Mount Waumbek

Mount Waumbek has long been one of my favorite winter hikes, especially when there has been abundant snowfall and the upper ridge conifers are caked in white. On this hike the woods get equal billing with the views. Got a late morning start hoping some mid-elevation clouds would burn off, which they did.

 

In winter the regular trailhead parking area is closed. The best bet for parking is a public parking area with space for several cars on the south side of US 2, just to the SE  of the Irving station by the junction with NH 115A. This adds 0.4 mile each way to the hike (including 0.15 mi. along the rather narrow shoulder of US 2), plus 180 ft. of elevation gain. The lot referred to on this sign has not been plowed. There is a large plowed lot at the Waumbek Golf Course entrance directly across US 2 from Starr King Rd. I have inquired to see if parking is allowed there.

 

It's a WMNF sign, but the trail is admirably maintained by the Randolph Mountain Club.

 

This old springhouse foundation is a familiar landmark along the lower part of the trail.

Thanks go to Capt. Chris and crew for breaking out a nice snowshoe track after the big storm.

As the Starr King Trail climbs onto the SW ridge of Mt. Starr King it enters a beautiful mature hardwood forest.

Old yellow birches and sugar maples up here.

Pure delight on a sunny winter day.

At 2900 ft. there is an abrupt transition to conifer forest as the trail begins a long shaded traverse along the west side of the mountain.

This is what I came here for.

The blazes are getting lower.

Snowy tunnel.

The open fir forest so typical of the Pliny Range.

The short, steep pitch that leads to the 3907-ft. summit of Starr King.

From the summit, a peek at the great talus slope on Mt. Cabot.

The clearing just below the summit of Starr King is, of course, noted for its marvelous view of the Presidentials.  Thomas Starr King, the 19th century prose-poet who wrote the classic travelogue, The White Hills: Their Legends, Landscape and Poetry, raved about the view from Jefferson Highlands down below and would have been pleased by this vista from his namesake mountain.

Madison and Adams, with a peek into King Ravine.

Cascade Ravine, Castle Ravine, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Washington.

The Bond-Twin Range in the distance.

The fireplace is the only remnant of the former Starr King Shelter (1940s-1980). Some friends and I spent a night in this shelter in 1979.

Gray Jays are a given on Starr King and Waumbek.

Starting the wonderful wooded ridge walk between the peaks.

 

The snow sculptures were in fine form.

 

Oh, my!

The only downside was the divots and postholes left by weekend barebooters.

Cozy corridor.

Step off trail at your peril!

Final approach to the summit of Waumbek.

 

Looks like a new RMC sign at the summit.

Summit clearing.

 

Just 50 yards along this wild 20-mile trail leads to the Waumbek viewpoint.

More Presidential glory.

Another angle on Madison, King Ravine and Adams.

Nice grouping of Adams, Jefferson and Washington.

 

Closer look at Cascade and Castle Ravines. I could pick out several slides I've visited in the last couple of years

Looking out to the Willey Range, Mt. Carrigain, the Hancocks, the Osceolas, Zeacliff and Mt. Bond, with the ski trails of Bretton Woods below.

East to the Carter-Moriah Range, with the Crescent Range in the foreground..

Zoomed.

Parting shot.

Around the bend.

 

From a few yards off trail, a glimpse of Terrace Mountain and its slide.

Late afternoon at the Starr King viewpoint.

 

Not far below the summit of Starr King I met the only hiker I saw all day. Aspiring gridder Emily Thompson was heading up to Waumbek after climbing the Tripyramids earlier in the day. On that trek she and her companion had to break trail from the Scaur Ridge Trail junction to the summits. Now that's a full day in the mountains!

Late in the day the conifer traverse gets some sun.

From previous hikes I knew there would be some lovely light in the hardwoods heading into sunset.

I was not disappointed.

Looking back.

I made it out to Starr King Road before turning on the headlamp, and found a route to avoid walking US 2 in the dark, via the Waumbek Golf Course road and a snowmobile trail that leads right to the parking spot.

 

Lookout Ledge Traverse

On a cold but spectacularly sunny day I enjoyed an afternoon snowshoe traverse of Lookout Ledge, one of the great lower elevation viewing perches in the Whites. Located on a shoulder of Mt. Randolph in the less-travelled Crescent Range, it offers an unparalleled view across the Moose River valley to Mts. Adams and Madison, with an especially fine look into the maw of King Ravine.

 

After checking out the winter parking situation at several trailheads in Randolph, I parked in a small plowed area off Durand Road by the old Ravine House site and headed up the Ledge Trail, a moderate to steep approach to the outlook. 

 

There was a softly packed snowshoe track through a foot of powder above the trailhead...

... quickly increasing to 16 to 24 inches as I ascended.

 

There's a wonderful network of Randolph Mountain Club trails on the Crescent Range.

Most of the ascent was through open hardwoods, with the sun pouring in from the south - a welcome change after a month of generally cloudy days.

 

Junction with Pasture Path, which provides a route to Lookout Ledge from the Randolph Hill area.

The last short section of Ledge Trail climbs steeply through spruce forest, with several recent blowdowns.

View of Adams and King Ravine from a small outlook called the Eyrie.

The Ledge Trail meets the Crescent Ridge Trail just above the ledge.

 

Arriving at Lookout Ledge. This perch is on private land, so hikers should be respectful. No camping or fires allowed.

 

The classic Lookout Ledge view.

In addition to the close-up view of the Northern Presidentials, Lookout Ledge opens a vista eastward along the valley to north end of the Carter Range, the Moriahs, Pine Mountain and the southern part of the Mahoosuc Range. 

Shelburne Moriah, Middle Moriah and Mt. Moriah, with Pine Mountain in front.

Mt. Madison.

Mt. Adams and King Ravine, front and center.

Mt. Jefferson and the Castellated Ridge.

While I was enjoying the sun and the views, a local couple dropped onto the ledge, having ascended from the SW via the Vyron D. Lowe Trail. After leaving the ledge, I followed their tracks along a level section of the Crescent Ridge Trail.

In 0.1 mile I turned right onto the unbroken section of Crescent Ridge Trail, hoping to ascend 0.4 mile to the Four Soldiers Path and visit a small outlook up there. 

The breaking was deep, but the cold has kept the snow light and powdery.

I continued partway across a beautiful plateau, but I could hear that the snowmobile trail crossing up ahead was very busy (it being a Saturday), so I turned back.

Because I really enjoyed the mellow grades and open woods of Vyron D. Lowe Trail on a hike last summer, and since I had a broken track to follow, I decided to descend via that route and walk Durand Road back to my car. Partway down, the trail wound through a little set of snow-capped boulders.

There's a fairly long section on this trail that passes through wonderfully open hardwoods.

 

Looking back.

 

The trailhead on Durand Road, by the Randolph Spring. There's plowed space for a couple of cars to park.

The 1.8 mile walk along Durand Road was mostly level and had a few nice views, including this look at the ledgy ridge followed by the Inlook Trail, which I had recently traversed.

The snowy crest of Adams.

Fading sun on Durand Road. During my forty-minute walk only four cars passed by.

A last look at Adams and King Ravine.