Maybe I should ask how to do a search for Monadnock without a hundred hits for the NH mountain. I’m getting conflicting mileage and elevation from my search and my altimeter watch died before we started (anything from 2 ½, 2.4 or 2 miles and 2300’, 2108’, or 2039’ elevation gain). I tried to do my research before we went but there’s not much there. It’s not in the guidebooks, not listed as a hiking trail in VT’s Delorme maps, but a search here on VFTT gave me enough info to get there (I remembered a report of bobandgeri’s but the directions are wrong, even though they seemed to coincide with the Delorme map for Fire Tower Lane, but not their GPS track – correction - take a right after the bridge on Bridge St. then a left into the gravel pit). Some driving around located a fading sign and got us on track (Rte.102 is worth driving around on though).
So now we’re in the gravel pit. We needed to be sure the bike would still be standing when we returned. A change of shoes and we’re on our way up a dirt road to a trail sign. Then what? I forgot to bring a machete. The gravel pit is now an overgrown field of life and only a slight herd path is evident. We follow it and see a piece of pink flagging in the woods. Looks like that’s where we are going.
Ah, yes, now we are on a trail with markers - and a lovely trail it proves to be. The hard work done on this trail is evident in the impressive waterbars, stonework, cut blowdowns and finally the tower. On our return we met a pair (the only two we’d see the whole time) with the woman telling us of the five year project to improve the trail. We thanked her. The wood for the tower was all carried up. She was part of the crew and said it is rare to see someone on the trail. Word in town was similar – not enough view along the trail for the effort so not many hike it. We would disagree – view is in the eye of the beholder, and even it you didn’t climb the tower the changing scenery, the river (with no name?), the impressive walls of rock, the plant life and the solitude made it quite enjoyable.
So now we’re in the gravel pit. We needed to be sure the bike would still be standing when we returned. A change of shoes and we’re on our way up a dirt road to a trail sign. Then what? I forgot to bring a machete. The gravel pit is now an overgrown field of life and only a slight herd path is evident. We follow it and see a piece of pink flagging in the woods. Looks like that’s where we are going.
Ah, yes, now we are on a trail with markers - and a lovely trail it proves to be. The hard work done on this trail is evident in the impressive waterbars, stonework, cut blowdowns and finally the tower. On our return we met a pair (the only two we’d see the whole time) with the woman telling us of the five year project to improve the trail. We thanked her. The wood for the tower was all carried up. She was part of the crew and said it is rare to see someone on the trail. Word in town was similar – not enough view along the trail for the effort so not many hike it. We would disagree – view is in the eye of the beholder, and even it you didn’t climb the tower the changing scenery, the river (with no name?), the impressive walls of rock, the plant life and the solitude made it quite enjoyable.
