"On A Clear Day You Can See Forever"

[amstony]

And thats exactly how it appeared when I hiked up to the summit of Mount Monadnock on October 28, 2007.

I had planned to hike on Saturday the 27th, but it rained incessantly that day, so I postponed it until the following day. It served 2 purposes: I would not hike in the rain (2 hikes in a row with sunshine ), and it would give me an additional rest day since running the Hartford, CT. Marathon 2 weeks prior. I was itching to hit the trail so Monadnock served the purpose!

The hike itself was uneventful, the summit had not changed since I had been up there in 2003 (yes 2003!), no volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or whatever had changed its appearance! Neither, however, did the crowds chanage! It was a zoo! I arrived at 11:00 AM and ended up parked way, off in a distant lot with a RV and some school busses.

What was utterly fantastic was the never ending view in every direction from the summit. I could see Mt. Marcy in New York clearly, the entire length of the Green Mountains summit by summit, the Whites looked like they were "right there", and Wachussetts and Wapack range were beautiful. It was that purple sky that was amazing.

Above all, I could actually see Boston, including the Pru, Hancock, and Downtown area clearly from the summit without squinting. That is a first for me. The other times up on Monadnock the most I could ever see was 3 or 4 feet.

So it was a memorable but short hike, though the elevation gain of only 1638" feet and 3.8 miles r/t, played hell on my knees. One of the memorable one with the Views From The Top!

Well recommended for those days when you don't want a long drive to the Whites, but definitely need to be out on a trail in sunshine!

 

[brianW]

Thanks for the pics from my old stomping grounds. To avoid the crowds you should try to avoid any trail with "white" in its name.

 

[alpinista]

Cool beans! Amazing to spot Boston's tall buildings off in the distance. Seems like a sweet spot!