Saturday, June 16, 2012

First Ascent in the Ossipee Range

Well, no.  This was not the first ascent ever of Mt Roberts.  But it was my first ascent of any mountain in the Ossipee ring dike complex.  (Red Hill, though nearby, is not within the Ossipee circle.) 


Mount Roberts is on the outskirts of the Castle in the Cloud site; we entered from Ossipee Park Rd.  There is a parking area right after an old gatehouse, then you walk up a bit to the trailhead.  The fresh whiff of a horse farm livens the first few yards... 

Wildflowers
The ascent was shady and cool through the forest, at a moderate grade, and the midges didn't bother us much until we stopped to admire the view.


Sun and shadow on the green hills


In front of the middle cloud, look for the small speck (a turkey vulture)

Intrepid Explorers


Our motto is "Do Lunch or Be Lunch"

 At our lunch stop, we smeared ourselves with citronella.  We then walked up further to a second ledge, and a few of us headed for the last mile up to the summit.

The little-known New Hampshire Moai?


A shift in the vegetation as we ascended

Mountain laurel

I liked the soft grey lichen on this rock.

Celebrating at the summit!
The summit provided views to the north of the White Mountain range.   (Perhaps the hill in the foreground might be Larcom Mountain.)
Mt Chocorua and others in the distance

An eerie landscape

These flowers looked a bit like a (low-growing) dogwood cover

Orange blaze with oxidized iron

Nicely camouflaged toad (he's got a white stripe on his spine)


The entire journey was about 5 miles round-trip.  Very enjoyable.


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