Hiking Mt. The Gorge Brook Trail is 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) long and it took us about one hour and forty-five minutes to reach the summit. Mount Moosilauke, #10 on the New Hampshire 4,000 footer list and coming in at 4,802 feet. I was hoping for views this time, but instead got a windy, snow filled day. Hiking Mt. Mount Moosilauke is the westernmost of New Hampshire’s 4000ft peaks. Hover your mouse over images in order to see captions. Moosilauke via Gorge Brook Trail Getting There: The Gorge Brook Trail leaves from the Dartmouth Outing Club's Moosilauke Ravine Lodge.To get there from Boston, take 1-93 North and get off at exit 32. Book time is 5 hours and 2 minutes! It is technically Gorge Brook, but if you look at the map it’s more of an offshoot, or “the Gorge Brook Tributary” as my dad called it. It’s also fairly short, a 7.4 mile round trip hike from the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge trail entrance, up Gorge Brook and then down the other side on the Carriage Trail and Snapper Trail. Mt. Right next to the trail you'll find the Dartmouth Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. name (wikipedia): Mount Moosilauke. Fork to South Peak, left continues on Carriage. I’m apprehensive, but have renewed confidence in my abilities after crushing Moosilauke. Moosilauke is the furthest south that you break tree line. This was the only picture I got of this place I was so looking forward to because we booked it down the mountain! It is ranked 9th of New England’s finest peaks, and one of the most visited. This is what most of the trail looks like. name (TrailsNH): Mount Moosilauke NH. Adventure: Mt. The trail to begin the climb to Moosilauke wraps right around the lodge, so you can be sure to see it from all angles. The highlights of my White Mountains trip last month were undoubtedly Mount Hight/Carter Dome (Saturday) and Mount Moosilauke (Monday). The quick jog down the open fields of the Moosilauke summit and onto the Carriage Trail was a rain-streaked blur. Because of the exposed peak. Mt. Some of these blackflies were the Mutant White Mountain Black Flies. Mount Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. Trails: Beaver Brook Trail. The cairns marking the decent down the Carriage trail. Choose from Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Yahoo, MySpace, and more. Follow Beaver Brook Trail for 3.8 miles all the way to the summit of Mount Moosilauke and descend using the same route. Getting close, the trek up towards the false summit. MODERATE 7.2 mile hike (4.5 hours) Our hands got really cold and some of us ended up wearing our mittens the rest of the way down. Once on the trail, expect the total hike to take up to 5 hours round trip covering around 7.4 miles. What most of the Carriage trail looks like. There are multiple paths up to her bald summit that gives you a wonderful 360 view of the land below and other mountain ranges. My last visit to Moosilauke was spent in the fog after an October snow storm. Why did it keep coming to the top? If it turns out to be another crappy weekend we’ll still hike, but probably something shorter like Cannon. The overwhelming feeling turned us into scary summit-hungry creatures. Fragile alpine vegetation is in abundance on the trail and you are warned to keep to the path. We chose to make the ascent from the Gorge Brook Trail, you guessed it – because it is the easier of the ascents. At first we all panicked, thinking the Gorge Brook Trail was completely closed, but, after reading the sign fully, realized that the old section on the trail straight ahead was closed due to water damage but it had been rerouted along the Snapper Trail for a short way before again connecting back to Gorge Brook. The first signs of the summit are the cairns that lead towards the false summit and into the valley. For Backpackers who Hike with Camping Gear in their Backpack. Thanks to the alumni of Dartmouth, this bridge has been repaired, but you can see signs of the tree damage on both sides of the bridge. Unlike Moosilauke’s other subsidiary-peaks, South Peak and Mt Jim, Mount Blue is a bushwhack, or at least I thought so until I found an obvious herd path to the summit canister. If you would like to take a Mount Moosilauke hike, you are in luck. All are welcome to stay in one of the lodges “rustic bunkhouses” for $35 a night. With the wind really blowing the rain straight at us, I was glad for extra layers. Winter Hike Mt. Please check the links below to get the latest status, closures, and alerts regarding forest roads, trails, and campgrounds. If I wasn’t tired before, I was tired after that, thinking we probably had at least an hour until we reached the summit. Typical Hiking Times and Outing Durations. The hands were starting to crack in the cold, and the clouds had engulfed the top of Franconia Ridge. Dogs are also able to use this trail. If you plan to just hike, park past the telephone pole heading back down the Ravine Rd. The summit marker (which looks like a person) is clearly visible from the approaching trail. Our plan at the moment is to tackle Whiteface and Passaconaway next week. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is best used from April until October. Date – July 2, 2011. Follow this combined trail for 0.4 to achieve the summit of Mt. Here we go! 3.9 miles (one way); elevation 4,802 feet. Moosilauke. That is as long as it is a clear day, if not enjoy the workout and plan to come back on a clear day. Our only view on the entire hike, Mt. I don’t even think anyone was behind us either. According to the WMG, the Beaver Brook Trail, although "arduous", followed the Beaver Brook cascades, a beautiful expanse of tumbling water. I had contemplated my route and was going to hike up Glencliff. This was the only place on the hike where I felt an extra sign was needed. It took us a while because everything was wet and it was cold. Moosilauke. Moosilauke. We recommend the Carriage road approach for winter months. Tips, trip reports, back-country gear reviews, safety and news. Beaver Brook Trail (AT)/Benton Trail (AT) (4550'). We got on the trail by 7:30am. Moosilauke. I was looking forward to strolling in between the cairns marking the descent on the Carriage Trail. Difficulty – Ascent is very gradual, so this is a pretty east hike – distance is where the difficulty … Having never heard of the 4,000 footer club until last summer and having never really hiked a mountain over 1,300 feet, I’m pretty happy with that. Overview. Moosilauke in New hampshire. Moosilauke has several trails leading up to it's bald summit; ranging from long and strenuous to easy and meandering. The mountain itself is high, but so is the starting point, so the total elevation gain is manageable. If you read anything about Moosilauke via Gorge Brook you’ll read varying perspectives – some saying it’s super easy that those with any physical fitness at all can do it, while others call it a very challenging hike. about 50 feet after the bridge the trail splits to the right and then again in a half a mile also to the right. Beaver Brook Trail (AT)/Asquam-Ridge Trail (4050'), Jct. Arriving at the lodge around 6:40am (after a 2 hour 15 minute drive) we drove straight up the Ravine Rd and took the right at the fork to head into the turnaround where we knew the trailhead began. After 1.5 miles, a spur trail leads right (in 80 yards) to the Beaver Brook Shelter. It was recently rebuilt into an impressive campus that encompasses roughly six main buildings, including the brand new and gorgeous lodge. I had seen pictures of the near moonscape-like tundra summit and the boost of 360 degree views of pretty much every mountain range in the Whites. Mount Moosilauke, located about 8 miles west of Lincoln, NH (just south of Franconia Notch State Park), is a popular White Mountain hiking and backcountry skiing peak. Turn one final time to the right to pick back up the Gorge Brook and you’re on your way to the summit. In 1860 the Prospect House was opened at the Mount Moosilauke summit. Down into the valley we went. I was thrilled when my brother said he’d be there to hike Mount Moosilauke, the final 4000, with me as well. At 6:40am on a steadily raining Monday morning, we couldn’t believe there was a healthy number of cars already starting to fill-up the street parking. Follow Beaver Brook Trail for 3.8 miles all the way to the summit of Mount Moosilauke and descend using the same route. Moosilauke welcomes northbound AT hikers to New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and the gradual ascent via the Glencliff Trail is a gracious host. Moosilauke, there are remains of the Prospect House built in 1860, later known as the Tip Top House, a hotel similar to the one on the summit of Mt. From the turnaround enter the Gorge Brook trail and follow the signs (mostly towards the left) around the lodge and then toward the right to pick up the real start of the trail. We made good time, reaching the Ross McKenney memorial plaque at 8:30am, only one hour after starting. Mousilauke – 4,802 ft. I can’t really report much about the ascent because it was largely uneventful. The carriage road especially is a great place for skiing (downhill and crosscountry), snowboarding, snowshoeing, and even sledding. Parking for hikers is before the fork (right for turnaround, left for lodge). He had had a couple of kids in the last few years, so it had been hard for him to keep up with his crazy younger brother who’d seemingly hit the mountains every weekend. We stopped for our first real break at the fork to South peak. The mountains are more sheer; rock spires thrusting out of evergreen seas. Not on the trail, they are a little above it (I'm standing on the trail). The information on this site may freely be used for personal purposes but may not be replicated on other websites or publications. Looking back down the Gorge Brook Trail from the summit. Note: This trail may be extremely dangerous in icy conditions. Mt. Mount Moosilauke and South Peak Loop is a 8.2 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Glencliff, New Hampshire that features a river and is rated as moderate. Mostly because it’s listed in the “easy” category if you summit from the Gorge Brook Trail. I am currently in Vermont on my thru hike and have had several opinions on how to hike Mt. Return via the same route, bearing right at the junction with Benton Trail, and later turning left upon meeting Asquam Ridge Trail. Moosilauke made our short list at least four times last fall. I figured we didn’t have much longer to go after that, and while I wasn’t as exhausted as I usually am I still wanted to get there because by now I was soaking wet. After some exploring, we discovered is we were parked in the “for lodge guests only” side of the road. Blue's summit, you will reach the junction with Benton Trail. The only place that tripped us up going down Snapper was the cross back over the river. Mooslauke in Warren, NH. The grades are moderate and the footing is excellent the entire way. Moosilauke is the western-most 4k footer in NH. Hiking Trails. In the case of Moosilauke, three of its sub-peaks are also on the Trailwright's list including Mt Jim (4,172 ft) , Mt Blue (4,529 ft), and South Peak (4,523 ft), guaranteeing that I will be spending a lot of time hiking up Moosilauke this winter and that I'll probably hike every trail on the mountain, which is the point of the Trailwright's list. Blue is a lesser peak on the way to Moosilauke and it was a great place to stop for a short break. This was a piece of cake and I thought – how did people miss the trail? Black flies hit us for the first time here. We were all set to do Whiteface and Passaconaway, but after my sister and I agreed to take the first of October off from work (a Monday), we thought it would be better to tackle one of the White’s most popular trails on a weekday. At times when we paused on the trail at areas we could tell might be an impressive look out, we thought the fog might lift enough that we were hopeful of seeing something on the top, but if anything the rain became harder as we made the final push towards the summit. At the summit of Mt. This year we started with Mount Moosilauke. Why did we avoid it all last year? All are welcome to stay in one of the lodges “rustic bunkhouses” for $35 a night. Since I’m in the happy position of being backed up with my posts (happy because it means I’ve done more hiking than reminiscing),… The mountain itself is high, but so is the starting point, so the total elevation gain is manageable. The trip down was via Gorge Brook Trail, but there is an option of taking the Carriage Road/ Snapper Trail to make a loop hike. Benton is a moderately steep trail, ascending via a ridge on the north side of the mountain. To … Moosilauke is known for its 360 views from Kinsmans to, at times, the Adirondacks in New York. Hike Maine. … surrounded by panoramic views it is truly a beautiful sight on clear days especially due to the higher altitude compared to other white mountain peaks. Why did we have the trail to ourselves – maybe it had a little bit to do with the steady rain pouring on us for most of the hike? Directions. The mountain is primarily operated and maintained by the Dartmouth Outing Club. I knew from trail reports that I could expect a valley right before the summit, so I was preparing myself to start to climb down when we reached a point in the trail where you can actually see the summit of Moosilauke looming up before you. It is the farthest west of the NH 4000' peaks and it's summit is a large exposed area above treeline offering wide ranging views which many consider the best in the Whites. This means you have about a quarter mile walk up the road to the turnaround and then onto the trail. Today A slight chance of snow showers after 11am. So is Moosilauke hard? Mt. Attempting to use the PeakFinder app to identify our pitiful view. Plus for those who wear glasses, like three of the four of us, the pelting rain made it was nearly impossible to see. by Daren Worcester 0. Your opinions please if you have already hiked it. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, and backpacking. I call that pretty darn good. As I’ve mentioned on several occasions, my hiking companions and I are not a fan of exposed peaks. I thought we might be able to tough it out being in rain gear, but it was too cold and wet. It burned down in 1942. I love peakbagging, but we’re running out of “short,” not terribly difficult hikes we can reasonably do in the fall before dark. The car ride back was terrible. The White Mountains of New Hampshire are perhaps the most dramatic, awe-inspiring part of the Appalachian Trail. In about a half mile you reach the summit of Mount Moosilauke easily noticeable with its rocky top which makes nice cover for windy days. Gorge Brook Trail: the trail starts off right at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge and almost immediately crosses a river with a large wooden bridge. Mt. Head up the very steep path alongside the beautiful Beaver Brook Cascades. There were even cars parked near the turnaround that we assumed were hikers. Ravine Lodge Campus Map | Copyright © 2018 Trustees of Dartmouth College. This trial will probably present a challenge for those who struggle with sustained cardio, but I don’t think it’s hard. The Carriage Trail provided a nice descent down towards Snapper Trail. This will take you into the town of North Woodstock. Could there really be hikers already on the trail? Last fall we completed our first nine peaks over the course of five weekends. This view takes in the entire main ridge of Moosilauke, from the South peak, over the East Ridge and main summit (Gorge Brook Trail visible on the East Ridge), and finally the great gulf of Jobildunc Ravine, with Mount Blue beyond. As long as we were moving I think all of us were fine. We chose to stick with the trailhead off of the turnaround rather than walking through the lodge, but we did a combination on the way back. This is no longer true. One was burying it's head in my leg. 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