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Camping 2011 Page 2

September 2011

On Wednesday we did a very nice loop hike over on the Northwest side of Mount Adams and Mount Madison. There is a network of trails there, as you can see on this map. We took the Howker Ridge to Kelton to Inlook to Randolph Path loop. On the map this starts from the 'H' in Gorham Hill Road - go left, take your 2nd right & loop around. It's about 4-miles, with a 1477' ascent, so a nice hike after the big one the previous day.

On Howker Ridge Trail we started out by a river that had some falls. The water was flowing pretty strong, likely because of the rainfall from Irene a few weeks earlier.

Shallow stream flowing over smooth rock ledges among mossy boulders and evergreen trees

Woman hiker with a red backpack standing beside the forest trail near the stream

Stairs Fall:

Stairs Fall cascading over dark rock ledges in the forest

Man hiker standing beside Stairs Fall in the woods

The path had some fairly steep sections, but was really very nice. This is coming up on a nice viewpoint, looking out towards Gorham and Randolph.

Man climbing a steep mossy rock section of trail in the forest

View from the ridge looking out over forested hills and distant hazy mountains

Our hike up the Airline was the 2nd ridge in this picture; the alpine zone is just off the picture to the left:

Broad forested slope and ridge seen from a rocky viewpoint

From the Inlook trail you look, not surprisingly, in towards Mount Madison and Mount Adams. Mount Madison, on the left, looks taller than Mount Adams because it is closer. Next is John Quincy Adams and then Adams itself.

View toward Mount Madison and Mount Adams beyond dark evergreen trees

We had lunch at 'Dome Rock.' Anne gets chilly after she eats, so she put on her sweatshirt.

Woman hiker sitting on Dome Rock with her sweatshirt hood up beside the trail packs

Small cairn and Dome Rock sign on open ledge with mountain view behind

View from Dome Rock across forested hills toward distant mountains

This is Pine Mountain, which is a small mountain that has a great view. We hiked it a couple years ago.

Mountain ridges seen beyond dense evergreens from the viewpoint

A nice view back at the mountains:

View back toward Mount Madison and Mount Adams through dark evergreen trees

Our path down:

Small cairn on a broad rock ledge overlooking the forested slope below

Woman hiker standing on open ledge beside a cairn with trekking poles in hand

Man hiker standing on open ledge beside a cairn with forested valley below

Back down, on Rte 2, a Boyscout troop made a sign telling viewers what they see.

Wooden roadside sign identifying the Presidential Range and labeling the peaks

View from Route 2 toward the Presidential Range across the highway and treetops

Man standing by the open tailgate of a pickup truck with the Presidential Range behind him

From Rte 16, on the East side of the Presidential Mountains, there is a nice view of Mount Adams. Mount Adams is in the center of this picture, with Mount Madison on the right. You get a better idea of their respective heights from this angle. We hiked Mount Madison, on a trail that leaves from the Dolly Copp Campground, back in 2007.

Mount Adams and Mount Madison seen across a grassy field under a bright blue sky

Thursday was a bit of rain (although not as much as we expected), so we did some driving that day. We explored the Wild River area, which follows Rte 113 and goes between Maine and New Hampshire. Unfortunately Wild River Campground was closed, due to damage from Irene. Basin Campground, however, was open and looks very promising. And we never knew how much corn they grow in the Fryeburg area of Maine.

Finally, a parting shot when leaving our campsite:

Empty wooded campsite with picnic table, fire ring, and gravel pad after packing up

Updated April 2026