Mount Monadnock 2009

We went and hiked Mount Monadnock on June 5th, both taking a vacation day. Although we remembered to bring a camera, we didn't take many pictures.

It was an excellent day for a hike. 60s, slightly overcast but not hazy, a very light breeze. We still managed to sweat up a stream, though.

Here is Paul at one of the slightly tricky spots of the hike. The trail turns right (to Paul's left, since he is looking back towards me) here, and you skirt along the bottom of this large rock.

Paul wearing shorts and a backpack, with a steep smooth rock behind him, leaning against a tree

And here I am at one of our rest spots:

Anne is sitting on a rock, with a red and a blue backpack on the ground next to her

On our descent, we saw some red squirrels mating. According to Wikipedia, Red Squirrels can have two litters a year. The male seemed to be grooming the female's neck area the entire time. I was hoping to find on-line some information on that behavior, but I didn't see anything with a quick search. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture.

Two red squirrels copulating

Updated March 2026