Mount Crescent

The Crescent Range on the north side of US 2 in Randolph receives relatively little attention from hikers thanks to the more alluring Northern Presidentials looming on the other side of the valley. The Randolph Mountain Club (RMC) maintains an excellent trail network on the Crescent Range, leading to several viewpoints. One of the best destinations is Mount Crescent (3,260 ft.), which has viewpoints facing both north and south. The north viewpoint, which looks over the Kilkenny region, is unique and ranks as one of my favorite vistas in the Whites.

 

I hadn't been up Carlton Notch Trail in a while, so I fashioned a 4-mile loop using that trail and Crescent Ridge Trail for the ascent and Mount Crescent Trail for the descent. 

A short side trip off the lower part of Carlton Notch Trail leads to the edge of a long wildlife opening with a view east.

The trail passes by a small historic reservoir.

 

Nice walkin'.

Junction with the access route to the Crescent Ridge ski glades.

Heading for the ridge along one of several switchbacks.

Junction on the ridge.

 

Beautiful forest walking along the ridge, heading towards Mount Crescent.

Love this trail.

One of the best.

Looking out over The Kilkenny, with North Weeks and Cabot/Bulge/Horn on the left.

Black Crescent Mountain nearby to the NE. The talus slope on the right was named the "Crescent Scar" by early AMC explorers. I paid a second visit to that wild spot last summer.

The Pliny Range, including Pliny Mountain, Mts. Starr King & Waumbek, and the three peaks of Mount Weeks.

The north viewpoint has a nice rustic bench to enhance enjoyment of the views.

 

Easy walking across the broad summit area of Mount Crescent.

The south viewpoint.

Good view of the three Northern Presidential peaks.

Madison, Adams and Jefferson.

The initial descent off the south viewpoint is very steep and rather sketchy. The RMC plans to build a ladder here this summer.

 

Looking back up at the scramble.

 

The descent is steep for quite a ways, but the footing is better.

Lower down, I made a short side trip to visit a huge boulder known as Castleview Rock.

A fairly difficult scramble is required to access the top of the rock.

 

On the top.

 

Madison and Adams from the top of the rock. From here it's just a 0.4 mile descent back to the trailhead. I didn't see another hiker on this loop.