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| Moosilauke Ravine Lodge |
Moosilauke has been a mountain I’ve waited quite some time to hike. I had planned on hiking it in May, and because of the forecast, I kept putting it off. Moosilauke translates to ‘bald place’ which describes its summit. I was waiting for perfect whether with perfect views, but I knew I wouldn’t get both- not with my luck, at least.
I decided that I wanted to hike Moosilauke this fall, so this morning (10/23/11) my boyfriend, Keith and I drove to the lovely Moosilauke Ravine Lodge to begin our hike.
We began at 9:50 (late for me!) up Gorge Brook Trail. It was pretty crowded at times, especially nearing the summit.
The trail started off rather rocky with switchbacks, but was relatively smoother after a stream crossing.
Keith bought me a pair of Vibram FiveFinger KSOs which I tried out for the first time on the trail. They were great on the way up, but my toes were cold at the summit and I had to switch to my hiking boots then. I’ll be doing a more extensive review of them soon!
There are a couple of nice lookouts on the way up. Do yourself a favor and stop for a minute as you may not get views from the summit due to fog!
About 800 feet from the summit, we began to see snow on the ground and trees. I was prepared with gloves and a hat, but I wasn’t prepared for the summit plateau, an expanse of alpine tundra. It was breathtaking.
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| False summit |
When we reached the “summit” I looked at the altimeter on my digital compass and realized we still had 200 feet to go. One of my favorite little gadgets!
I saw many dogs that looked very happy to be on the trail, but please bring a leash to use near the summit as there is fragile vegetation.
Moosilauke is known for its 360 views from Kinsmans to, at times, the Adirondacks in New York. I do wish I could have experienced that, but the snow made it worth it.
The trip down was via Gorge Brook Trail, but there is an option of taking the Carriage Road/ Snapper Trail to make a loop hike. Our route was 7.4 miles and took five hours.
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| Driving back home |
Quick Facts:
Approach from: Moosilauke Ravine Lodge (Rt 118)
Height: 4802′
Distance: 7.4 miles
Time: 5 hours
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| Map: Via Gorge Brook Trail |
Last modified: November 28, 2014
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Thank you both for such nice comments! I’m very happy to hear that you would like to learn more about the subject; that’s how I was inspired! I learn more with every hike and every person I talk to. It’s a great adventure!
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