Overnight on the Cohos Trail: the Percy Peaks

The third times the charm, especially with hiking. Our most recent hike described below happens to be our third time doing the Percy Peaks. It took three attempts to finally get it right, this time completing the loop and ascending both peaks. This hike is one of the best loops north of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. This is also the first Columbus Day weekend we've had good hiking weather, which is an added bonus.

The White Mountains from North Percy Peak.

My dad and I began the hike at the southern trailhead, where we followed the trail easily through a beautiful forest. The fall colors were everywhere, adding more beauty to the area. The path was gradual at first, but eventually began to climb up the mountainside, passing over and around numerous slides, yet never getting too steep. There were faint views back through the trees from the slides, but they're nothing compared to the views ahead.

The Percy Peaks Trail.

Lucy crossing a bridge along the trail.

The view from one of the slides.

The path flatten out as it entered the col, which is the gap between the two peaks. We were soon brought to the junction with the Cohos Trail, which we followed a few hundred feet south to a faint herd path. This trail is seldom used, despite the very obvious sign stating that it leads to the summit of South Percy. The path is obscure, as it maneuvers up the steep slope, and very slowly opens up onto the summit. This peak is rarely visited, yet it offers one of the most iconic views north of the White Mountain.

The trail junction.

The spur trail to South Percy Peak.

Still climbing South Percy.

The ledges of North Percy as seen from South Percy.

Goback Mountain and Savage Mountain

After taking in the views for a while, we decided to head over to North Percy. We descended from the south peak and eventually made our way over to the junction with the spur trail up the ledges and to the summit of North Percy. Something I don't understand is how over exaggerated the trail up the ledges is. The trail climbs up the ledges, but never results in climbing, it's easily walk-able the whole way up. If anything, the trail up South Percy is more difficult, but not as beautiful.

The beginning of the ledges.

Lucy climbing up the rocks.

Looking toward Long Mountain and the Mahoosuc Range.

We knew we were approaching the summit as the slope began to flatten, and the sign came into view. This peak offers the best views north of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, offering views into three states. Numerous peaks in Vermont can be seen, including Mt.Mansfield, Burke Mountain, Bald Mountain, Jay Peak, Seneca Mountain, and even East Mountain and it's many radar towers can be seen.

The summit of North Percy Peak.

Burke Mountain, East Mountain, Seneca Mountain, Bald Mountain, and Jay Peak.

The radar towers atop East Mountain.

Many more peaks can be seen in New Hampshire, both to the north and south, including Mt.Moriah, Mt.Washington, Rogers Ledge, The Horn, Mt.Cabot, Mt.Garfield, the Franconia Ridge, Mt.Cannon, and Mt.Moosilauke. The Mahoosuc Range can be seen continuing into Maine, and many more mountains throughout Nash Stream Forest can be spotted from the summit.

Looking north from the summit.

The Mahoosuc Range from North Percy, including Baldpate Mountain,
Old Speck, Mahoosuc Arm, Goose Eye Mountain, Mt.Carlo, and Mt.Success.

The Presidential Range rising above the Pilot-Pliny Range.

Mt.Garfield and the Franconia Range, alongside the Kinsman Range,
as seen from North Percy Peak.

We set up camp just below the summit, and away from the winds. We stuck around the summit, as the sun began to set over the horizon of Vermont. There were still people arriving at the summit, even after the sun had set. After watching the sunset, and taking in the star-filled skies, we went to bed, awaiting the sunrise the next morning.

The colors of sunset over the Mahoosuc Range.

South Percy and the White Mountains.

Watching the sunset over Vermont.

The sunrise was a beautiful sight, as it rose just over the Mahoosuc Range, shining all over the valley and nearby mountain slopes. We admired it for a while, but we also wanted to get down early, so we hastily packed up camp and began to make our way down, enjoying the views over Lake Christine and toward the White Mountains all the way down.

The sun rising over the undercast clouds.

The sun slowly rising.

Lake Christine and the White Mountains

Looking into Vermont from the ledges. Cape Horn can be seen to the left.

Once we entered the trees, we continued down the north side. This trail is beautiful, and not steep at all. It begins by passing through a moss-covered forest, which slowly transitions into hardwood. The Cohos Trail is well marked here, and it eventually brings you to the camping spot, where the Cohos Trail diverges, and we continued on the Percy Loop Trail, which follows an old woods road for the rest of the way.

The junction with the campsite.

Lucy roaming the campsite.

The old woods road through the forest.

Sugarloaf Mountain through the fall-colored trees.

Overall, it was enjoyable hike with great views, making a great second to last sunrise for the year. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's that my dad and I have been doing a sunrise hike every month since November to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday. We've already done twelve months, but we will officially finish the endeavor next month, completing the year. It's been an exciting experience so far, so hopefully we can finish strong!

Short and Sweet: Putney Mountain

Sometimes short hikes are the best. Not all mountains need to be over the top in beauty, or constantly topping the last. Doing that will eventually leave you at a dead end, so it's good to go back and do easy hikes. Just because a trail is easy and short, doesn't mean it won't be amazing. Putney Mountain in Vermont certainly makes for a great short hike, and with it being autumn as well, the mountain fits the bill perfectly. A little mountain with a big view, that's for sure.

Emerging onto the summit of Putney Mountain.

Putney Mountain is an incredibly short hike, with barely any elevation gain. The path follows an old, wide logging path through the woods. This mountain supports my hypothesis that Vermont is the best state for hiking when it comes to the fall, and especially leaf peeping. Also, don't be fooled by these photos of empty trails, this mountain can fill up quick in an afternoon. Either way, the trail was steady, and covered in leaves, surrounded by glowing oranges and vibrant yellows on the trees.

Starting from the kiosk at the trailhead.

The trail winding through the trees and their fall colors.

A large, burnt tree along the trail.

Passing through one of many stone walls.

The mountain was eerily quiet this early in the morning, and that's in no way a bad thing. As we approached the summit, the trail gave us a bit of an incline, but nothing warranting  heavy boots and trekking poles. The path gently brought us to the summit, which featured a large open meadow with views out to the surrounding peaks in both Vermont and New Hampshire, the most notable being Stratton Mountain and Mt.Monadnock.

The sign just below the summit.

Looking further into Vermont.

The summit area of Putney Mountain is quite the attraction in an of itself. There are several herd paths that cut through the bushes and grass that line the summit. The highest point offers spectacular views into New Hampshire, with Mt.Monadnock distinctly visible. Another trail winds down to a lower meadow, with a great view out west, and a sign about hornets.

The view into New Hampshire, with Mt.Monadnock clearly visible to the far right.

Stratton Mountain as seen from Putney Mountain.

Mt.Monadnock stands tall, with Gap Mountain to the right.

Stratton Mountain, with the ski slopes visible on it's right side.

They're not kidding! Look at the size of the nest in the background!

Down the trail a bit more is a bird watching station, with extra folding chairs, information on the mountain, and even statistics for the bird migration in the area. There were a couple bird watchers on the summit, but besides them, there was nobody else on the mountain. We slowly made our way back down the trail, enjoying the walk all over again.

The bird watching station.

An arrow toward the trail.

The summit area.

Heading back.

Putney Mountain is one of the best little mountains around. It's the kind of hike you find yourself doing on an early fall morning, kind of like this! I can't wait to come back and have the same amount of fun hiking it as I did today. I dedicate this blog to not only the appreciation of short hikes, but also making fond memories, and revisiting them. This mountain makes me want to return day after day. 

One of the Best: Mt.Hunger and White Rocks

The state of Vermont contains many beautiful mountains, but it's safe to say it contains no where near as many as other states, like New York, New Hampshire, or even Maine. To me, the scenery of the state makes up for this, along with the quality of trails. The Green Mountains run almost perfectly in a north-south direction, perfectly in between the Adirondacks and the White Mountains, meaning there's views all around! One of my favorite hikes in the state includes Mt.Hunger (3,540') and White Rocks (3,194'), which both loom over the nearby town of Waterbury, and offer spectacular views in all directions.

The view toward Mt.Hunger from the summit of White Rocks.

My dad and I arrived at the trailhead for the Middlesex Trail very early, and quickly found ourselves beginning the hike. The trail follows a few logging roads for the first mile, where the trail then abruptly leaves the road. The path immediately crosses a brook, and gently climbs the lower slopes of the mountain. The colors on the trees were beautiful, which means fall is in full swing here in Vermont.

Looking up the road.

Along the trail, through the forest.

We were soon lead to the junction, with the Middlesex Trail continuing toward Mt.Hunger, and the Bob Kemp Trail heading toward White Rocks. Last time we did this loop we went over White Rocks first, so this time we flipped it, and decided to do Mt.Hunger first. The trail starts off steady, and passes through many beautiful, open forests. Eventually, it gets steeper, which involves having to climb a small wooden staircase.

The sign marking the junction.

The first of many steep areas.

After the climb, the trail flattens out through a fern field, with views up toward the ledges to the left. The path went down a few feet, then arrived at a metal staircase which leads steeply up a slick, sheer ledge. Two years ago, on our last hike here, there was only a rope which helped you on your ascent/descent. This rusty staircase is sturdy, and it looks like it was plucked right from East Mountain!

The trail beneath the cliffs and ledges.

The staircase, with Lucy exploring the ledges ahead.

Climbing up the steps brings you right to the first of many ledges. Due to how early it was, there were plenty of clouds around us, blocking any possible views. Besides that, the trail continued to go in and out of the trees, passing over many ledges and climb many steep pitches. Once we passed over the last pitch, it was easy going over ledges to the summit, marked by a trail sign. Despite the fact that the summit was boxed in by clouds, the summit filled up with people quickly.

Lucy on a ledge!

Following the trail to the summit.

On the summit, with clouds all around.

We waited for a while on the summit, and eventually the skies began to clear up, with views stretching out toward the mountains of Groton State Forest, with Mt.Moosilauke visible in the distance. The mountains of the Northeast Kingdom could also be seen, including a fantastic view toward the Pilot-Pliny Range. Finally, looking over to Stowe could be seen the Sterling Range, Mt.Mansfield, and Mt.Bolton, including the Waterbury Reservoir.

Lucy admiring the views toward Groton State Forest.

Looking toward the town of Bolton and the Waterbury Reservoir.

The view south, with White Rocks visible.

Now time to answer the obvious question. Why is the mountain called Mt.Hunger? Where does such a strange name come from for a mountain? The story comes from a group of hunters who stalked the mountain's slopes looking for quail, but would usually come off empty handed or with a single quail for the group. Of course, this lead to hunger, giving the mountain it's strange name.

The view northeast, mostly taken over by clouds.

We followed the White Rocks Trail which leads down from the summit to the junction with the Waterbury Trail, where we continued toward White Rocks. The trail through the col is very flooded in many spots, with numerous bog bridges along the way. The trail passes a possible camping spot, then begins a very short climb, where the trail immediately steps onto ledges, with a grand view looking toward Mt.Hunger. At this point, the skies were completely clear, and we knew we had some amazing views ahead.

Some of the bog bridges in between the two peaks.

The trail immediately before the ledges.

Mt.Hunger from the lower ledges.

Now at the junction, we read the sign which states that the summit of White Rocks is .15 miles. This may be an extremely short side trail, but every step is worth it. The path runs atop a flat ledge with views facing the east all the way up. When you look up, you notice just how close the summit is. It's actually right there, it just takes a steep ascent to get there. After some walking, we were treated to a perfect view toward Camel's Hump, which stands tall over all the nearby hills.

The junction to White Rocks.

The summit of White Rocks looms above the trail.

Lucy on yet another ledge!

Camel's Hump through the trees.

The trail brought us to the base of a steep ledge, which had a crevasse winding right up, which you had to utilize in order to get to the next flat ledge. From here it took one more very steep ascent in between the rocks to get us to the summit. It's a small summit area, but few people climb all the way to the very top, so it's not a problem. From here can be seen almost every peak of significance in the state. Now that the skies were clearer, we could see all the way down the spine of the Green Mountains, from Killington Peak to Belvidere Mountain. Mt.Whiteface could be seen in the Adirondacks as well.

Camel's Hump and Ethan Allen Mountain from White Rocks.

Mt.Hunger and many peaks in the Northeast Kingdom,
as seen from White Rocks.

Mt.Mansfield and Stowe from the summit. The Sterling Range sits just
to the right of Mt.Mansfield and Smugglers Notch.

I definitely prefer White Rocks to Mt.Hunger, as there are many more ledges to explore, which give you another perspective to all the nearby mountains. The summit area of this mountain is up there in uniqueness. There are sprawling, flat ledges, with the summit popping out in the middle, being accessible only after a steep climb. The southern side of the peak is split, with a large notch forming, almost making it appear that the summit was separating. And the views speak for themselves.

Camel's Hump and the Adirondacks from one of the ledges.

Looking down the spine of the Green Mountains,
with Camel's Hump, Mt.Ellen, Mt.Abraham, Mt.Wilson, and Breadloaf Mountain.

Killington Peak and Pico Peak can be seen in the distance.

The peaks of Groton State Forest can be seen up front,
with Mt.Moosilauke and the Franconia/Kinsman Ranges visible beyond.

We followed the Bob Kemp Trail back down to the junction, and then made our way back to the parking lot. While this is one of my favorite hikes of all time, it is certainly a busy one. As a warning, if you are to attempt this mountain, don't arrive too late, as you may find yourself parking nearly a mile down the road. It's a shame that these places get overrun, but what can you do? Everyone should have a chance to enjoy the outdoors, as long as you know what you're doing. I'd definitely recommend this hike to everyone who is willing to put up with the steepness of the trail. This mountain is a perfect example of Vermont hiking, and everyone should check it out!