Summit

Mount Washington

Lee heading up to Mount Jefferson

Mount Adams

Mount Clay, Washington, and Monroe

The Great Gulf Headwall

Dion trying to get Lee to stand on the highest boulder on top of Mount Jefferson

Lee on Mount Jefferson's summit

Mount Jefferson summit area

Monticello Lawn

Wave of clouds coming in from the southwest

Old marker along the Caps Ridge Trail, this could be part of the survey markers that were put in during the early twentieth century when scouting for a railroad that would have zig zagged across Jefferson and Clay's summit cones on its way up to Mount Washington