Hike Type: Lollipop Loop
Distance: 8.2 miles
Elevation: 2506 feet
Time: N/A
Hiking Challenges: New Hampshire 4000 Footers
The Hike
It's Martin Luther King Jr. day in 2023, and I'm finally getting over the pneumonia I've been dealing with the past week. I was going to go out for a "reintroduction" hike this morning in the Blue Hills since I've been feeling much better, but it's currently snowing and sticking so I will let that be a problem for later today once the sky is done! Instead, I'm cozied up next to the heater in the dining room and ready to reflect on one of my favorite days in the mountains - my first 4k hike up Mt. Moosilauke! I've been super interested in getting more involved in hiking the whites, and Gen suggested this hike, and I jumped at the chance! We drove up to her family's cottage in Raymond, NH the night before, got a good night's sleep, and made it to the trailhead just after sunrise - which was a beautiful drive!
Of course, by trailhead I mean the parking area down the road from the trailhead. We geared up in our old running shoes, normal set of sweats, and cotopaxi bags and windbreakers, and started our hike up the Ravine Lodge Road. We hiked with a more seasoned hiker for a little bit before he broke off ahead of us. The Ravine Lodge was really neat, but since it was September of 2020 it was very closed. From the Ravine Lodge we could see just where we were going, and it was in the clouds! Thankfully we didn't let that deter us. We followed the sign to "all trails" and crossed the Asquamchumauke River on the "Class of 1982 memorial bridge" - it was happening!
Our goal was to hike up the Gorge Brook Trail to the summit, then over on the Carriage Road/AT to South Peak, down the Carriage Road to the Snapper Trail, and then follow the Gorge Brook Trail/Ravine Lodge Rd back to the car. I don't remember too many small details besides the photos that I have. There were two log bridges on Gorge Brook, one was fantastic and one was flimsy, but we made it through unscathed! As we climbed the sun started poking through the clouds which was an excellent sign of things to come!
Looking back at the elevation profile, I understand why this is on the list of "best intro 4ks" - it never gets too steep, there's a great loop, and THE VIEWS - but more on that later. We hit the "last sure water" at 3300 feet (which meant nothing to us, this was before we had bladders and filters), and continued on! The forest after the Ross McKenny Forest plaque got dense and coniferous, which was absolutely beautiful. We also had our first views! The sky was still hazy, but clearing up by the second.
Neither Gen nor I had been in a true alpine zone before, just Mt. Monadnock, so when the trees started to get smaller we got super excited! The sky was also now a beautiful clear blue! The higher up we climbed the more views were to be had, and my jaw dropped once we made it over treeline - it was like we entered a whole new world! The summit area was filled with green, yellow, orange, and red grasses with an occasional scrubby bush. We practically ran to the summit we were so excited! The views from the top were breathtaking, and the wind was strong but survivable. We put our windbreakers on and found shelter behind some rocks for a snack time, and then we ran into the person we were hiking with from the parking area! He was doing the reverse hike of us today, and he heavily suggested we do the full loop.
We were so lucky to have this summit almost entirely to ourselves. After taking a billion photos, we continued our journey on the Carriage Road/AT over to the South Summit, following cairns and being introduced to the verbiage "fragile alpine vegetation." The grasses were dancing in the wind and the trail magnificently curved around the features of this mountain - just beautiful. We eventually dipped back into the woods on the AT, with the occasional view back to Moosilauke. The cairns were truly impressive looking back.
The trip to south peak was quick and scrubby, with an excellent view back toward the main peak and into the valleys below. Gen was super excited for our next stretch of the trail - the Carriage Road - because she sadly thought it would be a dirt/gravel/paved road. Nope, it was a rocky mess at a pretty consistent slope. Whoops! There were lovely views heading down the carriage road, at least. We then hit the junction with the Snapper Trail - our final stretch of new territory. This was another gentle trail, but it started to feel long as our bodies got tired. This was the first iteration of our strategy to keep the conversation going - Gen tells me all about the TV shows she's been watching.
Soon enough we were back on the Gorge Brook Trail, then the Ravine Lodge, and finally back at the car! And no more than two minutes later the man we’d been passing made it back too! I am so happy this was my first 4k - the trail was forgiving and the views INCREDIBLE. My feet were barking by the end in my ratty sneakers and my knees were on FIRE, but it was all worth it. We finished our day getting lunch at the Pemi Public House, on a reduced menu because restaurants were finally allowed to open back up since COVID started. My knees HURT whenever I tried to walk, but the chicken wings made up for it.
Step-By-Step
"Mt. Moosilauke" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
This bald dome, the dominant peak of the region, offers extensive views. An interesting loop with moderate grades from the east side, including a short side trip to unusual views from the South Peak, can be made using the first route above (to begin, see Gorge Brook Trail, p. 287). The second, a popular hike with a steady ascent from the southwest, also includes a side trip to the South Peak (see Glencliff Trail, p. 284). The third, a good, long loop with a wide variety of scenery, involves some road walking (to begin, see Glencliff Trail).
"Moosilauke Carriage Road" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
This former carriage road climbs to the summit of Mt. Moosilauke from Breezy Point, a large clearing with good views, the former site of the Moosilauke Inn. Breezy Point Rd. (sign for Moosilauke Carriage Road) leaves NH 118 2.5 mi. north of its northern jct. with NH 25 (which is 1.0 mi. north of Warren village). Follow the road (paved for 0.5 mi. then gravel) for 1.5 mi. to the left-branching overgrown driveway of the former inn, where parking is available across from a Forest Protection Area sign. In 2016, the road was drivable to this point, though rough near the end; at times in the past it has not been maintained this far, making it necessary to park on the shoulder, lower on the road. Beyond the sign, the road becomes rougher, but you may be able to drive another 0.1 mi. and park to the left just before the trail sign, where mileages begin. Grades are easy to moderate, and the footing is generally good, although there are several wet stretches in the lower section. The trail is intermittently marked with DOC orange-and-black blazes. The upper part is above treeline and greatly exposed to the elements, so it can be dangerous in bad weather. The lower part, up to a barricade at 4.1 mi., receives heavy snowmobile use in winter.
[...]. At 3.0 mi., Snapper Trail enters right.
The next section of road has been widened and improved, eliminating what was formerly a washed-out section with poor footing. Starting at 3.5 mi., you have occasional views back to teh south and east. At 4.1 mi., the old road is blocked by a row of boulders to prevent further vehicular use. At 4.2 mi., Glencliff Trail enters from left; a few steps along Glencliff Trail, a spur trail leads left 0.2 mi. (80-ft ascent) to South Peak, a fine viewpoint. The old road, now part of the AT, continues along the ridge, with a narrow fringe of trees on each side, passing a short side path right to a viewpoint over the Gorge Brook Ravine. At 4.9 mi., the old road reaches treeline and, marked by cairns and low rock walls, ascends northeast along the windswept ridge to the summit. Descending from the summit, the trail leads briefly west then southwest down the broad, open ridge. In this section, hikers are urged to stay on the well-defined footway to avoid trampling fragile alpine vegetation.
"Gorge Brook Trail" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
This trail runs from the end of Ravine Lodge Rd. to the summit of Mt. Moosilauke. This relatively easy trail affords some interesting views as it climbs.
Leaving the turnaround at the end of Ravine Lodge Rd., 0.2 mi. from hiker parking, Gorge Brook Trail follows the gravel logging road (which is also the start of the Asquam-Ridge Trail) northeast for 100 yd. then turns left (sign) and left again, descending rather steeply past a recently build bunk house (left) to Baker River, where a road descending from Ravine Lodge joins from the left. The trail crosses the river on a footbridge and immediately turns left at 0.4 mi. from hiker parking, where a former section of Asquam-Ridge Trail diverged right. (This section of Asquam-Ridge Trail has been closed due to washouts from the 2011 storm). In a short distance, Gorge Brook Trail bears right where a path leads 70 yd. left to the Class of '97 Swimhole. In another 90 yd., at 0.5 mi., Hurricane Trail continues straight ahead, whereas Gorge Brook Trail turns sharply right uphill and follows a rock footway along Gorge Brook then crosses it on a bridge at 0.8 mi. On the far side, Gorge Brook Trail meets Snapper Trail and coincides with it, continuing straight ahead; the former section of Gorge Brook Trail that led to the right along the west bank of the brook has been closed due to damage from the 2011 storm.
At 1.0 mi. Gorge Brook Trail diverges right from Snapper Trail and follows a relocated section, climbing well above the brook at easy grades. It rejoins the older route at 1.4 mi. and crosses back over the brook on a bridge at 1.5 mi. At 1.8 mi., the trail passes the memorial plaque for the Ross McKenney Forest; here, the trail swings right, away from the brook, and ascends east and northeast. At 2.3 mi., the trail turns left onto an old logging road, passes a cleared outlook to the south at 2.5 mi., then turns left off the road and winds uphill and moderate grades, passing more outlooks to the south and easy. At 3.5 mi., the trail reaches a shoulder covered with low scrub that affords a view to the summit ahead and soon breaks into the open on the grassy ridge crest. The trail continues to the base of the summit rocks then clambers up the last rocky 50 yd. to the summit. On the descent, although the trails are fairly well signed, the maze of beaten paths (including several abandoned trails) in this area might prove confusing in poor visibility. From the summit, Gorge Brook Trail descends briefly eastward down the rocks and then runs southeast along a grassy shoulder until the trail reaches the scrub. In this area, hikers are urged to stay on the well-defined footway to avoid trambling fragile alpine vegetation.
"Snapper Trail" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
This trail was originally cut as a downhill ski trail, but it was almost completely relocated in 1991 and features less steep grades and drier footing than before. The trail runs from a bridge on Gorge Brook Trail 0.8 mi. from hiker parking on Ravine Lodge Rd. to Moosilauke Carriage Road 2.1 mi. below the summit of Mt. Moosilauke. This makes possible a number of loop hikes from Ravine Lodge Rd.; particularly attractive is the circuit over the summit of Mt. Moosilauke that combines the Snapper Trail-Moosilauke Carriage Road with Gorge Brook Trail; these two routes are approximately equal in distance and difficulty. Snapper Trail begins at the first bridge over Gorge Brook on Gorge Brook Trail and in its lower section coincides with that trail. The combined trails immediately pass a closed section of Gorge Brook Trail on the right and ascend northwest along a tributary. At 0.2 mi. Gorge Brook Trail diverges right onto a relocated section, and Snapper Trail continues ahead, crossing the tributary at 0.3 mi. Snapper Trail swings left then right, crosses another tributary, then angles up the slope in a southwest direction at a moderate grade. At 0.9 mi., Snapper Trail crosses the old trail route and continues to its jct. with Moosilauke Carriage Road.
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