Round Mountain - Slope Mountain
Location: Chatham, New Hampshire
Mileage: 8.10 Miles
Elevation Gain: 1580 Feet
Trails Used: Slippery Brook Trail, Bushwhack
Views: None, Wooded Summits
Hiking Lists: None
Brian was taking a day off from hiking, and Desi was busy with trail work in the Belknaps, so I’d be heading out solo. The day’s hike didn’t sound too promising, with rain looming most of the time and only a slim chance of catching any views. Add in a road walk and a bushwhack, and it was shaping up to be a long trek through the woods for two peaks about a mile apart. The drive to the Mountain Pond Trailhead was slow, and as soon as I started gearing up, the black flies were already swarming. They stuck around for most of the hike, joined by drizzle and a blanket of overcast skies.
I strolled past the gate by the Mountain Pond Trail parking area and continued on to the end of Slippery Brook Road.
The Slippery Brook Trail begins as an old woods road, but I didn’t follow it for long before veering off into the forest to bushwhack my way to the summit of Round Mountain.
A leisurely walk along the Slippery Brook Trail brings Round Mountain into view.
The woods stretched wide and open as I neared the summit of Round Mountain.
One of several possible summit spots for Round Mountain sits at an elevation of 2,172 feet.
I made my way into a marshy area between Round Mountain and Slope Mountain, wandering through open woods. Crossing McDonough Brook turned out to be pretty easy.
The woods at the summit of Slope Mountain, elevation 2,026 feet, were a bit scrappy, with three bumps vying for the title of highest point.
This small cairn isn’t the summit of Slope Mountain, but it’s proof that people have made it up here.
I took a mix of old logging roads and snowmobile trails down from Slope Mountain on my way back to the car.
I had to hike around several beaver ponds or climb over the dams to make it back to my car. The area between Round Mountain and Slope Mountain was very swampy and wet.
Initially, on my way back, I planned to head toward Mountain Pond and then follow the hiking trail to return to the car. However, the many old logging roads made that route more challenging, so I decided to make a beeline straight to where I parked instead of searching for the trail. Once again, while changing my shoes, the black flies were even worse, so it was a quick hop into the car and take off, effectively wrapping up today’s hikes.
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