Elevation gain: 3250 feet
Trails used: Notch Trail, Mahoosuc Trail, Appalachian Trail, Goose Eye Trail.
Highlight(s): Appalachian Trail, register on the summit of Fulling Mill Mountain, 360 degree views from the summit of Goose Eye Mountain.
After our two day outing in Vermont last week, Brian actually came up with this suggestion for this weekend's hike. We had eyed this stretch of trail from up high when we did Goose Eye Mountain with Desi last year. It was supposed to be a nice day out, cool in the morning windy, but sunny with no chance of any kind of precipitation. This would be the perfect time to do a car spot and do a loop hike on an almost perfect day. The fun to start the day would be driving down Success Pond Road to leave one car at a trailhead and drive down to another trailhead to leave the other car.
Fulling Mill Mountain, Goose Eye Mountain-North Peak and Goose Eye Mountain are located in Riley, Maine. They are also a part of the Mahoosuc Range and is traversed by both the Mahoosuc Trail and Appalachian Trail. There are no trails that go to the wooded, view-less summit of Fulling Mill Mountain so it requires a short bushwhack. The Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail goes over the summit of Goose Eye Mountain-North Peak and Goose Eye Mountain where there are views from both summits.
Goose Eye Mountain is on the New England One Hundred Highest List, the Maine One Hundred Highest List, the Maine Two Hundred Highest List and Maine 3K List. Goose Eye Mountain-North Peak and Fulling Mill Mountain are located on the Maine One Hundred Highest List, the Maine Two Hundred Highest List, and the Maine 3K List.
We spotted a car at the Goose Eye parking area and drove down Success Pond Road to Shelter Brook Road. After 0.3 miles we came to a parking area and the start of the Notch Trail.
The Notch Trail follows old logging roads and you cross Shelter Brook several times.
Here Brian is preparing to cross Shelter Brook, which wasn't hard to do even after all the rain we received recently.
A cool cascade area of Shelter Brook right around where we crossed in the above picture.
The Notch Trail was probably the easiest part of the hike today, as the trail is easy to follow with a moderate amount of elevation gain. Plus, it was a nice walk in the woods.
The junction of the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail and Notch Trail. Turn left here and you head into Mahoosuc Notch. We would turn right and head towards Goose Eye.
The Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail was very steep and rocky as we climb up towards Fulling Mill Mountain. We also started encountering ice around this point.
You know its steep when on certain sections of the Mahoosuc Notch Trail/Appalachian Trail has ladders to help you make the ascent.
We started the short bushwhack to Fulling Mill Mountain. Initially our approach up was through semi thick woods, and we even marsh area, but we managed a better route on the way back to the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail.
Me rocking it out on the summit of Fulling Mill Mountain (elevation: 3440 feet).
Once back on the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail, we headed towards the southern summit of Fulling Mill Mountain through these bog areas on numerous bog bridges.
Looking back towards Fulling Mill Mountain, Mahoosuc Arm, Old Speck and the Baldpate Mountains from Fulling Mill Mountain-South Peak.
The views looking towards Mount Washington, Mount Madison and the ridge heading up to Goose Eye Mountain from Fulling Mill Mountain-South Peak.
The shelter at the Full Goose campsite area along the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail.
The Full Goose Campsite is set into a notch area along the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail and you had to climb these stairs (on both sides) to continue along the trails.
Another steep section of the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail this time with iron rungs set into the granite. There were several sections like this, but the second set was worse due to the ice we were encountering along the way.
Every so often, we would get glimpses through the trees of the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail as it snaked its way towards Goose Eye Mountain.
As we continued on the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail, we got views looking back towards Mahoosuc Arm, Old Speck, and the Baldpate Mountains. In the background, Sugarloaf Mountain, Spaulding Mountain and Mount Abraham can be seen.
The views from Goose Eye Mountain-North Peak of the peaks that are part of the Sunday River Ski Area in Maine.
The views from Goose Eye Mountain-North Peak of Goose Eye Mountain-East Peak and Goose Eye Mountain. The Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail can be seen snaking up towards Goose Eye Mountain-East Peak.
The Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail runs through this nice alpine area, our reason for doing this hike today as we get closer to Goose Eye Mountain-East Peak.
The views along the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail looking into New Hampshire at North Percy Peak, South Percy Peak, the Long Mountain range, Sugarloaf Mountain, Gore Mountain and Whitcomb Mountain.
Even more wooden steps and ice as we work our way along the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail as we get closer to Goose Eye Mountain.
A break in the trees along the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail looking back towards Fulling Mill Mountain and Old Speck Mountain.
There were several sections of ice covered bridges to help as you climb towards the summit of Goose Eye-North Peak.
The views of Goose Eye Mountain from Goose Eye-North Peak. You can almost see someone standing on the summit of Goose Eye Mountain.
The views from the summit of Goose Eye-North Peak looking towards Mount Madison, Mount Washington, Mount Success, The Carter-Moriah Range and Mount Carlo.
The junction of the Goose Eye Trail/Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail just below the summit of Goose Eye Mountain. We hit the summit of Goose Eye Mountain and then headed down the Goose Eye Trail.
Looking back towards Goose Eye-North Peak from the summit of Goose Eye Mountain (elevation: 3860 feet). You can get 360 degree views from here.
After a short road walk, we hit this Goose Eye Trail sign for the last section back to the car.
I didn't take many pictures from the summit of Goose Eye Mountain, nor the trip down and back to my car so that's the reason there aren't many pictures after we hit Goose Eye Mountain. We did this hike up to Goose Eye Mountain and Goose Eye Mountain-North Peak last year with Desi so this was a perfect day to complete this small section of the Mahoosuc Trail/Appalachian Trail.
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