Hiking in the White Mountains: foliage

It was an Autumn for the ages in the mountains. The most vivid and longest lasting foliage I can remember, just driving through the notches on the way to the trailheads was a joy.

Sarge got in some spectacular hikes on his way to finishing his NH 48 4000 foot mountains! Yay for Sarge :)

Enjoy the pictures!

Hiking along the Brothers on the way to Big Slide over in the Adirondacks. Great Range in view

The Calamity! More info here

Flowed Land, Mount Colden in View

Par for the course in the ADKs. Herbert Brook Herd Path on Mount Marshall

Peek-a-boo Sarge on the Fire Warden's Trail, Mount Hale

Sarge and Piper, the Derp Squad on Signal Ridge

Castle View in Randolph, NH

Rainbow Trail on the way to Carter Dome

Sarge above Carter Notch with Wildcat A peak across the way

Carter Notch Lake

Daddy, is that you??

Making a new friend

Ear flappin' - wind sniffin' on Mount Madison

Professor Biscuit(s) on Mount Adams

Snack break on Mount Adams

Happy dog!

Cairn watching Sarge says, "Winter is coming soon at Thunderstorm Junction."

Back yard peepin'

Hide n' seek last place

Rocky Branch Trail

Heading into the Engine Hill glades

Open and easy bushwhackin'

Engine Hill glades

Mount Isolation

Rocky Branch Trail

Flume Slide Trail

Cooling off the pads!

Charging up Flume Slide

Mount Flume

Taking in the views of the Pemi Wilderness

Mount Liberty

4000 foot fluff ball

Liberty Spring Trail

Livermore Trail

Sandwiches in the wilderness...YUMMY!

Bottom of North Tripyramid Slide

Moment of zen

Mountain goat!

Top of South Tripyramid Slide

does this boulder make my fluff butt look too fluffly??!!

Peak foliage is over...Soon Snow Patrol Sarge starts heading to the Bowl in Tucks :)

Date of Hike: 10/23/15

Mount Cabot Trail: 7.75 miles (2,864 feet elevation gained)

Trip Report:
- On Friday I spent the early afternoon hiking up Mount Cabot from Heath's Gate. It was a quick and very quiet hike as I would see nobody the whole way up and down. My route for the afternoon would be over the old Mount Cabot Trail which is no longer maintained, it's a little muddy and eroded in spots but generally easy to follow. I made sure to not stray from the easement (an old logging road that travels between private property). It's a nice alternative from the hike on the northern side of the mountain from the Berlin Fish Hatchery, it's a little bit shorter mileage wise but pretty much has the same feel to it as they both head over old logging roads before heading through the woods into Bunnell Notch. There are some old blazes here and there, I spotted three, and a sign that reads 'Last Water Before Summit' at the Bunnell Brook crossing. There is a spooky feeling to the old trail, it doesn't see much use and you're just as likely to see a moose on it as you are another hiker. I saw neither, but did hear a dog barking off in the distance, I always hear a dog barking while making my way up the old section, maybe it's a ghost dog!! #boo :)

Starting from Heath's Gate I take the old logging road

If you're not familiar with the old trail it might be a little confusing as the easement crosses the old Kilkenny Railroad, which is now indistinguishable and a private property utility/ATV road

Heading up the old logging road

After three quarter of a mile there is a clearing, the trail heads to the left and into the woods

Once in the woods the trail remains a nice hike over the old road but then becomes eroded

It takes on more of a 'path' as the road narrows then turns into a 'trail'

The crossing of the Bunnell Brook, if you look closely at the tree leaning over the brook there is a sign that says Last Water Before Summit. This sign must have been placed here shortly before the trail was closed in 2000 because it is still in excellent shape

Once past the Bunnell Brook the trail finally starts to climb through open woods, in the late spring and summer it's overgrown with hobble bush through here but in the fall it's more open