Analyze This - (Chocorua)

[BIGEarl]

I’m still new around here and some things surprise me that may be obvious to many of the more experienced hikers in the crowd. This is probably a good example.

After my recent hike of Mt. Chocorua, as is the case after each hike, I updated my hiking log. The notes I record include trails used, distance hiked, elevation gained, time, and a general description of the hike. After documenting the hike I started thinking about how it compared to some of the local 4000 Footers.

I guess a good way to describe Mt. Chocorua is it’s a BIG 3,500 foot mountain. The summit is lower but so are the trailheads, which results in some respectable elevation gain for the hike.

The following table shows distance and elevation for Mt. Chocorua and a number of 4000 Footers, which are all less in distance and very close to the same or less in elevation gain.



Mountain Dist. Elev. Gained

Chocorua 7.5 Miles, 2600 Feet

Cannon Mtn. 4 Miles, 2100 Feet
Mt. Eisenhower 6.6 Miles, 2750 Feet
Mt. Field 5.6 Miles, 2400 Feet
Mt. Hale 4.4 Miles, 2300 Feet
Mt. Jackson 5.2 Miles, 2150 Feet
Mt. Moosilauke 7.4 Miles, 2400 Feet
Mt. Pierce 6.4 Miles, 2400 Feet
Mt. Tecumseh 5 Miles, 2200 Feet
Mt. Tom 5.8 Miles, 2150 Feet
Mt. Waumbek 7.2 Miles, 2650 Feet
Mt. Willey 5.4 Miles, 2850 Feet




Mt. Chocorua isn’t a 4000 Footer but it is still a good hike. The five hundred feet of generally exposed ledge above Liberty Cabin and the bonus 360 degree reward at the summit are not found on many of the “big” peaks.

Chocorua is an interesting hike. No doubt this mountain will become a “red line” project.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Same deal with Whiteface + Passaconaway. Both are well under 4100' but the loop at 12.1 miles and 3800' is very trying -- most difficult trip I made this year.

As you point out, the kicker is the trailheads are quite low.

I recently did Mt. Major, along with some of its neighbors (unofficially named) for about 6 miles and 1400'. That would be a reasonable intermediate hike. Not too steep, especially if you loop clockwise, rather then up and down the same way. Pretty nice lake views combined with some nice ridge view of the whole Belknap range.

Also in that range would be Percival and Morgan at about 5.1 miles and 1550'. Also featuring excellent lake views (of Squam.)

Tim

 

[chipc]

Similar thing happened to me two years ago. As a first longer hike after some tendinitis, I thought I would do N Moat as a loop via the Red Ridge Trail over N Moat and then back to Diana's Baths. Forgot to notice that the trailhead is at about 500' so it ended up being a 2500+ foot elevation gain and kicked my butt!

I recall that hikes to Sandwich Dome can fall into the same trap.


Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed your hike!

 

[Hunter]

I sometimes find the smaller peaks end up being harder than say the Presis or the Bonds. I psyche myself up for the higher peaks and head up without any issues, but the ones like Tecumseh wear me out.

 

[KayakDan]

I guess a good way to describe Mt. Chocorua is it’s a BIG 3,500 foot mountain. The summit is lower but so are the trailheads, which results in some respectable elevation gain for the hike.

Chocorua is an interesting hike. No doubt this will be a “red line” project.

Well it looks like we'll be climbing a big mountain tommorrow. We drove past Chocorua a couple of weeks ago,headed north and decided,we gotta do it ,before the snow flies,so it's tommorrow.We'll be taking the easy way,though,and car camping after we come down. Liberty trail looks like our choice. Any recommendations otherwise,or anything I should know?

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I'm also in agreement there are lots of peaks which are 'real' mountains even though they may not be on a list, if 'real' is a measure of the effort needed to climb the peak. It's a combination of the elevation gain and the distance over which that gain is done. For example - it's much easier (and usually faster) to climb 3K' over 6 miles rather than 3.

A minor point - Mt. Moosilauke 7.4 Miles, 2400 Feet - if you climb via Glencliff it adds another 1000' to the effort.

 

[BIGEarl]

Hi Earl,

Welcome back!

If you haven't picked it up yet, I would suggest Steve Smith's latest book "Mount Chocura, A Guide and History". FONT][/COLOR]

Tom, Thanks. I now have a great reason to stop by the Mountain Wanderer and see about picking up a Steve Smith signed copy!

Well it looks like we'll be climbing a big mountain tommorrow. We drove past Chocorua a couple of weeks ago,headed north and decided,we gotta do it ,before the snow flies,so it's tommorrow.We'll be taking the easy way,though,and car camping after we come down. Liberty trail looks like our choice. Any recommendations otherwise,or anything I should know?

I posted this trip report earlier: http://vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14990

If you plan for all of the blowdowns, hiking the Brook Trail is a nice way down after hiking Liberty up. It just takes a little longer.

Watch the weather. You may need traction aids above Liberty Cabin. Last week the exposed summit cone was almost completely clear with no problem getting around the small amount of Ice on the top of Brook Trail.

Have a great hike!

Earl

 

[BIGEarl]

I'm also in agreement there are lots of peaks which are 'real' mountains even though they may not be on a list, if 'real' is a measure of the effort needed to climb the peak. It's a combination of the elevation gain and the distance over which that gain is done. For example - it's much easier (and usually faster) to climb 3K' over 6 miles rather than 3.

A minor point - Mt. Moosilauke 7.4 Miles, 2400 Feet - if you climb via Glencliff it adds another 1000' to the effort.

Hi Kevin,

You are 100% right! I find 1000 feet per mile a real workout. I believe this is essentially Madison from Appalachia or the Glen Boulder Trail to Davis Path (two that jump into my mind) - Madison is 4.2 miles and 4,100 feet, Glen Boulder is roughly 3.2 miles and 3,200 feet.

Different routes have different stats. The Moosilauke reference was simply a comparison of a popular approach, but certainly not the only approach.

 

[gaiagirl]

possible conditions

I couldn't say about the Liberty or Brooks Trails for certain, but we needed Stabilicers in places near the ledges when we hiked Chocorua via the Piper Trail on Thanksgiving. It has been VERY wet up here over the past couple of days; it literally poured for a couple of hours this morning. If it does get quite a lot colder tonight, as the forecasts says it should, more icy conditions seem likely. Chocorua is a fabulous summit and a worthy hike from any perspective. I love seeing it every morning (well, not THIS morning!) from my window. Can't wait until there's some snow on it .

 

[RoySwkr]

I took a friend up Moosilauke which which is in the highest 10 peaks in NH, because you start high and there is an easy trail up

The same friend could probably never climb Chocorua (which is about #100) because the trail is rougher with rock scrambling at the top and there is actually more elevation gain

For a surprisingly tough climb of a low mtn, try Wantastiquet from WalMart

 

[Nate]

Roy, do you mean up to where the trail ends on Wantastiquet, or the true highpoint? If it's the latter, (having made that hike back in the spring of '04) I don't remember that hike being particularly difficult. Then again, I just remember the part where the trail followed the course of an old logging road as it switchbacked its way up to the summit. Since the leaves hadn't yet come out, what I remember best about that hike is that as the trail climbed through the switchbacks, the views grew progressively better, from just being able to see across the river, to seeing all of Brattleboro, to seeing the hills behind Brattleboro, and from the monument at the top I could see well into the mountains of southern Vermont. Overall, it was probably one of the best hikes I've ever had, of the ones that started behind a Walmart.

 

[Papa Bear]

...
Overall, it was probably one of the best hikes I've ever had, of the ones that started behind a Walmart.

It seems to me there is a new list here. Anyone want to add in their favorite "behind a Walmart" peaks.

 

[RoySwkr]

Roy, do you mean up to where the trail ends on Wantastiquet, or the true highpoint?

Although the hike up to the viewpoint is only just over 500'/mile, it just seemed like a long pull for such a small mountain. Continuing to the true summit beyond the radio tower is even less steep. If steep is what you want (along with views the other way), continue to Mine Ledge via the direct route

 

[BobC]

Chocorua will always be special to me because I decided this year to start some "real hiking" after many years of making excuses and just occasionally doing smaller, low-elevation hikes. At the end of August, I hiked up the Champney Falls trail with a group of then-strangers that had arranged it on another internet site. At the time I knew nothing of the NH 4000-footers or the fact that there was such a thing as peak-bagging; I didn't know what you should bring, or what you should wear while hiking (I did it in cotton shorts and t-shirt - good thing it was August). I was so out-of-shape that at many points during the hike I thought I would have to turn back. But once I reached the summut, I knew I was done with making excuses for not hiking more. The views were incredible and it was one of the most awe-inspiring days of my life. Since then I've done some other hikes including four 4Ks, and hope to do many more hikes in the future, but I will always remember Chocorua as the mountain that started it all.

 

[BIGEarl]

Chocorua will always be special to me because I decided this year to start some "real hiking" after many years of making excuses .....

.....I will always remember Chocorua as the mountain that started it all.

You have to start somewhere. It seems to me Chocorua is a great starting point.

Hope to see you on the trails.

Earl

 

[dropack]

Great Start Point

"You have to start somewhere. It seems to me Chocorua is a great starting point."

Hey,
Chocorua, was and is my starting point. After open heart surgery my wife did not want me to hike anymore because of my medical history and that I hike solo. She would tell me she would go crazy at home if I didn't come back on time thinking I was dead on the trail (not a bad place to go), so I had given up the idea of hiking again. It was that or drive her away, no option there for me.
Then the next summer we took a weekend trip up to the Whites and went to all the places people go in their cars, nice but I was hurting. I suggested we have a picnic and we drove to a trail head for the AT, walked in about a quarter of mile and had lunch. My wife started to look around and told me how wonderful it was to be "out here", I agreed and she read the look in my face and gave in, I hiked Chocorua the next weekend and have not looked back for the last eight years.
Chocorua, is so special for me on many levels, it was the first "big" hike I did with my dad so long ago, it was my first big hike solo, it is the first big hike I took my son on so many years ago. It is my old friend and has given to me my whole life, it sounds foolish but "I love that place".
Any who, it turned out the cardiac rehab had done well, I got up on top that "first time" eight years ago in decent time, had lunch talked to some hikers, meet a ranger and shared my secert (my wife didn't know I was up there I had told her I was fishing with a friend), you see she really didn't say it was OK, I had to say it for her. I had a hiker take my picture on top and another one by a sign to prove where I had been. Got home that night and told her the truth. She listened to my whole story and waited until I was finished then laughed so hard and said, "who do you think polished your boots you old fool, I saw you reading the map all week".

 

[gaiagirl]

What a wonderful, touching story. Your wife is a special person. Congratulations on getting back out there. I agree whole-heartedly that Chocorua is a very special summit, on many levels.

All the best to you.