Lost In The North Country: Aziscohos Mountain

The best peaks can be found at the end of trails nobody knows about, or paths that you can't find. Maine is notorious for having many difficult to find trailheads, one of which being Aziscohos Mountain in Wilson Mills. When driving down Route 16 into New Hampshire, you may have passed the path without even knowing. This unmarked, obscure trail with no parking lot or trail sign leads to one of the most scenic summits in the state.

Overlooking Upper Richardson Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake.

The footpath began flat through the forest until it reached the trail sign, which is a couple hundred feet into the forest. The route was muddy and flat for most of the way, following old roads and passing the occasional logging cut. This may be an obscure trail, but it's very easy to follow, and you can tell plenty of work went into crafting it. We passed one last logged area which had a descent view looking out to the mountains to the north.

The view from the logging cut.

It was at this point the mountainside became steeper, and so did the trail. There were more exposed roots and rocks poking out from the ground. After a bit more climbing, the path flattened out, and we reached the now abandoned Tower Man's Trail. There was an informational sign here, but you can tell it hasn't been replaced in a while, as it was nearly unreadable. We passed over more and more ledges, and the trees shortened, as we emerged onto the open summit.

A bumpy section of the trail.

The now almost unreadable sign.

Aziscohos Mountain

The summit offered an outstanding view all around, to almost every peak of significance in the north country. All of the Rangeley lakes and high peaks can be seen, and if it wasn't for the haze, there would be a great view of the Carters and Presidential Ranges. Remnants of the fire tower can be found atop the summit, including glass, the footings, and some cement pylons. We found a ledge off the summit to set up the tent, as there was no way we weren't missing out on the sunrise and sunset.

The summit, and the old footings.

East Kennebago can be seen above the trees.

The Mahoosuc Range from Aziscohos Mountain.

Rump Mountain standing prominently behind Aziscohos Lake.

Mt.Magalloway, Diamond Ridge, Stub Hill, Bosebuck Mountain, and Rump Mountain
as seen looking north from Aziscohos Mountain.

As the time went on, the sun began to lower behind the scattered peaks and rolling hills of northern New Hampshire. The wind was blowing consistently, yet calmly, making the experience more enjoyable. Even though we were far above the lakes, we could still here the calls of loons. The sun soon started to set, and it was gorgeous. Once the skies darkened, we saw a few meteors shooting through the sky, and then we went to bed.

The setting sun visible from the summit.

The Mahoosuc Range with Sturtevant Pond and Lake Umbagog
seen before sunset.

Elephant Mountain and Bemis Mountain over Lower Richardson Lake.
Jackson Mountain and Tumbledown Mountain can be seen just to the right of the tallest tree.

Sunset over northern New Hampshire.

 We awoke early the next morning to see the sunrise, which rose behind the Bigelow Range. The colors were beautiful, as usual. We watched for a while, but we could tell Bella was quite tired, so we packed up the tent and began our descent down the mountain. Both on the hike up, and the hike down, we saw nobody else anywhere on the mountain.

The Rangeley High Peaks, from the Bigelows to Saddleback Mountain,
as seen before sunrise.

The sun rising beside the Bigelow Range.

The sun shining atop the true summit of Aziscohos Mountain.

Blueberry Mountain, Jackson Mountain, Little Jackson, and Tumbledown Mountain
after the sunrise.

The northern peaks and hills of New Hampshire.

The Mahoosuc Range

The undercast landscapes seen after sunrise.

The broad view toward the White Mountains and Old Speck Mountain.

Aziscohos Mountain offers some of the best scenery to be had in New England, with views stretching all the way from Mt.Washington to the Bigelow Range, and even Katahdin on a crystal clear day. A peak like this should stay the way it is, down an obscure path in a barren part of the state. Keep the mountains beautiful, and the best way to do that is to keep them a secret, but at the same time, be able to enjoy it yourself.