Mystery Mountain

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

It's time once again to play Name that Mountain.

Can you name the 4,000 footer in the picture?
Picture

Clues:
It had a different name at one time.
The evergreen is a tough clue.
I've climbed it from 4 different routes.



...and for Name that Trail.

The photo was taken from a small ledge along one of the steepest trails in the Whites, name it.

Additional clues:
This trail provides the most fun route up another 4,000 footer.
Near the top of the trail is a view area marked by a sign.
This trail provides excellent views even though the trail itself never goes above tree line.

 

[albee]

I'm going to guess South Hancock as seen from the Mt Tripyramid Trail's north slide.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

I'm going to guess South Hancock as seen from the Mt Tripyramid Trail's north slide.

Correct Mountain...Wrong Trail.
Actually I think North Hancock may be visible in there as well.

...So what's the significance of the evergreen?

 

[Amicus]

North end of the Mount Osceola Trail - the steep part from Greeley Ponds Trail up to East Osceola - looking just E of N, with the west flank of Mt. Kancamagus on the right?

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

North end of the Mount Osceola Trail - the steep part from Greeley Ponds Trail up to East Osceola - looking just E of N, with the west flank of Mt. Kancamagus on the right?

Nope.

This trail appears in AMC Guides at least as far back as 1917.

 

[kltilton]

Zeacliff Trail?

 

[TDawg]

Hancocks from Pine Bend Brook Trail (hence, the significance of the pine?) going up North Tri?

On the right would be the col w/ Carrigain Pond and the western shoulder of Mt. Carrigain.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Hancocks from Pine Bend Brook Trail (hence, the significance of the pine?) going up North Tri?

Getting warmer.

On the right would be the col w/ Carrigain Pond and the western shoulder of Mt. Carrigain.

Yep, the evergreen is hiding the Captain, which would have made it pretty obvious what the 4,000 footer was.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Another trail clue:

This trail has more than one thing in common with the Owl's head path.

 

[Michelle]

The old Passaconaway slide trail

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

The old Passaconaway slide trail

and we have a WINNER!

On the maps it's called the Downes Brook Slide Trail.


So....what was the previous name of Hancock Mountain?

 

[Fen]

Pemigewasset Peak

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Pemigewasset Peak

Noooo ...It was named after a man who spent much of his life in Salisbury Ma.


I've stumped you good this time.

 

[Jazzbo]

Fen is correct!

Fen is Correct ! at least according to Steve Smith and Mike Dickerman book on 4000 footers. They say "original name of the mountain was "Pemigiwasset Peak", as coined by geographer Arnold Guyot on his 1860 map of the White Mountains..... and current name was coined in 1870's by state geologist Charles H Hitchcock in honor of John Hancock. What can you expect from someone who can't spell talus?

Great quiz!

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

According to this map, it was called Mt. Edward French around 1889.

A few months ago I did some research on Mr. Edward French. it seems he was quite wealthy and owned a lot of land in N.H., apparently including what is now Mt. Hancock. I guess if he owned the mountain he could call it whatever he wanted to.

I never heard of "Pemigiwasset Peak" before.....neither has my spell checker.

So Albee, Michelle, and Fen are Winners...the rest of you are losers!

 

[Fen]

Great map. What's the connection to Salisbury? My next guess was going to be Greeley.

 

[Amicus]

...the rest of you are losers!

Less excusable for me, probably, as I stood in that very spot this July, near the end of a Whiteface-Passaconaway circuit. That WODC "View" sign should have tipped me, from your hint. Since that''s all the sign says, you assume the path will be about 500 feet. Instead, it's a third of a mile and 500 vertical feet, when you're likely to be nearly bushed already. I should have paid closer attention to what I was looking at. (I did read about the old Slide Trail afterwards - closed in the early '60s after injuries to some hikers on the steep part just below the outlook.)

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Great map. What's the connection to Salisbury? My next guess was going to be Greeley.

Edward French

 

[albee]

wacky map

Did anyone notice how messed up that map was? I mean, it is obviously very old and before most trails and roads in the area were developed, but they have the contour lines drastically wrong.

Bondcliff and West Bond are missing, Lincoln, Little Haystack and Liberty are all shifted one peak north (to North Lincoln, Lincoln, and Little Haystack).

Flume is mislabeled as Big Coolidge and Liberty is mislabeled as Flume.

And what are those mountains south of Owl's Head?

Actually, upon reading the key, it is likely just a rough sketch based on observations through the trees made during a camping expedition in June. (So they were too busy swatting bugs to make accurate topographical observations!)

 

[Jazzbo]

The Quiz continues .... What is CRC?

NHMTHIKER .... what is source of this map? It looks like something you might find folded up in an old Appalachia. What does CRC stand for? The author's name?

Best Regards

Spell Checker



Yahoo!!! I'm off to Chocura .... I'm gonna find who took all the snow. I think there's a grinch up who's got all the snow in bag.