Gunstock Mountain (NH) 9/4/2016

Gunstock Mountain

Location: Gilford, New Hampshire
Mileage: 2.05 Miles
Elevation Gain: 1175 Feet
Trails Used: Gunstock Mountain Trail, Winter Shortcut, Ridge Trail
Views: 180 from Summit Ski Area
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking Lists: Belknap Range Summits

Brian and I hiked in the Adirondacks on Saturday, so I wasn’t sure I’d be up for another hike on Sunday. We spent about nine hours in the car for just over three hours of hiking, and I was a bit tired from the early start. Still, while running errands, I decided it was just too nice outside not to head out for a few miles in the nearby Belknap Mountains.

I decided to hike to the summit of Gunstock Mountain in Gilford, New Hampshire. I’ve been up there at least four times before, including one pretty recently, but this time I chose a different trail. Being close to most of the Belknap Range trailheads, it felt like the perfect opportunity to start hiking all the trails in the area. I checked a map to figure out which ones I could tackle on this trip.

I got a late start on this hike, deciding to go around three in the afternoon. I parked, geared up quickly, and headed up the trail toward Gunstock Mountain.

I parked just outside the gate on Carriage Road, which closes at 6 p.m. every day. From there, I headed up the Gunstock Mountain Trail, beginning in the woods to the left, just beyond the kiosk.

The Gunstock Mountain Trail, marked with orange blazes, starts off steep and then levels out to a moderate incline until it meets the green-blazed Winter Shortcut.

The Gunstock Mountain Trail passes through a section of rock wall, and around this point, I began noticing quite a few people making their way down from the summit.

At the junction of the Gunstock Mountain Trail and Winter Shortcut, I’d head left and take the Winter Shortcut. It’s a short but steep climb that leads up to the Ridge Trail.

A stretch of the green-blazed Winter Shortcut was a bit rougher than the Gunstock Mountain Trail, offering a more direct climb toward the summit of Gunstock Mountain.

I hiked the newly opened, relocated section of the Gunstock Mountain Trail all the way to the summit of Gunstock Mountain.

A new rock stair section now extends from the summit of Gunstock Mountain. I reached the summit, then turned around and headed down, so no photos today. The summit was still fairly busy at 4 p.m.

At the junction of the Gunstock Mountain Trail and Ridge Trail, I’d take the Gunstock Mountain Trail back down to the car.

Looking south from a ledge along the Gunstock Mountain Trail, the views were stunning as I made my way back down to the car.

I had planned to check out the views from the Overlook off the Gunstock Mountain Trail, but it was packed with Boy Scouts and adults chatting loudly. I figured the earlier views were probably just as good as the ones from the Overlook, so it wasn’t much of a loss. The hike back down to the car was pretty quick.