Garnet Mountain * Carrolls Twin Mountain: 11/19/2015

I had the day off from work since I worked last Sunday so it was no surprise that I would head out to hike. The only issues would be: where to go and what weather would I be encountering. I had a few choices in mind but it all depended on the weather. Driving north, I hit rain around Plymouth, New Hampshire and then all the way through to Franconia Notch. After Franconia Notch, the rain cleared up so I knew what I was going to do first and then plan it from there.

Garnet Mountain

Mileage: 1.8 miles

Elevation gain: 555 feet

Trails used: none. old logging road, bushwhack.

Highlight(s): open woods bushwhack, register on the summit of Garnet Mountain.

I had attempted this one last year, but I was in the wrong spot to begin the hike and the area was posted. This time I had better information so I knew exactly where I needed to go. This time of year would be better anyways, even though the woods to reach the summit area are pretty open due to recent logging.

Garnet Mountain is located in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. I would use a mixture of logging roads, old woods roads and a bushwhack to reach the wooded, view-less summit of Garnet Mountain.

I began my hike on this old logging road located off of Whitcomb Hill Road and headed towards the summit area of Garnet Mountain.

The logging road was easy to follow; unfortunately, it does not go all the way to the summit of Garnet Mountain.

It was a good thing the woods were nice and open and easy to walk through as I made my way up the ridge towards the summit of Garnet Mountain.

The jar register on the summit of Garnet Mountain (elevation: 2142 feet).

Working my way down from the summit of Garnet Mountain, I came across this bedded down young bull moose. I froze in spot for about five minutes and watched him until he stood up and headed off into the woods.

Another old woods road that I took back to the logging road, and then back to the car.

The rain that I passed on the way up to Garnet Mountain had not materialized yet so I figured I had time for another hike. The next hike on my list was a peak that I have passed by probably 100 times in the past and never thought of bushwhacking to its summit. Until today. This would be the perfect time to attempt it.

Carrolls Twin Mountain

Mileage: 1.5 miles

Elevation gain: 720 feet

Trails used: none. bushwhack.

Highlight(s): register on the summit of Carrolls Twin Mountain.


This next hike would be a little but of a drive to reach but in a familiar place, and not a peak that I would have ever thought about hiking or bushwhacking. I figured this wouldn't take that long to do so if it did rain, I would be headed back down before it did. I had a feeling the woods would be nice and open; I just didn't realize that the ground was so rock strewn that it made it tough for foot placement (especially with a healing foot injury).

Carrolls Twin Mountain (unofficial name) is located in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire. This peak has no trails that go to its wooded, viewless summit so it requires a bushwhack.

I parked at the visitor information parking area in Twin Mountain and then crossed Route 7 and headed into the woods behind the fire station. I then crossed the railroad tracks and began my bushwhack to the summit of Carrolls Twin Mountain.

While the woods were nice and open, the ground had numerous boulders and crevices for your feet to fall into so I had to be careful hiking.

The pill bottle register on the summit of Carrolls Twin Mountain (elevation: 2080 feet).

The still open woods as I made my way back down from the summit of Carrolls Twin Mountain to my car.

On the way back down, I got this limited view of Peak Above the Nubble with the rain moving in pretty quickly.

I drove around looking for a few other peaks to do but with the rain coming in, I decided to play it safe and head home. An honor lately to see a moose in the woods as I have not seen one in quite awhile. Two easy bushwhacks on a rainy day. I drove down 302 through North Conway but since it was raining, the decision to call it a day was simple.