Recently, I climbed Mount Chocorua and neighboring Middle Sister on my own. It was a gorgeous, calm-before-the-storm day. I had the mountain to myself and met one couple on the way down.
I took the popular Champney Falls Trail up to the ridge and continued to the summit of Mount Chocorua on the Piper Trail. On the way down, I took the Champney Falls Cutoff over to Middle Sister, site of the foundation of an old fire lookout. Then I returned to the Champney Falls Trail for a pleasant 8.2-mile round trip.
kAmp=E9@F89 x 925 D?@HD9@6D 2EE24965 E@ >J A24<[ x ?6G6C E@@< E96> @77 E@ FD6] %96 EC2:= H2D A24<65 5@H? H6==] tG6? E96 D:56 EC2:= @G6C E96 |:55=6 $:DE6C 925 366? 362E6? @FE 3J D?@HD9@6D 367@C6 >6] %9@F89 ?@E >2?J 925 366? E92E H2J[ @?6 @C EH@ A2DD286D @7 D?@HD9@6D >256 7@C 72:C=J D@=:5 7@@E:?8 @? 2 EC2:=]k^Am
kAm%92E >@C?:?8[ x 5C@G6 `_]d >:=6D @FE E96 z2?42>28FD w:89H2J 7C@> r@?H2J 2?5 A2C<65 2E E96 r92>A?6J u2==D %C2:= A2C<:?8 =@E] x H2D E96 7:CDE @?6 E96C6[ H9:49 D66>D E@ 92AA6? H96? 9:<:?8 @? >J @H?]k^Am
kAmx AFE @? 7@@E EC24E:@?[ 8C23365 >J EC6<<:?8 A@=6D 2?5 962565 FA E96 EC2:=] %96C6 H2D 2 =:?86C:?8 49:== :? E96 G2==6J 56DA:E6 2 7@C642DE @7 E6>AD :? E96 a_D] qFE H:E9:? E96 9@FC[ x H2D 5@H? E@ 2 G6DE]k^Am
kAmx? `]c >:=6D[ x EFC?65 =67E @? E96 r92>A?6J u2==D {@@A 2?5 :? 2?@E96C _]a >:=6D H2=<65 @G6C E@ E96 32D6 @7 r92>A?6J^!:E496C u2==D] %96 92?8:?8 :46 @7 !:E496C u2==D H2D 5C2>2E:4] %96C6 H6C6 ?@ :46 4=:>36CD E92E 52J]k^Am
kAmx 4@?E:?F65 @? E96 =@@A EC2:= 324< E@ :ED FAA6C ;F?4E:@? H:E9 E96 r92>A?6J u2==D %C2:=[ 2?5 4@?E:?F65 FAH2C5]k^Am
kAmw2G6 J@F 6G6C 9:<65 E96 $EFC8:D !C2J %C2:=n $@>6E:>6D 2 ?2>6 :D ;FDE 2H<H2C5 7@C 2 4@>>@? =@42E:@? 2?5 ?665D E@ 36 492?865] x? `ghg[ 2? p|r 4@>>:EE66 >6>36C ?2>65 $EFC8:D !C2J 4FE E96 r92>A?6J u2==D %C2:=] xE H2D ?2>65 7@C 9:>[ 2?5 =2E6C E96 ?2>6 H2D 492?865[ x’> ?@E DFC6 H96?]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C FA<66A @7 E9:D EC2:= H2D A2DD65 2C@F?5 :? E96 62C=J 52JD] x? `h`d[ 2 7@C6DE 7:C6 :? E96 G2==6J 36EH66? r9@4@CF2 2?5 |@F?E !2F8FD 3FC?65 `[c__ 24C6D[ @3=:E6C2E:?8 E96 q@==6D %C2:= :? E92E G2==6J[ 2?5 E96 FAA6C r92>A?6J u2==D %C2:=] x? `h`h[ 2 7@C6DE D6CG:46 6>A=@J66 C6=@42E65 2?5 C6@A6?65 E96 r92>A?6J u2==D %C2:= 7@C E96 p|r] x? `ha`[ E96 p|r EFC?65 E96 EC2:= @G6C E@ E96 r9@4@CF2 |@F?E2:? r=F3 E@ C6G:E2=:K6] u:?2==J[ :? `hac[ E96 7@C6DE D6CG:46 E@@< @G6C E96 EC2:= 2D 2 9@CD6 C@FE6 7@C A24<:?8 DFAA=:6D E@ 2 AC@A@D65 7:C6 =@@<@FE DE2E:@?] %96 =@@<@FE E@H6C H2D 3F:=E @? |:55=6 $:DE6C :? `haf]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 362FE:6D @7 E96 (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D E@52J :D E96 62D6 :? H9:49 J@F 42? DE:== 7:?5 D@=:EF56[ 6G6? @? 2 A@AF=2C EC2:=] x H2D 2=@?6 3FE 7@==@H65 2 H6==\A24<65 EC2:=] x H@F?5 FA E@ E96 C:586E@A[ H96C6 5:C64E DF? 9:E E96 D?@H 4@G6C65 6G6C8C66?D 2C@F?5 >6]k^Am
kAmx 9:E E96 !:A6C %C2:= 2?5 56D46?565 :?E@ 2 D92==@H D255=6 367@C6 4=:>3:?8 FA E@ EC66 =:?6] %96 DF>>:E C@4<D H6C6 2== 4@G6C65 H:E9 2? :?49 @7 :46[ 3FE E96C6 H2D A=6?EJ @7 D?@H 2D H6==[ >2<:?8 7@C 2 7F? 42FE:@?2CJ D4C2>3=6 E@ E96 E@A] |J 7@@E EC24E:@? 96=5 H6==]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H2D 2 49:==:?8 3C66K6 @? E@A] x E@@< D96=E6C @? E96 62DE D:56 @7 E96 DF>>:E 7@C 2 BF:4< D?24<] qFE ?@E =@?8] x 962565 5@H? 2?5 A2FD65 2 76H E:>6D @? E96 H2J 5@H? E96 DF>>:E 4@?6 E@ 25>:C6 E96 4CJDE2=\4=62C A2?@C2>2 @7 E96 (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D]k^Am
kAmx EFC?65 =67E @?E@ E96 r92>A?6J u2==D %C2:= 2?5 D@@? 2 C:89E @? E96 r92>A?6J u2==D rFE@77] xE =@@<65 =:<6 @?6 A2CEJ 925 366? E92E H2J 2?5 324< @? D?@HD9@6D[ 3FE :E H2D 6?@F89 E@ A24< :E[ 2?5 x H2=<65 FA _]b >:=6D E@ E96 E@A @7 |:55=6 $:DE6C[]k^Am
kAm%96 G:6H 7C@> E96 E@A @7 |:55=6 $:DE6C 324< E@H2C5D E96 C@4<J DF>>:E @7 r9@4@CF2 :D 4=2DD:4[ 2?5 F?=:<6 2?J @E96C G:6H @7 |@F?E r9@4@CF2 Wx @H? 2 A2:?E:?8 @7 E9:D G:6H 3J r@?H2J 2CE:DE #@36CE v@C5@?[ H9:49 x EC62DFC6X]k^Am
kAmx 4=:>365 E96 8C2?:E6 DE6AD FA E96 7@F?52E:@? @7 E96 @=5 7:C6 =@@<@FE 2?5 4964<65 @FE E96 566A 32D6>6?E H:E9:?[ H9:49 >FDE 92G6 366? 7@C DE@C286 324< :? E96 52J]k^Am
kAm%9:D =@@<@FE :D 36DE <?@H? 7@C E96 E:>6 5FC:?8 (@C=5 (2C xx[ H96? H@>6? E@@< @G6C E96 ;@3 @7 7:C6 =@@<@FED] %96C6 H6C6 ?:4<?2>65 (~~uD 7@C (@>6? ~3D6CG6CD @? E96 u@C6DE] x? E96 DF>>6C @7 `hcb[ |:55=6 $:DE6C =@@<@FE H2D @44FA:65 3J t=:K236E9 $2>AD@? @7 "F:?4J[ |2DD]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 96C[ E96 E@F896DE A2CE @7 96C DE2J H2D 96C :?:E:2= 2D46?E @7 2 D?@H =256? r92>A?6J u2==D %C2:= :? E96 DAC:?8] r2CCJ:?8 2 962GJ A24< @7 DFAA=:6D 2?5 H62C:?8 D?@HD9@6D[ :E E@@< 96C e½ 9@FCD E@ 8@ b >:=6D]k^Am
kAm~?46 2E E96 =@@<@FE] D96 8@E :?E@ E96 C@FE:?6 62D:=J] u:C6 4964<D @7 E96 DFCC@F?5:?8 =2?5D42A6 925 E@ 36 >256 6G6CJ 92=7 9@FC 5FC:?8 E96 52J DE2CE:?8 2E DF?C:D6] #6A2:CD H6C6 >256[ H2E6C 92F=65 7C@> 2 >:=6 2H2J[ 7:C6H@@5 4FE[ >62=D >256 2?5 >F49 >@C6]k^Am
kAm%9F?56CDE@C>D E@@< 2 H9:=6 E@ 86E FD65 E@] (96? E96J 2AAC@24965[ D96 925 E@ E9C@H 2 DH:E49 E92E 8C@F?565 E96 E6=6A9@?6 DJDE6>[ E96? DE2J 2H2J 7C@> E96 H:?5@HD E92E DFCC@F?565 96C `c\7@@E\3J\`c\7@@E DA246[ A=FD DE2J 2H2J 7C@> 2== >6E2=]k^Am
kAm$96 8@E FD65 E@ :E[ 2?5 =:<6 @E96C 7@C6DE =@@<@FED 2E E92E E:>6[ D96 E@@< AC:56 :? 96C ;@3]k^Am
kAmx? `hcg[ E96 =@@<@FE @? |:55=6 $:DE6C H2D 232?5@?65] p== E92E :D =67E ?@H @? E96 DF>>:E :D E96 7@F?52E:@?[ A=FD 2 DF3DE2?E:2= ?6H C25:@ C6A62E6C E@H6C E92E H2D 7=@H? :?] |:55=6 $:DE6C C6>2:?D @7 AC24E:42= FD6 E@ >2?]k^Am
kAm{62G:?8 E96 DF>>:E @7 |:55=6 $:DE6C[ x =@DE E96 D?@HD9@6 EC24<D :? 2 H:?5 5C:7E[ ?@E 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 E92E 52J] qFE E9:D E:>6[ x D2?< :? 2 DACF46 EC2A] %92?<7F==J[ x 5:5?’E 92G6 D?@HD9@6D @?]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ 86EE:?8 @FE @7 :E H2D C2E96C 9F>@C@FD] u@C 2 H9:=6[ 6249 DE6A x E@@< H6?E 2== E96 H2J 5@H? :?[ 2?5 >J 49:? C6>2:?65 2E E96 D?@H DFC7246 =6G6=] p7E6C 2 A2FD6[ :E E@@< 2 EH:DE:?8 C@== E92E x 4@F=5 ?6G6C C6A62E @C 56D4C:36 E@ 7:?2==J C@== @FE @7 :E[ C6EFC? E@ E96 D?@HD9@6 EC24<D 2?5 9625 5@H?]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.