Sunday, March 13, 2016

Ayers Pond Peak * Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak: 3/13/2016

Mileage: 3.60 miles
Elevation gain: 1295 feet
Trails used: none. road walk, bushwhack.
Highlight(s): register on the summit of Ayers Pond Peak, register on the summit of Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak.


I did a three peak hike the day before on Saturday but Sunday was supposed to be nice, so I asked Desi if she wanted to go for a hike somewhat nearby to the house. Well, maybe not a hike per say, but a hike in to where we would bushwhack to two or three peaks in the area. I figured the woods wouldn't be too bad if we ended up having to bushwhack for more than a mile (I had been up in this area several times before so I knew there was extensive logging in the recent past). It is about a 20-30 minute drive from the house to where we would start the road walk and then the bushwhack, and the weather was sunny and seasonably comfortable for a March winter hike.

Ayers Pond Peak is located in Bradford, New Hampshire. Ayers Pond Peak is also the highest point in Bradford. Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak is located in Washington, New Hampshire. There are no trails that go to the wooded, view-less summits of Ayers Pond Peak and Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak so it requires a bushwhack to reach their high points. 


We parked on the side of the Old Mountain Road and walked up the road, looking for a good spot to begin the bushwhack up to Ayers Pond Peak.


Open woods down low as we continue the road walk along Old Mountain Road.


We took this old logging road up to the col in between Ayers Pond Peak and Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak.


As we climbed along the old logging road, I looked back to get a picture of Mount Kearsarge through the tree's.


Still heading up towards the summit of Ayers Pond Peak as we look for a good spot to start the bushwhack to the summit area.


I am disappearing into the trees as we head up to the summit area of Ayers Pond Peak.


The open woods between Ayers Pond Peak and Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak.


Walking along the summit area of Ayers Pond Peak checking for the high point and register.


The jar register on the summit of Ayers Pond Peak (elevation: 2096 feet).


Once back in the col, we make the somewhat steep climb through open woods towards the summit of Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak.



As we climbed higher, I looked back to this view of Ayers Pond Peak. 


This would be as thick as the woods would get as we neared the summit of Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak.



Here I am signing the register on the summit of Ayers Pond Peak-Northwest Peak (elevation: 2087 feet). 


The open woods as we begin our descent back towards the old logging road, and then back down to the car to end the day.


This one wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, as we were able to use one central old logging road to access both peaks plus the woods were open enough not to be a problem. Thus, we found the high points for both peaks relatively easily. Once we were back on the old logging road it was a quick road walk back to the car.

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