BIGEarl
Well-known member
May 16, 2009: Moosilauke
Trails: Beaver Brook Trail – round trip
Summits: Moosilauke
Hikers: Sue and me.
Our Plan A hike for the day turned out to be a little past our comfort level and we made a change in plans. I’ve hiked Moosilauke via Beaver Brook a number of times, always in winter or winter-like conditions. This was the first time I hiked the trail when it was not frozen in and covered with deep snow and ice. For me it was very much like a first-time hike of the Beaver Brook Trail. The trail is advertised as extremely tough due to its steepness and the difficult conditions that exist on the wet or icy ledges. But, the scenery it passes through is terrific, and the cascades it follows most of the way to the ridge are beautiful.
We took a leisurely approach to the day. The hike to Moosilauke via Beaver Brook is relatively short with lots of photo opportunities along the way. Starting off at the trailhead in Kinsman Notch, the trail passes over several small streams including a couple log bridges. The trail is completely clear and dry at the lower section. Soon after leaving the trailhead lot and passing the log bridges we arrived at the hiker register and warning signs. The trail can be difficult if wet or icy, and its steepness can always be intimidating to some. We signed the register and set off on our Moosilauke adventure.
After an early stretch of mild terrain the trail starts a steep climb. The route generally follows the side of the cascades on the Beaver Brook. On all previous hikes everything was generally frozen and I had not enjoyed the sounds and sights of the Beaver Brook Cascades. This is a great experience. All along the climb there are places where the trail passes beside the water flow and offers great views to the cascades – and photo ops. We took full advantage of them all. Consequently, we were moving slow but it didn’t really matter. In addition to the views to the cascades that were new, there are a great number of stairs mounted into the ledges that I had never seen before, and a couple large ladders. All new stuff! This is a really fun day!
At ~3000 feet the clear and dry trail came to an abrupt end. We were on ice and a narrow, deep monorail. We pulled out the light traction to help us stay on the monorail and avoid postholing. Another pair of hikers passed heading down, they did not have adequate footwear for the hike and bailed. There was one other pair of hikers sitting at the edge of the cascades thinking about the hike since they did not have traction or snowshoes. We quickly set off and had no real problem with the climb. The trail has been beaten up quite a bit but should be generally clear in another couple weeks.
At the Asquam-Ridge Trail junction there is a bare section of trail and we stopped there for a quick snack. The wind had come up a little and we also added a layer to stay comfortable. Within a couple hundred yards we found clear trail and removed the light traction. From here to the junction with the Benton Trail was mostly clear with several sections of high, narrow monorail and deep soft rotting snow on either side. We worked our way through this area without traction or flotation. Gradually, as we crossed to the Benton Trail the wind continued to build. Sue stopped here to add a jacket and gloves to help with the wind.
The NWS Winds Aloft forecast for the day indicated 20 to 25 knots of wind at the Moosilauke summit elevation. I believe the forecast was correct. Once we cleared the treeline the wind was blowing pretty well from the southeast. We made our way across the open section passing a group of four hikers and one solo hiker all headed down. The summit was vacant when we arrived. A few pictures and we were both ready to leave. We made our u-turn and headed north to the shelter of the spruce. Roughly mid-way between the summit and the treeline we met Dr. Wu headed for the summit having hiked the Benton Trail. This was a very pleasant surprise. We stopped for a brief exchange and continued on our way.
Back in the spruce the wind was blocked and we had comfortable conditions for our hike out. On the return hike to the Asquam-Ridge Trail junction we went with snowshoes on an early monorail section and it seemed to help. Then, after passing a large clear section of trail we again went with snowshoes. We stayed with snowshoes until ~3500 feet where we changed to light traction. From here the trail is much steeper and includes a greater amount of ice making it less compatible with snowshoes.
Soon we were again hiking along the cascades and I decided to collect a few videos of the area on the way down. Consequently, the descent took longer that it needed to but we had no real deadline to meet. Again, at ~3000 feet we retired the light traction and bare booted the remainder of the hike. There was a brief stop at the hiker register to “sign out” and we soon arrived back to the trailhead.
Even though I have hiked this route several times, this hike of Moosilauke via Beaver Brook was definitely a first-time experience for me. The cascades and other scenery along the way reinforce the notion “The journey is the reward”. In this case our journey was very rewarding – the summit was secondary.
Thanks Sue, we had a great Plan B. I’m very happy with the day and hope you are too.
I’ve posted pictures and videos from the hike.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow and videos
FYI... The videos have sound.
Trails: Beaver Brook Trail – round trip
Summits: Moosilauke
Hikers: Sue and me.
Our Plan A hike for the day turned out to be a little past our comfort level and we made a change in plans. I’ve hiked Moosilauke via Beaver Brook a number of times, always in winter or winter-like conditions. This was the first time I hiked the trail when it was not frozen in and covered with deep snow and ice. For me it was very much like a first-time hike of the Beaver Brook Trail. The trail is advertised as extremely tough due to its steepness and the difficult conditions that exist on the wet or icy ledges. But, the scenery it passes through is terrific, and the cascades it follows most of the way to the ridge are beautiful.
We took a leisurely approach to the day. The hike to Moosilauke via Beaver Brook is relatively short with lots of photo opportunities along the way. Starting off at the trailhead in Kinsman Notch, the trail passes over several small streams including a couple log bridges. The trail is completely clear and dry at the lower section. Soon after leaving the trailhead lot and passing the log bridges we arrived at the hiker register and warning signs. The trail can be difficult if wet or icy, and its steepness can always be intimidating to some. We signed the register and set off on our Moosilauke adventure.
After an early stretch of mild terrain the trail starts a steep climb. The route generally follows the side of the cascades on the Beaver Brook. On all previous hikes everything was generally frozen and I had not enjoyed the sounds and sights of the Beaver Brook Cascades. This is a great experience. All along the climb there are places where the trail passes beside the water flow and offers great views to the cascades – and photo ops. We took full advantage of them all. Consequently, we were moving slow but it didn’t really matter. In addition to the views to the cascades that were new, there are a great number of stairs mounted into the ledges that I had never seen before, and a couple large ladders. All new stuff! This is a really fun day!
At ~3000 feet the clear and dry trail came to an abrupt end. We were on ice and a narrow, deep monorail. We pulled out the light traction to help us stay on the monorail and avoid postholing. Another pair of hikers passed heading down, they did not have adequate footwear for the hike and bailed. There was one other pair of hikers sitting at the edge of the cascades thinking about the hike since they did not have traction or snowshoes. We quickly set off and had no real problem with the climb. The trail has been beaten up quite a bit but should be generally clear in another couple weeks.
At the Asquam-Ridge Trail junction there is a bare section of trail and we stopped there for a quick snack. The wind had come up a little and we also added a layer to stay comfortable. Within a couple hundred yards we found clear trail and removed the light traction. From here to the junction with the Benton Trail was mostly clear with several sections of high, narrow monorail and deep soft rotting snow on either side. We worked our way through this area without traction or flotation. Gradually, as we crossed to the Benton Trail the wind continued to build. Sue stopped here to add a jacket and gloves to help with the wind.
The NWS Winds Aloft forecast for the day indicated 20 to 25 knots of wind at the Moosilauke summit elevation. I believe the forecast was correct. Once we cleared the treeline the wind was blowing pretty well from the southeast. We made our way across the open section passing a group of four hikers and one solo hiker all headed down. The summit was vacant when we arrived. A few pictures and we were both ready to leave. We made our u-turn and headed north to the shelter of the spruce. Roughly mid-way between the summit and the treeline we met Dr. Wu headed for the summit having hiked the Benton Trail. This was a very pleasant surprise. We stopped for a brief exchange and continued on our way.
Back in the spruce the wind was blocked and we had comfortable conditions for our hike out. On the return hike to the Asquam-Ridge Trail junction we went with snowshoes on an early monorail section and it seemed to help. Then, after passing a large clear section of trail we again went with snowshoes. We stayed with snowshoes until ~3500 feet where we changed to light traction. From here the trail is much steeper and includes a greater amount of ice making it less compatible with snowshoes.
Soon we were again hiking along the cascades and I decided to collect a few videos of the area on the way down. Consequently, the descent took longer that it needed to but we had no real deadline to meet. Again, at ~3000 feet we retired the light traction and bare booted the remainder of the hike. There was a brief stop at the hiker register to “sign out” and we soon arrived back to the trailhead.
Even though I have hiked this route several times, this hike of Moosilauke via Beaver Brook was definitely a first-time experience for me. The cascades and other scenery along the way reinforce the notion “The journey is the reward”. In this case our journey was very rewarding – the summit was secondary.
Thanks Sue, we had a great Plan B. I’m very happy with the day and hope you are too.
I’ve posted pictures and videos from the hike.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow and videos
FYI... The videos have sound.
Last edited:
