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.