Maps, Elevations & Summary
Distance: 2.8 milesTRAIL REPORT
After two weeks of sweltering heat, this day started cool and enveloped in fog. It seemed good weather to attempt a slightly higher summit so I headed up to Pack Monadnock in Miller State Park, Petersborough, NH. Arriving early, there was plenty of parking. I put my $3.00 use fee in the "Iron Ranger" box in the parking lot and headed for the trails.
Besides the auto road, there are two hiking trails to the summit, the Wapack trail and the Marion Davis trail.
According to the guide books, it makes no difference which you choose but I have to disagree. The Wapack trail had a larger number or boulders and initially, a steeper ascent which I would not have wanted to climb down. As you leave the parking lot, you are immediately faces with a large, rock stern trail which pretty much resembles the entire 1.4 mile ascent.
A nice woman walked by and asked for me to take a picture of her at the summit. I agreed and she shot a phot of me mugging for the camera as well.
The summit was crowded. The hawk watch group was there, counting migratory raptors as they start their way south. Their was also some tour group there, visiting the fire tower and the air quality monitoring station at the summit.
I found a picnic bench and settled down to a snack and water break. Walking around the summit, I found the US Geological survey marker which was affixed to the summit, but the actual elevation was marred but from records, I was standing at 2,288 feet.
Right next to it was a NH State marker as well. Continuing around, I noticed that the old shelter had been rebuilt on the summit. Although there is no camping allowed in Miller state park, the shelter is a nice place to pause in the winter when many people hike up the auto road to the summit.
Continuing farther around the north side of the summit, there was a large area which had been cleared of trees for an unobstructed view of North Pack Monadnock and the Cliffs Trail.
The Wapack trail actually continues on to North Pack and down the other side to its northern terminus on Mountain Road. There is a loop trail on the summit which loops around the high cliffs there, with reportedly nice views toward the White Mountains. It is definitely something I will put on my list for a future hike.
Further to the north, there were nice views of the White Mountains in the distance.
Besides the auto road, there are two hiking trails to the summit, the Wapack trail and the Marion Davis trail.
According to the guide books, it makes no difference which you choose but I have to disagree. The Wapack trail had a larger number or boulders and initially, a steeper ascent which I would not have wanted to climb down. As you leave the parking lot, you are immediately faces with a large, rock stern trail which pretty much resembles the entire 1.4 mile ascent.
In the first 0.2 miles, you encounter a rock slide which required a small amount of scrambling. I put away my trekking poles and one or twice needed hands to pull myself up some of the larger outcroppings. This has to be treacherous in the winter when there is ice on the trails.
In the photo above, you can see the yellow triangular blaze at the top of one section of the slide.
After 0.3 miles you gain about 250 ft and reach a rock ledge which faces toward the west with an unobstructed view of Mount Monadnock.
The morning was pretty clear and you could see the rock summit very well. After some water, it was time to start up again. The trail was not as steep from this point forward as it was in the first 0.2 mile from the parking lot, but the climb was relentless. Even though it had rained the previous two days, the trail itself was well drained with very little standing water.
This is in part, thanks to the folks at Miller state Park who maintain the trails. I met a ranger who was using a hand rake to clear debris from trail runoffs to keep the water flowing away from the trail. After about 2 hours (with numerous rest stops) I arrives at the junction of the Wapack and Red dot trails, approximately 1.4 miles and 825 feet above the trailhead. The red dot trail circles the mountain just below the summit and I remember bringing the kids here when they were younger for their first hiking experience.
Taking the right trail, I was soon at the summit offering great views to the west, back toward Mt. Monadnock.
A nice woman walked by and asked for me to take a picture of her at the summit. I agreed and she shot a phot of me mugging for the camera as well.
The summit was crowded. The hawk watch group was there, counting migratory raptors as they start their way south. Their was also some tour group there, visiting the fire tower and the air quality monitoring station at the summit.
I found a picnic bench and settled down to a snack and water break. Walking around the summit, I found the US Geological survey marker which was affixed to the summit, but the actual elevation was marred but from records, I was standing at 2,288 feet.
Right next to it was a NH State marker as well. Continuing around, I noticed that the old shelter had been rebuilt on the summit. Although there is no camping allowed in Miller state park, the shelter is a nice place to pause in the winter when many people hike up the auto road to the summit.
Continuing farther around the north side of the summit, there was a large area which had been cleared of trees for an unobstructed view of North Pack Monadnock and the Cliffs Trail.
The Wapack trail actually continues on to North Pack and down the other side to its northern terminus on Mountain Road. There is a loop trail on the summit which loops around the high cliffs there, with reportedly nice views toward the White Mountains. It is definitely something I will put on my list for a future hike.
Further to the north, there were nice views of the White Mountains in the distance.
Fially, it was time to head back down. Near the restrooms and an overlook looking toward Boston, is the start of the Marion Davis trail.
Following the blue triangular blazes down the mountain was a lot easier than the Wapack. Although there are steep sections, and areas you need to watch your footing, I was able to use my hiking poles the whole way with no scrambles. The 1.4 mile descent took just under 1.5 hours.
Although I still need a couple of rest stops and my time up and down was singularly unimpressive, this was a special hike. A couple of years ago, I tried this and gave up about 1/2 way up to the summit. Getting back into hiking has definitely been improving my stamina and I hope to keep the improvements going.
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