Jazzbo
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Date: 8/13/07
Hike: Cabot via Bunnell Notch, Kilkenny, Unknown Pond Trails
Part of a Sub-Sig Work Weekend. After working on the cabin’s new chimney Saturday and Sunday, Sub-Sig members Steve, Marilyn, Bob, and Kathy honored me with their company on this hike my #48 NH 4000-footer to Cabot. We decided to try a triangle shaped loop starting at the Bunnell Notch TH at the York Pond Fish Hatchery.
We were apprehensive WMG comments about the gate being closed so we stopped at the hatchery building and inquired with personnel. They informed us not to worry, as the gates would be left open until 10:00 PM. This was good news as were doubtful we could complete the loop within the time for official hours being 8:00 – 4:00PM. Good thing as on account of the long 1+ hour drive from Crawford Notch we didn’t get on the trail until 9:22 and returned to the TH at 6:30PM. I didn’t wish to detain or question them in detail regarding the gate policy, but I did come away with the impression this was standard procedure during the summer season. It might waste less of the fish hatchery personnel's time responding to inquiries about the gates if they put up signs about the gate hours. Comments in the WMG about the gate hours are not conducive to discouraging hikers from using the closed Mount Cabot Trail. I'll get off my soapbox now.
Bunnell Notch Trail starts out as forest road and continues this way for ¾ of mile. Trail turns left from road and climbs up via a set of rock steps and continuing up to Bunnel Notch by side hill style trails. We made good time getting to the junction with Kelkenny Ridge Trail. Trail traffic was light. We only saw one other party of three until we got to Unknown Pond where we saw a few parties setting up camp at the pond.
Bunnell Notch Trail is in good condition with clean water bars and structures to deal with poor drainage areas. The Notch is very pretty conifer forest in 3000’ elevation. We continued and passed the junction for the cutoff to the closed Mount Cabot Trail where the trail ascends in a long series of switchbacks up the slopes of Mt Cabot. A weak cold front was moving in bringing with it many pretty high cumulo-nimbus clouds. It had rained during the early hours so the air was moist causing all of us to perspire a lot. We maintained steady pace and made it to the cabin on Cabot where we stopped to snack and rest and change into dry things.
We got moving again and quickly made it to the official summit of Cabot. We took pictures and cheered my #48, but decided to postpone opening the celebratory wine until reaching the Horn. We descended steeply to the dip between Cabot and Bulge, worked our way up to the bulge where we stopped briefly, descended steeply again to a second dip before ascending the Horn. The spruce trees in the col between Horn and Bulge are open and appear to offer good campsites. The Horn did not disappoint. The ledges below Horn’s summit are tricky though. We stayed there a good 30 minutes or more naming the surrounding peaks and savoring our cups of 3-buck Chuck. The Horn is a very special summit.
We knew we still had some hiking to do so we got rolling and descended the gentle trails that lead down to Unknown Pond. We were beginning to feel fatigued, but kept going at a slow but steady pace. The view of the Horn from Unknown Pond is very pretty indeed. We still had 3.3 miles to go and it was getting late, so we didn’t stop for long. The open birch forest below Unknown Pond is very attractive. We saw much moose sign, but no moose. The Unknown Pond Trail descends gradually and was fairly dry today, but looks like it has potential to be muddy when the weather has been wet. We returned to the trailhead at 6:30 making 9 hours on the trail for this 12-mile loop.
I think hiking the NH 4K list gives one a broader understanding of the White Mountains as whole. I'm glad I did it the way I did. I had hiked a dozen or more peaks in decades prior to embarking on the list, but dates weren't clearly recorded anywhere, so I decided to begin the list starting from arbitrary date in July 2005. I'm looking forward to hiking without the list lurking in the background.
Cabot Pics are here!
Hike: Cabot via Bunnell Notch, Kilkenny, Unknown Pond Trails
Part of a Sub-Sig Work Weekend. After working on the cabin’s new chimney Saturday and Sunday, Sub-Sig members Steve, Marilyn, Bob, and Kathy honored me with their company on this hike my #48 NH 4000-footer to Cabot. We decided to try a triangle shaped loop starting at the Bunnell Notch TH at the York Pond Fish Hatchery.
We were apprehensive WMG comments about the gate being closed so we stopped at the hatchery building and inquired with personnel. They informed us not to worry, as the gates would be left open until 10:00 PM. This was good news as were doubtful we could complete the loop within the time for official hours being 8:00 – 4:00PM. Good thing as on account of the long 1+ hour drive from Crawford Notch we didn’t get on the trail until 9:22 and returned to the TH at 6:30PM. I didn’t wish to detain or question them in detail regarding the gate policy, but I did come away with the impression this was standard procedure during the summer season. It might waste less of the fish hatchery personnel's time responding to inquiries about the gates if they put up signs about the gate hours. Comments in the WMG about the gate hours are not conducive to discouraging hikers from using the closed Mount Cabot Trail. I'll get off my soapbox now.
Bunnell Notch Trail starts out as forest road and continues this way for ¾ of mile. Trail turns left from road and climbs up via a set of rock steps and continuing up to Bunnel Notch by side hill style trails. We made good time getting to the junction with Kelkenny Ridge Trail. Trail traffic was light. We only saw one other party of three until we got to Unknown Pond where we saw a few parties setting up camp at the pond.
Bunnell Notch Trail is in good condition with clean water bars and structures to deal with poor drainage areas. The Notch is very pretty conifer forest in 3000’ elevation. We continued and passed the junction for the cutoff to the closed Mount Cabot Trail where the trail ascends in a long series of switchbacks up the slopes of Mt Cabot. A weak cold front was moving in bringing with it many pretty high cumulo-nimbus clouds. It had rained during the early hours so the air was moist causing all of us to perspire a lot. We maintained steady pace and made it to the cabin on Cabot where we stopped to snack and rest and change into dry things.
We got moving again and quickly made it to the official summit of Cabot. We took pictures and cheered my #48, but decided to postpone opening the celebratory wine until reaching the Horn. We descended steeply to the dip between Cabot and Bulge, worked our way up to the bulge where we stopped briefly, descended steeply again to a second dip before ascending the Horn. The spruce trees in the col between Horn and Bulge are open and appear to offer good campsites. The Horn did not disappoint. The ledges below Horn’s summit are tricky though. We stayed there a good 30 minutes or more naming the surrounding peaks and savoring our cups of 3-buck Chuck. The Horn is a very special summit.
We knew we still had some hiking to do so we got rolling and descended the gentle trails that lead down to Unknown Pond. We were beginning to feel fatigued, but kept going at a slow but steady pace. The view of the Horn from Unknown Pond is very pretty indeed. We still had 3.3 miles to go and it was getting late, so we didn’t stop for long. The open birch forest below Unknown Pond is very attractive. We saw much moose sign, but no moose. The Unknown Pond Trail descends gradually and was fairly dry today, but looks like it has potential to be muddy when the weather has been wet. We returned to the trailhead at 6:30 making 9 hours on the trail for this 12-mile loop.
I think hiking the NH 4K list gives one a broader understanding of the White Mountains as whole. I'm glad I did it the way I did. I had hiked a dozen or more peaks in decades prior to embarking on the list, but dates weren't clearly recorded anywhere, so I decided to begin the list starting from arbitrary date in July 2005. I'm looking forward to hiking without the list lurking in the background.
Cabot Pics are here!
