Mt. Major - Boulder and Brook Trails

Maps, Elevations & Summary

Distance:  4.3
Maximum Elevation: 1,786 ft.

Cumulative elevation gain: 1,247 ft.

Total Time: 4.0 hrs.

TRAIL REPORT

It looked nice when we left Pepperell, but as we drove farther north, the clouds began to build up.  By the time we reached Manchester, NH, it was drizzling with the temperature hovering around 35 degrees.

Arriving at the trailhead slightly before 9, there were still plenty of spaces in the parking lot but the wind had picked up.  Fortunately, in the trees along the Boulder trail, it was effectively blocked.  The elves which littered the trail made the climb a lit more slippery then when I visited here during the summer.  In spite of that, we made good progress and appreciated the nice views of Lake Winnepesaukee that greeted us on the midpoint of the trail, unlike the summer when the view was blocked by leaves.

Just below the summit was a very steep section of trail that took a while to traverse.  It was a little slippery and in the middle of our ascent, lo and behold, it started to snow.  Just some flurries but they were constant and with the darkening sky, I worried a little about the trip back down.  Neither of us had microspikes and only I had trekking poles.  Finally, we reached the top of the ridge and had the first unobstructed view of hue lake.

We took a brief break but wanted to get moving again due to the very high wind and temperatures that were now only 30 degrees.  After 15 minutes or so, we arrived at the summit with breathtaking views of the lake as well as the snow capped White Mountains to the north.

The wind was so cold, we decided to take shelter in the remnants of a hut that was near the summit.  The walls offered some shelter and Abby put on a shell and additional fleece.  

We stayed just long enough to have someone take our picture.

Finally, we started down thhe Brook trail.  The Mt. Major trail would have shaved a mile off of the descent but I was nervous about clambering down on the much steeper trail, with flurry still present.  The descent was rapid with the brook running with more water than I had seen during the summer.  Two stream crossing were made with no trouble and we here back at the parking lot about noon.