Mt. Israel, NH, 05/04/07

[threecy]

Mt. Israel, NH

Date Hiked: 05/04/07

Trails(s) Hiked: Wentworth Trail

Difficulty: Moderate

Conditions: Sunny, no mud or snow or ice until on top of ridge (and still not much)

Finally, it was time to hike Mt. Israel. I had intended to hike this back in April, but then winter decided to happen a bit late.

I almost was tricked by a sign on the road near the trailhead, claiming it was closed due to mud per order of selectmen. I didn't see any mud or selectmen, so after some consideration, I decided to proceed and quickly found the trailhead (and no mud).

The Wentworth Trail started off somewhat flat, before picking up a bit. This was not to be, however, as it quickly started traversing the mountain toward a brook, before finally starting a steeper ascent.

The trail started taking some turns as it climbed, making things a bit more interested as it climbed around a few rocks and small cliffs. Not too long after, I was at the top of the ridge and at the first false summit (nice ledge views of the Sandwich Dome). After a moment, I recalled the map and realized I was not there yet. I continued following the trail to a second false summit (the one I had expected), with views to the southeast. Shortly thereafter, I met the Mead Trail, and then finally the real summit, marked with a cairn.

For a sub-3,000' mountain, the summit is a treat, as it offers views in some directions that show no signs of life. Overall, the views ranged from west south west to just about due east.

The trail itself was dry until reaching the ridge, at which point it alternated from being dry to being muddy to being icy to being snowy. Nothing tricky, though.

I took my time on the descent, clearing some blowdowns (four gone, one remaining).


Looking north-northeast at Mt. Tripyramid, Flat Mountain, and Mt. Whiteface from the Mt. Israel summit