Lockes Hill - Lakeview and Quarry Trails

Maps, Elevations & Summary

Distance:  2.2 miles
Maximum Elevation: 1,066 ft.

Cumulative elevation gain: 469 ft.

Total Time: 2.0 hrs.

TRAIL REPORT

Headed out into the rain to hike Lockes Hill in the Bellknap Range.

It is in Kimball Wildlife Forest on the western shores of Lake Winnipesaukee.  There are no fewer than 20 interpretive signs as you make you way up the mountain describing areas like the "Glen" and the old quarry, a site for salamanders to breed.  There were also informative forest fact describing the ice storm of '98 and how it changed the fix of soft and hardwoods in the first.  Highly recommended for young kids.

I started going up the quarry trail which is a longer but lass steep ascent.  After a couple of minutes I reached the site of the old quarry which has filled in with water.

IIt is apparently a breeding ground for salamanders and other amphibians, but on this day, it seemed to be a Mecca for mosquitoes. even in the steady rain.  I took a breakand liberally applied DEET before crossing the small stream that feeds the pond.  The accent was very nice with many sections having been worked to provide granite steps up steeper sections of the trail.  There were sections of alternating hardwood and softwood forest with some of the nicest stands of red oak I've seen.  Toward the summit, I had a short encounter with a porcupine near some rock outcroppings.  He walked away before I could get my camera out.

FInally, at the summit, the trail breaks out into a flat summit which has been heavily logged.  There was a tower there, a beacon for aircraft descending into nearby Laconia Airport.

A thick grounding cable lay at the base of the tower, and this combined with the ever=present sound of thunder prompted me to move on to a less lightning prone location.  There were to overlooks at the summit, but both were obscured by low clouds and rain/mist.

After a short  breather, I continued to the Lakeview trail for a quick descent to the parking area.  About halfway down the mountain, I cam upon some cars that marked the "Glen", an area in which numerous granite benches had been built.

This was reminiscent of the clearing on the top of Temple Mountain in the Wapack range which has similar structures, but the Glen has a nice set of observation binoculars and a splendid view of the lake.

After a brief pause, it began to downpour in earnest so I continued the descent, which was becoming very slippery, especially in the muddy parts.  In no time at all I was in the parking area and heading back home.