Proof that the seasons can waffle a bit can be found in our mountains. In this case, on Mt Moosilauke. At the trailhead the end of the day it was becoming a spring day, but for a good part of the day it was pretending it was still winter. Leading this multi-season trip for a visiting couple from Ohio was Redline Guide Debra McCown. What follows is her summary along with some photos.
This couple from Ohio wanted to try their very first New Hampshire 4000-footer, and they narrowed it down to two excellent choices: Pierce or Moosilauke. With the weather forecast looking good for a summit farther above treeline, we opted for Moosilauke.
As it turned out, the predicted blue sky was replaced with graupel snow, which came down on and off for a while, accumulating a couple of inches on the trail, on top of the light coating of snow from the night before. The higher we went, the more wintry it became.
In true spring fashion, however, the fresh snow soon began to melt, and parts of the trail lower down — including the entire road walk portion — were clear on our return, revealing dirt and rocks.
They ultimately decided that the peak was bigger than they had energy for, and wisely opted to turn around before breaking treeline. But it was a beautiful day in the woods and a lovely spring hike with fun folks! —Debra
