White Ledge * Lyman Mountain: 9/14/2014

Sunday's weather was for cooler than normal temperature's but was still expected to be sunny and breezy so I decided a few hike's were in order. I couldn't decide on whether I wanted to do some exploring in the Sandwich Notch Road area or do something with views so I would just drive and see what popped up. Eventually, I found myself crossing the Kancamagus Highway so I would look for a few things to do in the Tamworth/Conway area.

White Ledge

Mileage: 4.6

Elevation gain: 1650 feet
Trails used: White Ledge Trail.
Highlight(s): views from the summit ledges on White Ledge.


I decided to hike White Ledge to see what kind of views it would have of Mount Chocorua (if any) which is pretty much right next to White Ledge. Mount Chocorua gets most of the attention in the area so it leaves little hikes like this under the radar.This hike was done as a loop hike utilizing the White Ledge Trail.

White Ledge is located in Albany, New Hampshire. Access to the White Ledge Trail begins in the White Ledge Campground (the Carter Ledge Trail also can be accessed from this campground). There are various views from the ledges going up to the summit area of White Ledge.

**Unfortunately, most of the pictures I took came out blurry or unfocused due to the low light so I decided they weren't worth showing (nor keeping) so there you have it**

The gated road for the closed (for the season) White Ledge Campground. I parked right outside the gate and made sure not to block it. I was the only one there at 9am; three other car's were there when I returned back to my car.

I would take the White Ledge Trail up to the summit of White Ledge, which starts at the campground and then go clockwise on the White Ledge Trail/Loop.

As I said, the pictures to this point were not worth showing so Ill describe the hike to here: you cross a small brook, climb steeply for a bit then run the bottom of the ridge to where you turn and climb towards the summit area of White Ledge. The White Ledge Trail is rather unspectacular to this point. Finally, you reach these ledges which gives it a more pleasant experience on the climb up. 

The White Ledge Trail climbs up these ledge area on the hike up to White Ledge's summit.

Coming up this ledge along the White Ledge Trail, I noticed the moon out since it was so clear.

The views from the ledges below the summit of White Ledge of the Moat Mountain Range.

Looking east into Maine from the ledges just below the White Ledge summit.

Here is another clear shot of the moon above the trees. This was taken just below the summit of White Ledge on perhaps the best section of the White Ledge Trail.

The views of Pleasant Mountain in Maine from the summit ledges on White Ledge (elevation: 2000 feet).

The views of the Ossipee Range to the south as I was descending from the summit area of White Ledge. This side was steeper than the side that I came up.

The only view of Mount Chocorua I managed to get from a ledge area just below the summit area of White Ledge.

Since I finished doing White Ledge early, I looked at the map for any other hikes in the vicinity, and while I had several to choose from, I decided on Lyman Mountain. This would be a guess on where to access this peak from but a quick look online lead me to a good starting point. This would be a straight bushwhack to the summit of Lyman Mountain.

Lyman Mountain

Mileage: 1.75

Elevation gain: 754 feet

Trails used: none. bushwhack.

Highlight(s): none.

I was going to do this mountain strictly because it was there, and not for any other real reason. I wasn't finding much that I wanted to do in the area so this would be my last hike for the day. I accessed this hike from the end of Fox Road in Madison, where there were no prohibitions on bushwhacking to the summit.

Lyman Mountain is located in Madison, New Hampshire. Lyman Mountain has no trails to its wooded, view-less eastern and western summits so it requires a short but steep bushwhack to get to the summit area. 

The hike up was through open woods and steep in some spots. I opted to go in the col between the two summits on Lyman Mountain to avoid a few cliff bands. These are views from ledges heading up to the eastern most summit of Lyman Mountain of Green Mountain.

The views looking towards Cragged Mountain and into Maine from the ledges below the summit of Lyman Mountain.

The views looking towards the Ossipee Range from some ledges just below the eastern summit of Lyman Mountain.

There were even more open woods and ledges to navigate through as I made my way to both summits of Lyman Mountain.

The eastern summit of Lyman Mountain, which is the lower of the two summits.

This is the higher western summit of Lyman Mountain (elevation: 1558 feet), which was an easy open woods ridge walk to reach from the eastern summit.

A steep bee-line descent back to the car and I came across this rock (with red paint) which is most likely a boundary marker.

Two hikes, six miles.  I tried doing several other peaks but there were access issues so I will have to look at topographic maps and Google Earth to figure out how to get to them. The weather was just perfect with low temperatures, a nice breeze to stay cool and no bugs to be seen. At this time of year, I'll take it any day.