N Pack Monadnock, NH, Sept. 19, 2010

Need to get more vertical under my feet, pump up the cardio a notch. Good day to be outside, along with the once-a-year-obligatory-day-trippers. Headed for North Pack, but looking for a less than obvious popular redoubt to avoid all the yick-yackers.
Trail - Ted's, Carolyn's, Cliff. Trailhead is 1.2 miles east of the Wapack trail northern. terminus. 1400 total vertical, 5 miles.



Brooks were bone dry. Sing hallelujah the biting insects are gone, gone gone!


These trails are getting a lot of love - recently cleared, crossings all updated.
This sign is 0.5 miles in from Mt. Road


The route. I was on the orange and red trails.


Economic stimulus funds make these markers?


Before the vertical, about a mile in. Guess they were thinking of those less in shape, or perhaps elderly? All I can think of is stimulus funding.


A numbering system I never figured out. Guess they are points of interest, but I only found one obvious point of interest.


Cleared 2008 Ice storm carnage.



People really entertain themselves with carins out here. I've never seen sooo many, except maybe on Grand Monadnock.






A sure sign the snows will fly:


To every season, turn, turn, turn:


Too many people on top to take pics, not a quiet place to be found. They all came in from the Wapack, except three parties that came in the way I did. Must a been 40 souls up there.



Old Growth:


I am pretty sure this is a dinosaur foot. 8)


Deep, deep quiet



Old-style trail marker.




The northern terminus of the Wapack had about a dozen cars at the trailhead. I guess decorations are in vogue these days:



A bad ending to the day. Speared the radiator with a tree downfall. Got a ride in the tow truck, home late, waiting for the doctor to call.

never hiked this trail but my Friday AM hike after Thanksgiving for many, many years was starting on the northern end of the wapack trail (old mtn road) and hiking up to north pack and then sometimes over to pack monadnock. most years there was snow! many good memories with my old dog and nieces and my son.

Was headed more north but had a late start and kids didn't want to go so dropped them with Uncle and cousins, anyway, thought of Bill's TR and decided to head over here. started at the northern terminus and was up to the top of North Pack very quickly, took the Cliff Trail over to the Cliffs - very cool - and then back to North Pack from there headed south along the Wapack and got to the summit of Pack Monadnock. There was a big Audubon Society event going on. Headed back and picked up the cliff trail on the south side of North Pack - took it up to near the top of North Pack and wanting some variety started down Ted's trail. There is a map posted on a tree near the top that indicates Ted's trail has a spur that reconnects to the Wapack close to the bottom near the trail head - FALSE. At the top, I could hear people parallel to me but then the trail drifted east and there was silence. Met someone coming up Ted's and they confirmed no connector and said they'd made the same mistake. Got out on the road and headed back up the road - probably walked 1/2 mile when a kind soul offered me a ride. I gladly accepted and thank you again. I'd say the distance from Ted's trail to the Wapack is more than what Bill indicates - Bill did you measure? and it's mostly uphill! Ended up hiking abut 4.5 hours - I'm thinking 10 miles or so.

From the Cliffs, you can also clearly see the now defunct Mount Watatic Ski Area - at first I thought it was Wa-Wa but it seemed to close and then you see Wa Wa in the distance. Watatic has an interesting history,

http://www.nelsap.org/ma/watatic.html

anyone ever ski there?

The northern terminus of Ted's trail is definitely 1.2 miles from the northern term of the Wapack, clocked by car. I did that because I had a hard time finding it at the start of the day and wanted a point of reference. I'm certain the 1.2 miles is correct.

That is weird that a sign suggested the northern terminus of Ted's and Wapack were close together. Then again, some of the signs/maps along cliff were a little deceiving anyways. I know when some other people saw me summit via the cliff they were entirely confused about where I had come from.

My numbers were clocked by GPS, so I stand by my 2.5 miles each way to the summit of North Pack via Teds/Carolyns.

flip side is that I really liked Ted's Trail - less crowded and better views. A good portion was along that stream which was running and is very nice. I was thinking that in winter, I'd be more careful that route given buildup of ice and amount of ledge, etc. Definitely, need appropriate traction. thanks for confirming distance.

North Pak is my Sunday morning take the dog for a walk trail and since it is on a back road usually locals are on it... the Raymond Trail over at South Pak is also a nice walk until you get to the Summit where you will meet up with the car people...two distinct summits...

Charlie Schuessler said:

North Pak is my Sunday morning take the dog for a walk trail and since it is on a back road usually locals are on it... the Raymond Trail over at South Pak is also a nice walk until you get to the Summit where you will meet up with the car people...two distinct summits...

Click to expand...

I avoid any summit with a road to the top. Exception made for winter skiing.

billski said:

I avoid any summit with a road to the top. Exception made for winter skiing.

Click to expand...

When I lived in Peterborough, my wife and I used to "hike" up the Pac autoroad in winter, don our ski helmets and goggles, sit both our butts in a sled and ride the road down.. TONS of fun!

N. Pac is a great little hike, isn't it? Only times I've been up there, I had the place to myself. That was nice!