Mt. Martha & Owl's Head (Cherry Mountain) (White Mountain National Forest)

Mt. Martha & Owl's Head (Cherry Mountain) (White Mountain National Forest)

Distance: 5.56 miles
Elevation: 2,392 feet

Time: 2 hours, 52 minutes (2 hours, 38 minutes moving)
Hike Type: Out-and-back
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2024; 52 With-a-View

The Hike

After a short layover back in Boston - I was back in the car at 3:15am. Yesterday I had my Firescrew/Cardigan/Orange hike followed by a backyard birthday for my roommate and his college friend which I was regretably not the best cohost for. I put myself to bed strictly at 9:00pm, but thankfully I got the sleep that I desperately needed! I made it to Hookset at 4:20am and was thankfully awake due to a box of Honey Nut Cheerios I had stashed away (unfortuntely, snacking is the only thing that truly keeps me awake on these low-sleep low-light drives... Cheerios seem to have the best bang for my buck in terms of quantity versus poor nutrition... veggies seem like a good substitute but I simply cannot stand to munch on carrots that long). I was SHOCKED to find fresh breakfast sandwiches, but delighted nonetheless. I did not have to use the bathroom yet, which was a bummer, and I still had my sore throat, but overall I was doing okay!

I took a quick pit stop at the I-93 northbound Basin parking area to use the bathroom (yay!) and made my way to the trailhead around 6:00am. Naturally, my tummy was feeling icky again. It wasn't too buggy out and at 46 degrees, the bugs were still asleep. I suited up and followed the grassy footpath into the woods on the Cherry Mountain Trail.

I was immediately greeted with many spider webs to the face, which made me glad I brought my poles. The early trail was along a nice, old road above a brook (not in view). I was a little sore from yesterday's adventure but already thrilled to be back in the whites. There was a nice, gentle breeze as I continued on the almost straight trail. I passed a few lovely wildflowers (many seven-pointed starflowers and some lady slippers), and then officially entered the White Mountain National Forest. The border almost looked like an old trail? Or maybe just a slightly cleared path to mark the trees? Not sure. I should check my old books...

Higher up, the trail gets wilder and more rugged, with an abnormal amount of toads hopping about. I even hear the call of my moral enemies... the thumping of a grouse's wings. The Cherry Mountain Trail crossed a trickling stream just before getting steeper with worse footing. The trail continued to be just steep and rugged enough to be annoying all the way up to the Mt. Martha Spur.

Thankfully, relief is felt once near the spur and the ridge, as the canopy begins to open up. I caught the my first glimpse of the sun just before the junction. The ridge line has a very different feel to it, now along a snowmobile trail. The Mt. Martha Spur turns left here and climbs more gradually to the summit, but unfortunately there were MANY flies buzzing about (it was here when I realized I had left my visor in my car... hopefully the bugs won't be "need a bug net and hat" bad...).

From the grassy summit area there is a nice view of the Presidentials, which was slightly washed out by the sun at the early morning hour. A spur trail neads away from the view, past old fire tower footings, and lands at a lovely view of the Twins, Franconia Ridge, and Cannon. I didn't stay at either view for too long as the flies were abundant and LOUD.

Martha's Mile continues through a small patch of grass into the woods along the thin, wooded ridge. I was probably no more than 50 feet along the trail when I head the sound of a large mammal walking or shifting its weight or something. Now, in all reality, there's a large likelihood that I was the large mammal I heard, but my ears were now on high alert. I truly am not too scared of running into bears on trail - I've done it MANY times. Growing up in New Jersey, a bear safety assembly is a yearly tradition. I AM afraid of running into moose, though! It didn't help that soon after hearing the supposed large mammal, I immediately came upon some old moose poop (and continued to run into at least 6 more piles...). 

Stress aside, this was a really neat section of trail. The very thin ridgeline continued through a sunny, grassy blowdown area (with lots of moose poop) followed by a steep descent (of which I was already dreading on the return) in some pretty woods. This stretch felt much more remote than the Cherry Mountain Trail.

The col was very fern-y and then Matha's Mile continued into some darker woods for a suddenly steep and rugged climb up to Owl's Head, featuring a few silly scrambles that required me to throw my poles ahead. 

Thankfully, my stress and hard work was immediately rewarded with an outstanding view from Owl's Head. Before enjoying my stay, I ran ahead to the summit area to check for USGS markers (apparently there is one on either Martha or Owl's Head, but I did not find them sadly...). Back at the view, I took a nice sit and snack here. On the near right is Mt. Martha, looking much bigger from this vantage point, followed by Tom/Field/Willey, Willard, Crawford Notch (with the Tripyramids in the far background), Webster, Jackson, and then the whole Presidental Range. Really spectacular. AND the bugs left me alone here! I was so happy I suffered through that drive. It was a beautiful, sunny 63 degrees with no wind.

My return trip was an immediate return to crustiness with a sit-and-scootch descent down the scrambles. Just after I did my usual "I'm stressed about wild animals and I feel very alone so I'm going to clack together my poles" pole clack, and immediately ran into my first (and only) human of the hike! He nearly scared the life out of me, but was super nice. He asked if I was up for sunrise, to which I told him I always think about it but usually end up sleeping, to which he agreed. 

The climb back up to Mt. Martha definitely got my heart rate up but it did not feel as terrible as I anticipated. Not to get too conceited, but I think I'm still not used to being in better shape. I blasted through the summit area since I remembered I had leftover pizza in my car with my name on it!

The initial descent down Cherry Mountain Trail was quite steep, but thankfully the grade eases throughout the final 1.7 miles. The air was feeling quite humid down low which just made me sweatier than I wanted, but that was fine because car pizza was coming soon!! The lower woodland critters were very active and soon enough I was back at my car, INHALING my pizza! Next up was a 30 minute drive with a pit stop at a horrid porta potty (that I evidently did not need) to the Mt. Tremont trailhead at the lower base of Crawford Notch!

Step-By-Step

- Part at Cherry Mountain Trailhead on NH-115.

- Start hike on Cherry Mountain Trail.

- At ridge, turn left onto Mt. Martha Spur.

- At summit, turn right onto Martha's Mile.

- At summit of Owl's Head, retrace steps back to car.

"Cherry Mountain Trail" from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022)

WMNF This trail runs across the ridge of Cherry Mtn. just south of the summit of Mt. Martha (which is reached by a spur path). It west trailhead is at a parking area (not plowed in winter; limited roadside parking) opposite Lennon Rd. on NH 115, 1.9 mi. north of its jct. with US 3 and 7.8 mi. south of its jct. with US 2. [...].

        Leaving the parking area off NH 115, Cherry Mtn. Trail ascends at easy to moderate grades through young growth on an old logging road, paralleling Carter Brook, which is in a small ravine to the right. At 0.6 mi., the trail skirts the edge of a large, brushy logging cut on the left. At 0.7 mi., the trail becomes a footpath and ascends more steeply through mature woods on an old roadbed, climbing higher above the brook, and passes a spring on the left at 1.3 mi. At 1.7 mi., Cherry Mtn. Trail reaches the ridge crest (signs), and a spur path turns left and climbs 0.2 mi. to the partly open summit of Mt. Martha, swinging left at the top to reach the small summit clearing from the north. Here, Cherry Mtn. Trail meets Martha's Mile (sign), which diverges sharply right (nroth); in 2021, there was no sign for Cherry Mtn. Trail at the summit. To the left of where the trail emerges is a view east to the Presidential Range. A beaten path continues ahead (southwest) a few steps to the brushy fire tower site, where there are old supports, and then descends 40 yd. to a standing view west and southwest.

        [...].

"Martha's Mile" from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022)

WMNF Martha's Mile is a link trail between the summits of Mt. Martha and Owl's Head. It was originally cut in the late 1800s and after decades of abandonment was rebuilt in 1966 by Bill Nichols, a resident of Littleton, New Hampshire. From the wooded ledge at the summit of Owl's Head, the yellow-blazed trail descends a short distance south over ledges to a spur leading a few steps to the left to the main outlook ledges, which afford a magnificent view of the Presidentail Range. Here, Owl's Head Trail turns right (west), then quickly right again (north), and runs along the edge of a dropoff (use caution) to a trail sign. It then descends a short, very steep pitch and turns sharply left. Martha's Mile continues down steeply for a short distance before descending easily to a col at 0.2 mi. It climbs moderately then gradually through attractive woods, with good footing, passing a blowdown area with views toward the Presidential Range, and continues to the summit of Mt. Martha.

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