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| With APC and APC, Jr. at the Summit of Mount Cabot |
The 48th peak!
On one of our longer NH48 hikes - I think that it was the
marathon traverse of the Bonds - my brother resolved that his final peak would be the first peak climbed by son APC, Jr. So for many years we pocketed the relatively-gentle Mount Cabot, knowing that it would be a suitable first peak when the little one came of age to hit the 4,000 footers with dad and uncle. The intergenerational feel of the day possessed me to wear a baseball cap that once belonged to our late father, an enthusiastic hiker himself.
Any doubt of APC, Jr.'s ability to do a full-day, 2,900-foot-gain peak hike quickly dissipated as he zipped onwards and upwards, a plush toy brush wolf peaking from his pack, towards a late-day dual celebration at the summit.
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| Goldenrod Meadow on York Pond Trail |
We hit the East York Pond trailhead at 8:45 AM and were pleasantly surprised to find only one car and a pair of hikers at the trailhead. Noticing the AMC sticker on their car, we got to talking and learned that Cabot marked their 47th peak, with plans to complete their NH48 list at Jefferson a few days later. The pleasant interaction, which continued at several point throughout the day as our paths crossed on the trail, reconfirmed one of the great things about the AMC hiking community - its camaraderie.
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| Bunnell Notch Ascent |
Though overgrown, the meadowy lower reaches of the hike were quite pretty, with that favorite late-summer bloomer goldenrod decorating long stretches with its striking color. The trek through Bunnell Notch affords the sounds of a tumbling brook for long sections and ascends at a fairly easy grade. We plodded along at a slow but steady pace all morning and stopped for lunch on the open ledges of Bunnell Rock.
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| Bunnell Rock Ledges |
After a leisurely break, we pressed on to the Mount Cabot cabin and then to the large cairn at a high point directly behind it, which I suppose many hikers mistakenly identify as the Cabot summit. Knowing better, we pressed northwest along the summit ridge, descended briefly, and then climbed to the true summit.
Mount Cabot. Our 48th peak. And a young, upstart hiker's 1st. Most people call Cabot's viewless summit unremarkable. For us, nothing could be further from the truth.
Peak: Mount Cabot
Elevation: 4,170 feet (Gain: 2,900 feet)
Distance: 9.6 miles
Route: Up and back, York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail, Mount Cabot Trail
Conditions: Partly sunny, 85 degrees F
