…:: Alex Smirnov ::…

What following is my personal account of the hike. If you want actual field guides and maps for hiking Mount Monadnock and other peaks in the region may I suggest one, or more, of the following:

• The New Hiking the Monadnock Region: 44 Nature Walks and Day-Hikes in the Heart of New England by Joe Adamowicz
• Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide (AMC Hiking Guide Series) by Steven D. Smith and Gene Daniell
• Southern New Hampshire Trail Map: Mount Monadnock and Cardigan by Appalachian Mountain Club

Update 10/30/2009: A sizable chunk of visitors seem to arrive at this page after searching for “Can you drive up Mount Monadnock“. Well, here is your answer. No, you can not. Don’t be lazy.

After last year’s unsuccessful attempt (rainy and slippery) with Francis, Lisa, Andi and my mom I decided to try hiking Mt. Monadnock again, except this Millicent was around to join me on this hike. We decided to get an early start as we were still planning to drive down to Long Island later that afternoon. After a 30 minute drive from MA to Monadnock State Park in NH were paid the hiking fee ($4 per person), were given a map by a ranger who also gave us some good, albeit obvious advice. Bring plenty of water and warm clothing because weather can change quickly.
Interestingly enough, the ranger said nothing about shoes, which as we have seen later on would have been just as important as warm clothes and water. I am still not sure what the point of all of this was, because several hours into the hike we have encountered people wearing anything from sneakers, to sandals while carrying a single bottle of water with no discernible backpack to carry spare clothes. In one case, just below the summit, we have encountered a rather large family who either because of a wish of foot injury or a complete lack of common sense was wearing sneakers. In what must have been one of the best examples of parental idiocy I have seen in years, the parents were yelling at the kids who shockingly enough weren’t too sure footed on slippery rocks and were constantly falling and complaining. I guess those are the kinds of people who eventually make it into the Darwin Awards awardees list.

Elevation profile of the Mt. Monadnock Hike (White Dot Trail Up, White Cross Trail Down)

Another interesting tidbit is that the ranger suggested the White Dot trail on the way up and the White Cross trail on the way down. The reasoning is pretty simple (it seemed) because the White Cross trail is apparently easier, or less steep. I am not sure where this piece of (mis)information comes from, because one look at the elevation profile of the hike (generated from my GPS track) shows only statistically insignificant differences. More importantly, the White Cross Trail is wetter, and by that I mean that it can turn into a stream bed after it rains, as we found out the first time around. There is of course a good reason to take the White Cross Trail and that is if you don’t like hiking there and back on the same trial – which is my case. If you want to save your knees during descent, but don’t mind hiking several extra miles, then the Pumpelly Trail (to the Northwest of the summit) and then the Cascade Link Trail seems like the best choice. We have not hiked on those, but if you are able to read the topography map you will agree with me.  Of course, these two trails just seem to be easier on the knees but you still have to lose (or gain) the same amount of elevation, just spread over a longer distance (with fewer hikers of course).
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Anyway, the hike started while the weather was pretty nice but as we neared the summit clouds rolled in and prevented us from enjoying the views. We had a short lunch near the summit, then I found the few geo- and earthcaches that were around and down we went. About two-thirds of the hike are below the tree line, starting on trails which progressively become more rocky with frequent use of hands for support. Above the tree line, the trail was  mostly on solid rock (but still very well marked) and with amazing views (before they got obscured by clouds). The entire hike took us about 6 hours to complete, at a leisurely pace, long break at the summit and plenty of breaks for geocaching or rest.

The White Dot Trail

The White Dot Trail

The White Dot Trail

The White Dot Trail

Glacial striations along the White Dot Trail

Millicent emerging above the tree line

The White Dot Trail

One of the first views of the summit from the White Dot Trail

The White Dot Trail with the summit in the background

At the summit of Mt. Monadnock with Millicent

A recumbent fold near the top of Mount Monadnock (NH)

Lunch at the Summit, near of the the Earthcaches.

Descending on the White Cross Trail

Descending on the White Cross Trail

Reading Suggestion: For field guides and maps for hiking Mount Monadnock and other peaks in the region check out one, or more of the following:

• The New Hiking the Monadnock Region: 44 Nature Walks and Day-Hikes in the Heart of New England by Joe Adamowicz
• Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide (AMC Hiking Guide Series) by Steven D. Smith and Gene Daniell
• Southern New Hampshire Trail Map: Mount Monadnock and Cardigan by Appalachian Mountain Club