Mt.Martha and Owl's Head

Mt.Martha has been on my radar for a while. From what I saw before I hiked it, the mountain seemed to have a great view of the Presidential Range. I figured a view like that in the winter would make for a great first hike of the year. However, Mt.Martha doesn't stand alone. The neighboring peak of Owl's Head make for an enjoyable 52 With A View experience.

The sign at the trailhead once you enter the woods.

Collectively, the two peaks are known as Cherry Mountain. From my research and books I found out that Mt.Martha is named for Martha Washington. Owl's Head, much like all other mountains with the same name, resemble an owl's head.

We began up and the trail was pretty smooth. The trail passes by an old logging area with descent views a few times. However, just before the junction it gets steep, but not steep enough to the point where your unsafe. At the junction, there were clear snowmobile tracks. The summit wasn't too far ahead at this point.

The clouded Presidential Range from the summit.

This view was pretty amazing, even with clouds over the Presidential Range. There is also a view looking into Vermont, and one looking over to Twin Mountain.

The limited view to the west.

The trail connecting the two peaks is called Martha's Mile. This segment of the trail was very well maintained with a ton of recently fallen trees being cut and cleared. We reached Owl's Head, but to do so we had to go over a few steep spots covered in ice. It wasn't too bad for us but Bella (our dog) didn't like it that much. The views were incredible.

Looking back to Mt.Martha.

Looking at the Presidential Range and Mt.Dartmouth.

The ledges had nice views looking back at Mt.Martha and Mt.Washington. On the way back over Mt.Martha, most of the Presidential Range came out of the clouds. We weren't able to see Washington or Monroe.

Mt.Adams, Mt.Clay and Mt.Jefferson coming out of the clouds.

I would definitely recommend this as a winter hike. The hike isn't difficult at all and the views are amazing in the winter. We didn't have the best skies, as some clouds were present, but it was a great place to start a new year of hiking.