After reading a trip report from another hiker from 2 days before, I wasn't sure whether or not to keep Mount Cabot as my objective for day 2. The hiker hadn't had any issues hiking but the road conditions into the trailhead on York Pond Road had been the issue. The description called the road a 'sheet of ice'. We eventually made the decision to check it out as it had snowed overnight and we did bring our 4WD truck with us. We went for it and it paid off. Glenn had to drive the road twice though to drop me off and pick me up. It was sheer ice under some sticky snow.
Starting around 9AM, I was the first on the trail again. The trail was supposed to be hard packed but today was also coated with an inch or so of new snow. I brought my snowshoes with me just in case the depth became too much to manage in microspikes but I decided that spikes seemed to work for the conditions. The trail starts out flat and then as it goes up the Bunnel Notch trail it follows this lovely ravine with a brook that ramps up very gradually. The about 4 km the trail ascends up this ramp until the hardwood trees fade to conifers and you find yourself at the Kilkenny ridge junction sign.
There wasn't any more snow here so I kept going on in microspikes. After this junction, the trail is flat and even descends a bit before turning up and making some switchbacks towards the final approach. The alpine firs become more and more closed in the closer you reach the summit. I had put my hood up so I didn't get constantly showered with snow and I swapped out my mitts as the first pair became we with sweat and snowmelt. I also added a Gore-tex shell jacket to keep me protected from snow and wind.
I eventually reached a wooden sign pointing towards an outhouse and the cabin. The cabin near Cabot's summit used to be used when they had a fire tower up there. I am happy they have left it as it's a great refuge in the winter. It was here that I lost the trail...I could see very faint paths and trusted my gut to keep following it. The trail goes behind the cabin and up and every 10 meters or so I had to stop and look for clues to where it goes. I went by what may have been two summit cairns as they look like pyramids but there was so much snow and ice coverage I had no idea if there were rocks underneath them. I had made the mistake of forgetting to look online at what the marker is on the summit of Cabot. In the ADKs most summits have a sign or marker but in New Hampshire many summits don't have anything. I kept following the faint trail falling off the snow spine a couple times until I found a sign post and no hints of trails past it. This must be it! I took some photos and double checked my GPS watch and it the summit was 0 meters away. Yippeee! I then looked at my All Trails App which showed the summit behind me possibly at those cairns? Regardless I was happy and headed back down to the cabin for a drink and snack break. I had made it up in 3 hours. The clouded summit hadn't offered many views but I didn't care - I have been to many treed clouded summits before.
My pack was covered in snow from hitting branches and so after a quick break to re-fuel I headed down. About 10 minutes down the soft ramp a couple was coming up and soon after a solo male hiker. I was flying down the trail as my microspikes slid slightly and my knees liked the grade of the slope. It was less than an hour and I was back at the junction. All morning I had been looking for fresh animal track in the newly fallen snow. There wasn't much to see...until the way back! There is a family of otters that live in the creek along the Bunnell Notch trail and it looked like they were having a ball sliding around on the new snow. I also saw snowshoe hare tracks, squirrel and vole. I kept going down the ravine and hopped over about 12 open water crossings before the sun started shining and the snow started to really soften. Luckily I finished before it my spikes started balling. When I returned to the road, there were some melted parts and it looked like a plow and sander had been through. I met Glenn in the hiker parking lot and we went and checked out the Fish Hatchery on the way out. Very cool!
Date: March 10th, 2025
Distance: 15.55km
Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes
Elevation: 932m or 3057 ft
Peak #102 of 115
Starting around 9AM, I was the first on the trail again. The trail was supposed to be hard packed but today was also coated with an inch or so of new snow. I brought my snowshoes with me just in case the depth became too much to manage in microspikes but I decided that spikes seemed to work for the conditions. The trail starts out flat and then as it goes up the Bunnel Notch trail it follows this lovely ravine with a brook that ramps up very gradually. The about 4 km the trail ascends up this ramp until the hardwood trees fade to conifers and you find yourself at the Kilkenny ridge junction sign.
There wasn't any more snow here so I kept going on in microspikes. After this junction, the trail is flat and even descends a bit before turning up and making some switchbacks towards the final approach. The alpine firs become more and more closed in the closer you reach the summit. I had put my hood up so I didn't get constantly showered with snow and I swapped out my mitts as the first pair became we with sweat and snowmelt. I also added a Gore-tex shell jacket to keep me protected from snow and wind.
I eventually reached a wooden sign pointing towards an outhouse and the cabin. The cabin near Cabot's summit used to be used when they had a fire tower up there. I am happy they have left it as it's a great refuge in the winter. It was here that I lost the trail...I could see very faint paths and trusted my gut to keep following it. The trail goes behind the cabin and up and every 10 meters or so I had to stop and look for clues to where it goes. I went by what may have been two summit cairns as they look like pyramids but there was so much snow and ice coverage I had no idea if there were rocks underneath them. I had made the mistake of forgetting to look online at what the marker is on the summit of Cabot. In the ADKs most summits have a sign or marker but in New Hampshire many summits don't have anything. I kept following the faint trail falling off the snow spine a couple times until I found a sign post and no hints of trails past it. This must be it! I took some photos and double checked my GPS watch and it the summit was 0 meters away. Yippeee! I then looked at my All Trails App which showed the summit behind me possibly at those cairns? Regardless I was happy and headed back down to the cabin for a drink and snack break. I had made it up in 3 hours. The clouded summit hadn't offered many views but I didn't care - I have been to many treed clouded summits before.
My pack was covered in snow from hitting branches and so after a quick break to re-fuel I headed down. About 10 minutes down the soft ramp a couple was coming up and soon after a solo male hiker. I was flying down the trail as my microspikes slid slightly and my knees liked the grade of the slope. It was less than an hour and I was back at the junction. All morning I had been looking for fresh animal track in the newly fallen snow. There wasn't much to see...until the way back! There is a family of otters that live in the creek along the Bunnell Notch trail and it looked like they were having a ball sliding around on the new snow. I also saw snowshoe hare tracks, squirrel and vole. I kept going down the ravine and hopped over about 12 open water crossings before the sun started shining and the snow started to really soften. Luckily I finished before it my spikes started balling. When I returned to the road, there were some melted parts and it looked like a plow and sander had been through. I met Glenn in the hiker parking lot and we went and checked out the Fish Hatchery on the way out. Very cool!
Date: March 10th, 2025
Distance: 15.55km
Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes
Elevation: 932m or 3057 ft
Peak #102 of 115
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