Trail Report: Mount Monadnock

Sept 21, 2013

My sister asked me to take my 6 year old niece on a hike, I wasn't sure Monadnock would be a good first hike and was thinking of doing one of the Pack Monadnocks.  I contacted my uncle and he was already planning a Monadnock hike for Saturday Sept 21 so I decided to tag along.  It was a beautiful day, sunny, a little on the cool side and windy.  The mountain was also very crowded, no surprise there, one of the State Park workers told me there were 1000-1200 people on the mountain today.  This will be my last hike on this mountain on a weekend during the Spring-Summer months.  The trail of ants going up and down was unreal.  There were also a lot of unsupervised children (boy scout troops) cutting people off, jumping in front of you as you were about to step on a rock, it was ridiculous.  Never again will I go near this place.

Michael, Kelley, Olivia, Mike

Gary & Olivia

White Dot Trailhead

 The journey begins!

Kelley & Olivia at the junction of White Dot and White Cross

Heading up White Cross Trail

This trail isn't that steep but for a 6yo it is

Posing on the rocks for pictures!

Climbing up the rock slab

Taking a break

Gary climbing up

Olivia's first view

Michael, Mike & Kelley

Olivia was a little nervous standing near the edge

 Gary, Olivia, Kelley, Michael

I think this is the Wapack Range

Olivia needing some help

Getting higher!

I'm not sure if that false peak has a name

Michael enjoying the view

Olivia and Michael

More rock climbing

First view of the summit

Close up of the summit

Almost there

Olivia standing next to a giant cairn

Olivia and Gary at the official USGS summit marker

Mount Monadnock 3,165'

Michael @ the USGS marker

Kelley @ the USGS marker

GPS Track

GPS Track

We didn't stay very long at the summit.  The winds had to have been upwards of 50mph and the summit was like a small city with so many people you could hardly find a place to sit that would block the wind.  We all had a drink and snack and then started our descent.

Summit of Mount Monadnock: 3,165'

Total hike time (round trip)..: 5h 8m

Elevation Gain.....................: 2078

Distance (round trip)...........: 5.56m

Trails:  White Cross (White Dot for a brief period)