Dennis Dixon is heading North!: My 27th (Mount Cabot) 4,000 footer!

It was a beautiful day for a hike in New Hampshire!

I sold my Natural Gas Honda Civic in December - natural gas prices have stayed constant at $2.50/gallon, while gasoline prices have gone from $3.80/gallon down to $2/gallon, and are now up to $2.65. So the fuel costs no longer benefit the CNG car; also, I was always concerned about "fueling logistics", and now I have no worries (there are gasoline stations EVERYWHERE!), which is A LOT BETTER!

To celebrate my freedom-of-the-road, I decided to start my 2015 hikes with the 4,000 footer farthest away - Mount Cabot (in the red circle)

Go up 95 from Manchester-by-the-Sea, then up 16 to North Conway, then west on 302, then left (west) on Sawyer River Road for 2 miles

The reports I read said that the Berlin Hatchery closed their gate at 4 PM, so I parked right outside it. It was paved for one mile, so I was able to roller-blade that 1st mile. Put the blades behind a tree, put on my boots, and started at 1:20 PM. The 1st mile with Map My Walk was flat - to the Unknown Pond Trail; I went up Unknown Pond Trail (3.5 miles) to get to Unknown Pond, then southwest on the Kilkenny Trail to get to The Horn (1.7 + 0.3 miles), then The Bulge (0.6 miles), then the Mt Cabot summit (4170 ft)(0.8 miles). I then continued along the Kilkenny Trail for 2.0 miles before being able to turn east down the Bunnell Notch Trail (3.0 miles), then a final 1 mile hike back to my rollerblades at 7:40 PM. With twists and turns and overlooks, I covered 14.0 miles in 6 hours 20 minutes. I covered about 5,200 feet in climbing elevation (2600 up and back down):

My iPhone power died right at Mile 10, but at that point I was at the top of Bunnell Notch Trail - 3 miles to the road, then hike to the blades. In the future, turn off whatever is trying to "access the cloud".

It was a BEAUTIFUL day in New Hampshire, with temperatures in the mid-60s (this is on the road to the trail!)

Unknown Pond Trail goes up alongside "the brook that drains Unknown Pond" (and crosses it a few times)

Unknown Pond is just BEAUTIFUL

and that's either Mt. Cabot or The Horn in the background

I love the birch and moss-covered rocks!

The USGS mark for the top of The Horn

And the views from The Horn:

up to The Bulge, then Mount Cabot. I didn't find a sign, but I did find a cairn:

First Trip this year - I forgot my bug spray (didn't need it) and MY SIGN!!! Oh well, I'll remember next week.

Going down, there are some nice views

and the last picture I got was right at the top of Bunnell Notch Trail

looking back (west) at the trail I just came down!

Bunnell Notch Trail can be divided into 3 parts (3 miles long) - the top/1st part is one of the hardest trails I have ever hiked! Roots and muck and uneven/irregular stones and lots of little turns - you CANNOT get any speed, and you have to take it carefully. The middle part is easier, but you still need to pay attention; and the bottom part is an old logging road that just seems to go on forever (or maybe I had just had enough for today ...)

At 14 miles (12 miles on the mountain), I think maybe I overdid it a little, at least for the first hike of the season. It's ok - we should "overdo it" once in a while, and it does give you a nice sense of accomplishment as the days fade away. 4 hours to get dinner and get home - What A Day! Thank you God!

Wednesday, June 3, 2015 (left at 7:40 AM, home at 11:40 PM)
185 miles -- Manchester-by-the-Sea to Salem (Excel Recycling), then up 95 North, then all the way up 16 to Berlin, then northwest on 110, then left (southwest) on York Pond Road for 5 miles (5 1/2 hours with traffic and road construction)
14 miles -- hiking (6 hours 20 minutes)
4 hours -- to get home

I listened to F albums today:

"Fate Of Nations" by Robert Plant, 1993