Forest Society Mt Major summer interns guide evening program
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A recent hike to summit of Mt Major for sunset and moonlight descent. Photo Page Cannon.
Guest authors, Hannah Boisvert and Natalie Duncan relate their recent hike at Mt Major here:
Ascending or descending any mountain in the dark can be intimidating, but the idea of watching the sun rise or set from a mountain summit keeps people hiking in the dark. This past Wednesday, August 9th a group of Forest Society members, supporters, and interns headed up Mount Major in Alton, NH together, in hopes that moving as a group would make hiking in the dark fun, not frightening.
We followed the popular “Main Trail” (1.5 mi) of Mount Major up to the summit, pausing along the way to talk about some of the trail’s features. The beginning of the trail, actually an old farm road, led us through a field of glacial erratics. These big boulders were left behind by glaciers that moved through NH over 12,000 years ago. The hardwood forest that surrounds these erratics, found on flatter sections of the trail, transitions into more coniferous foliage towards Major’s rocky summit.
As we reached the trail’s first steep ledge, we were able to see some rain showers on the other side of Lake Winnepesauke. Luckily, the showers passed by us before we made it to the summit, just in time to see a rainbow peeking out from behind the clouds. The clouds that had earlier hinted at a rainy evening instead provided us with the perfect sky for a dramatic sunset. While the clouds prevented us from being able to see Mount Washington, visible from the mountain on clear days, we still had beautiful views of the Ossipee ring dike complex seen on the other side of Lake Winnipesaukee.
We enjoyed the windy evening sunset from the summit.
On the way down, the group braved the dark on the longer “Brook Trail” (2.2 mi). We were equipped with plenty of flashlights and headlamps to light the way and some conversation and humming to shorten this distance. Under the spotlights of this artificial light, it was easy to spot the many mushrooms growing along the trail. While some members of the group had never hiked the trail before and others were regulars, the dark made it a new experience for everyone. The roots and their shadows made footing more difficult on this darkened descent, but the Brook Trail was still a good night alternative to Mount Major’s other, steeper trails. We were grateful to have had our fun while climbing up the Main Trail’s granite ledges while there was still light in the sky!
No bears, house cats, or other night creatures were seen on our hike, and our strategy of hiking in a group successfully made night hiking an approachable and exciting new way to experience the forest! If you’re interested in being part of one of our guided hikes in the future check out the below information about our upcoming family hiking adventure!
Other Upcoming Guided Hikes:
Kids Scavenger Hunt Hike - August 13th from 2:00pm-6:00 pm
Location: Mount Major (Alton, NH)
This hike to the summit will be filled with family friendly hiking games and activities that are perfect for children of all ages. It’s the perfect way to spend time with the kids and get and explore one of New Hampshire’s beautiful forests. To register for this hike please email: signup@forestsociety.org or call Tina Ripley at (603) 224-9945 ext. 313
Hike Led by: Forest Society Interns Hannah & Natalie