Ascent of Stinson Mountain on 2013-01-26| Other People: | Solo Ascent
| | Date: | Saturday, January 26, 2013 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Peak: | Stinson Mountain | | Location: | USA-New Hampshire | | Elevation: | 2840 ft / 865 m |
Ascent Trip ReportUpon arriving at the Stinson Mountain Trail trailhead and getting going, I found that the trail was moderately used and was also a cross-country skiing spot. The mountain was in a Forest Protection Area-no camping within 200 ft of rivers and streams.
The trail gently ascended on an old road for a while, passing by what appeared to be a riverbed. It then veered away from the riverbed and started climbing next to a ravine. Shortly after, I emerged onto a snowmobile trail; the main trail turned left and overlapped with the snowmobile trail for a short distance and then diverged right, marked by a sign.
After the sign, the trail's grade picked up a little, but it was nothing too bad. A gentleman and his dog passed me right after the sign and near the summit; them and a couple snowmobilers would be the only trail users I would see all day.
There were some nice restricted views off the trail, and soon after them, the trail switchbacked up the upper slopes for a couple tenths of a mile. After the switchbacks, it curved upward to an area that reminded me of the terrain I would see on a 4,000 footer. I also saw a snowmobiler descending the mountain through the trees. About 100 yards from the summit, the trail once again overlapped with the snowmobile trail, which made a woodsy loop around the summit area; going right or left would take you to the summit- I went right.
I followed the snowmobile trail, which turned right and emerged onto a rocky clearing with an old fire tower base and a spectacular view toward Squam Lake and Tenney Mountain, with many other peaks in view. There was also a very obstructed view toward some higher peaks over the trees. I didn't know this when I hiked it, but Stinson is on the 52 with a View list, and it definitely deserves to be.
After biting into a rock-hard breakfast bar and sipping from a freezing water bottle, I decided to head back down.
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| Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 1400 ft / 426 m | | Round-Trip Distance: | 3.6 mi / 5.8 km | | Route: | Stinson Mountain Trail | | Trailhead: | Stinson Mtn trailhead 1440 ft / 438 m | | Route Conditions: | Maintained Trail, Snow on Ground | | Weather: | Frigid, Breezy, Partly Cloudy |
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