pretty hikes w dogs- whites aug 23-30

hi--we'll be car camping in twin mt from aug 23-30 doing day hikes w dogs. suggestions for hikes as well as swim spots near or on the hikes would be welcome indeed. we'd also love company on the hikes--my pace is fairly slow but steady. i am thinking about 8 mi with plenty of elevation gain would be fun, but not real scrambling since i am nursing a torn rotator cuff i got by falling down XC skiing up there last april....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
thanks
susan

The first thing I thought of was the the unofficial trail up Mount Hale. To get there, drive up the dirt Haystack Road to the North Twin parking lot(look at map). Walk up trail to first stream crossing. Just before crossing, take a left on nameless path. In about 300 feet(approx), keep your eye out for a subtle steep path up to your left. If you reach an old campsite on the flats you have gone too far. You will know you are on the trail if it soon takes a sharp left up a wider grass road. The road is the old fire tower road to the top of Hale. Nice gentle grade. Not much of a view on top, but dogs don't dig views.

Here are some good dog hikes:

1) Mt Garfield, 2) Crawford Path to Pierce, 3) Waumbek - views are a bit limited but an interesting forest, 4) Kinsman Trail to N. Kinsman - trailhead a bit tough to find - it's on the Easton/Franconia town line, 5) Moosilauke via Gorge Brook - Glenncliff is my favorite route up but a bit longer - still a good route for dogs though, 6) Osseo Trail to Flume - lots of water down low, less up high, and dogs should be comfortable ascending/descending stairs. If I think of others, I'll add them.

The ones closest to your campsite - either Twin, may not meet your criteria. N. Twin is rather steep and pulling yourself up/easing down is needed occasionally, and the S. Twin trail involves 3 major stream crossings (unless you bushwhack) which might give you problems.

Sugarloafs

This is not a long hike and doesn't have much elevation, but when we are in the area we always try to get in at least one trip to the Sugarloafs. From 302 take Zealand Road about a mile. There is a small parking area just after Sugarloaf 2 Campground. From there cross the bridge over the Zealand River. The trailhead is on the right just over the bridge. This is the Trestle Trail. A few tenths down this trail you will see the Sugarloaf Trail on the left. This is about a 3.5 mile round trip and 1000' elevation gain to visit both summits where there are excellent views, especially to the Presidentials when they're not clouded over. The Trestle Trail allows for dog swimming before and after the hike. Shorter than you asked for, but still an excellent hike with dogs.
Pictures here if interested:

http://ghostflowers.com/white_mtns3000/sugarloafs61503/sugarloafs61503.html

KD Talbot

Where in Twin Mountain are you staying - we have a trailer there that we use year round and will be up that weekend with a friend hiking - probably a Monroe/Ike/Pierce loop one day - and we love dogs!

So many options!!!

Some others that can be nice with a dog that haven't been mentioned yet, that we have taken our neighbors dogs:

Cherry Mountain - right outside of Twin Mountain

Mt Crawford via the Davis Path

Mt Eisenhower via Edmunds path - add Mt Pierce for a loop. Couple sections where dogs need to be athletic if coming off of Eisenhower towards Pierce

Mt Jasckson - a nice loop is possible - couple spots for athletic dogs, but sme nice spots for the dogs to go swimming

Nancy Pond Trail - 3 great spots for the dogs to swim

Here's a link to a previous discussion about dog-friendly hikes:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13899

I agree, the Sugarloafs (or loaves) are great doggy hikes...

If you want to bag 4ks then I will second my vote for the Kinsmans being really doggable. Out and back trip of about ten miles, not a ton of gain and no real tricky spots. I did them in winter so I don't know about water sources outside of the Pond about a mile in.

I had zero issues traversing Franconia Ridge from Garfield through to Lincoln Woods descending via the Osseo Trail. Bring water for your dogs if you plan on hiking the ridge. The whole traverse is about 20 miles. Smaller circuits can be made. Do you have the White Mntn Guide and associated maps. That's your best bet.

Also, you will see lots of people so be prepared to leash up alot of the time.

The Whites are much more doggable in most cases than the Daks , water and exposure being the challenges they and you will face, as well as encountering tons of people.

Bob and Geri are great, hook up with them and you'll be AOK.

For the Kinsmans, there's water at the trailhead (Pemi River), Lonesome Lake, all along the Fishin' Jimmy Trail as far as Kinsman Pond (brackish), then no water above that and over north peak to south.

Avoid Cannon, though, unless going up and down the Kinsman Ridge Trail from the tram parking lot. The other side of the Kinsman Ridge Trail, and the Hi-Cannon Trail, are not good choices, especially with the ladder on the latter.

You might consider S Carter and Carter Dome via 19 mile brook trail, carter dome trail and carter/moriah. 19 mile brook runs along side the trail for the first 2 and last 2 miles. There are a couple other small stream crossing on carter dome trail. Trails are all doggy friendly. My Golden use to enjoy this hike. You could do a loop into carter notch to the hut but south side of carter dome is steep so I would go up rather than down. Up and back to one or both is slightly less than 10 miles for single, closer to 12 for both.

kerry13 said:

You might consider S Carter and Carter Dome via 19 mile brook trail, carter dome trail and carter/moriah. 19 mile brook runs along side the trail for the first 2 and last 2 miles. There are a couple other small stream crossing on carter dome trail. Trails are all doggy friendly. My Golden use to enjoy this hike. You could do a loop into carter notch to the hut but south side of carter dome is steep so I would go up rather than down. Up and back to one or both is slightly less than 10 miles for single, closer to 12 for both.

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That's a great hike but might be pretty intense for a biped nursing a soft tissue injury???

South and Middle Carters are a bit milder, Carter Dome might be a bit much.

thanks so much you all and congratulations Mike and Sabrina--i guess you guys are going to be sharing a same location soon! my cell 845 519 4890 verizon and 914 282 0289 att/cingular. we'll be at sugarloaf 1 site 25. i have a big gray van white top NY plates, and 2 belgian sheepdogs one brown one black. so if anyone wants to hike with us i am delighted to do anything. i like views. if it is raining a nice forest walk will do. also will be looking to swim. i have the ponds and waterfalls book as well as the new white mt guide. i am leaving here thurs morning and hope to arrive early eveningish. will be checking email whenever i can. Cant wait!!

Have a great time, I'll be in the Daks during that time frame but I'm sure you will find many out on the trails during the last week of summer.

We caught up with Susan, her friends Elly and Alex, and he rtwo dogs Izzy and Shady Lady last night. They joined Poison Ivy,Trail Trotter and us today for a hike up Cannon and over to North Kinsman - descending down the Mount Kinsman trail.

It was a Long day with a little bit of everything from the weather gods. Trail Trotter added 3 peaks to her NH48 list!!! Izzy got used to Bob helping him a lot of tougher spots, Shady is a real lover. Some great food along the way- wonderfull company - fun stories and lymrics - and more memories to cherish.

And - Poison Ivy did not one, but two hand stands on top of the tower at Cannon! Pics to be posted next week!

Great to hike with you guys! Enjoy the rest of your trip out her in the Whites!

>>>>We caught up with Susan, her friends Elly and Alex, and he rtwo dogs Izzy and Shady Lady last night. They joined Poison Ivy,Trail Trotter and us today for a hike up Cannon and over to North Kinsman - descending down the Mount Kinsman trail.

wow what a great hike and such nice folks, awesome hikers who were very good sports about including us and making us welcome!! thanks everyone for an excellent day. just got home--going to jump in the pool, shower and throw everything in the laundry, thanks everyone for good advice and support--more later--
big news--we all climbed mt washington--up by amonoosuc ravine, down by gulfside/ jewell. at my glacial pace it was an 11.5 hr hike and 9.28 miles with schmoozing at the hut and summit and picking our way across the rocks, watering and feeding dogs etc etc. i am still flying high. 3 gorgeous clear days in a row on the presidentials.
here is our trip in a nutshell
THURS 8/23 drove up to NH
FRI nancy pond w ed (did not climb mt nancy, norcorss pond then back==big beaver dam there-weather cloudy/warm
SAT cannon , cannon balls for us with our new VFTT friends-they did kinsmans but we went back. beautiful tough hike--cloudy, caught in Tstorm at the end. dogs were scared but stayed with us and we made it
SUN another cloudy day--light hike 2 sugarloafs--pretty!
MON sunny-edmands path to franklin and back
TUES sunny--crawford path to pierce and mizpah and back
WED sunny amonoosuc to lake of clouds, crawford to mt washington, down gulfside/jewell. out at 830pm!!
THURS 8/30 short hike on trestle trail. no bridge to campground, went in water.hot sunny day but tstorms expected later. drove home. TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dogs slept. and slept.......
no injuries or tragedies. YAY!!!

A nice selection of hikes! Glad you had a good time.

I hope the Trestle Trail bridge being out wasn't a problem for you ... for the future reference of anyone not aware, if you click on "Trail Bridge Status" at this web page, you'll get a helpful list. "At. 0.01 miles from the Sugarloaf II Campground, a 42-foot bridge was lost. This bridge has not been replaced. Hikers should use extreme caution on this difficult crossing ."

MichaelJ said:

A nice selection of hikes! Glad you had a good time.

I hope the Trestle Trail bridge being out wasn't a problem for you ... for the future reference of anyone not aware, if you click on "Trail Bridge Status" at this web page, you'll get a helpful list. "At. 0.01 miles from the Sugarloaf II Campground, a 42-foot bridge was lost. This bridge has not been replaced. Hikers should use extreme caution on this difficult crossing ."

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since it was 85 degrees and i was wearing my keen sandals it was no problem at all, and the dogs and i frolicked in the water. in cooler weather it would not be so much fun tho. there should be a sign at the zealand rd entrance i think tho...you were right about the cannonballs!! yikes!!

I second (or third?) Mt. Crawford. We did it this morning and it was a great hike. Thanks everyone for the advice.

bobandgeri said:

We caught up with Susan, her friends Elly and Alex, and he rtwo dogs Izzy and Shady Lady last night. They joined Poison Ivy,Trail Trotter and us today for a hike up Cannon and over to North Kinsman - descending down the Mount Kinsman trail.

It was a Long day with a little bit of everything from the weather gods.

Great to hike with you guys! Enjoy the rest of your trip out here in the Whites!

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Great meeting and hiking with you two as well!!

Moose