Post by adamiata on Jun 19, 2017 14:39:02 GMT -5
This has been a staple training route of mine for years that I've done variations of numerous times. It's a logical way to link up four 4,000 foot peaks with one car, clocks in at about 17 miles and 5,520' feet of gain, and has a good variety of trails; steep rocky climbs, flowy singletrack, and viewpoints. I have enough experience here that I'd like to think I picked the most sensible and aesthetic variation.
It goes like this:
-Park at the North Twin Trailhead outside the town of Twin Mountain, New Hampshire.
- Run up the North Twin Trail over the summit of North Twin to South Twin. Down low the trail follows an old logging road that crosses the Little River three times. You can bypass the first two crossings by taking a herd path and staying on the east bank of the river, which I did and I'd recommend you do as well.
- Take the Twinway (Appalachian Trail) over Mount Guyot (making the short side trips to the summit of Zealand and the Zeacliff viewpoint) almost to Zealand Hut. Water is available here. I had enough water on me that I didn't bother with the short side trip to the hut.
- Just before the hut, take the Lend-a-hand Trail to the summit of Mount Hale.
- Locate and take the abandoned Fire Warden's Trail (best to research this elsewhere, lots of info available) from the summit clearing down through beautiful birch glades to the North Twin Trail. You'll come out on the river-bypass mentioned above.
- Descend NWT back to the trailhead.
Last Saturday, June 17, I put in a focused effort on this with my dog, turning a 3:38:08 elapsed time. Conditions were rather wet, but cool, and I lost a little time snapping pictures and rolling an ankle on the way down the FWT, but this is significantly faster than I've ever done it before or heard of anyone else doing.
www.strava.com/activities/1040798824
It goes like this:
-Park at the North Twin Trailhead outside the town of Twin Mountain, New Hampshire.
- Run up the North Twin Trail over the summit of North Twin to South Twin. Down low the trail follows an old logging road that crosses the Little River three times. You can bypass the first two crossings by taking a herd path and staying on the east bank of the river, which I did and I'd recommend you do as well.
- Take the Twinway (Appalachian Trail) over Mount Guyot (making the short side trips to the summit of Zealand and the Zeacliff viewpoint) almost to Zealand Hut. Water is available here. I had enough water on me that I didn't bother with the short side trip to the hut.
- Just before the hut, take the Lend-a-hand Trail to the summit of Mount Hale.
- Locate and take the abandoned Fire Warden's Trail (best to research this elsewhere, lots of info available) from the summit clearing down through beautiful birch glades to the North Twin Trail. You'll come out on the river-bypass mentioned above.
- Descend NWT back to the trailhead.
Last Saturday, June 17, I put in a focused effort on this with my dog, turning a 3:38:08 elapsed time. Conditions were rather wet, but cool, and I lost a little time snapping pictures and rolling an ankle on the way down the FWT, but this is significantly faster than I've ever done it before or heard of anyone else doing.
www.strava.com/activities/1040798824