Phantoms Of The Mist

John’s voice crackled and faded in and out. The cell connection was poor.

“I’m looking for a guy I used to hike with. Is it you?”

I laughed. John had taken most of the winter off. Now he wanted to get some “elevation.” Rhode Island and Massachusetts are pretty flat. We would need to cross the border into New Hampshire to get some steep trail hiking accomplished.

The rainy weather had continued to make spring hiking challenging. John recommended a short day hike to Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire. I agreed. We carpooled up on a cloudy Sunday to the Monadnock State Park Headquarters in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.

Dark cloudy menaced, and the summit was shrouded in low hanging clouds and mist.

At slightly over 3000 feet, Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock is one of the most popular hikes in the world. While not particularly tall, it accessibility ( no other peak within 30 miles can compare in height) make it a favorite of beginners, day hikers and trail runners.

The mountain has been featured in the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Thoreau, and no wonder. Upon reaching the summit, you might catch a view of the Boston skyline to the south, or Mount Washington to the north.

John and I would have no such luck today. The temperatures were a moderate 50 degrees, but the wind had begun to pick up. A sprinkle of rain speckled the rocks and slippery roots at our feet. The showers spit on us in fits and starts, but were not enough for me to pull my umbrella out.

Out of the car, we laced up and applied some bug dope. The mosquitos at the trailhead were voracious, and thirsty for a blood meal. Carrying poles, packs and water, we set out along the most popular trail, the White Dot.

The path begins climbing gradually, and we moved at a steady pace, leaving most of the mosquitos behind.

The hike to the summit is quite short, just a few miles, but make no mistake, the mountain does not give up it’s view quite easily. Beginners can expect the gradual ascent to begin to get more fun, with more rocky obstacles to navigate.

John and I “dropped layers” of fleece and jackets as we began to warm to the task. The trail ran with a trickle of water from the rain and collecting pools further up the mountain.

Soon the stony trail that was littered with boulders gave way to some fun scrambles over ledges.

We slowed a bit and were more careful. The ledge was slick in places where water was finding its way down. A slip and a fall could bring the day to a quick and unpleasant end.

There are several “false summits” on the White Dot Trail. You might think you’ve reached the final leg of your journey and ascended above treeline, only to be faced with another set of scrambles. As you get closer to the top, you can stop to look back over your shoulder and get a glimpse of the panoramic views. We were greeted by dense mist and clouds instead.

John and I reached a junction just before a final trip to the summit. Some larger raindrops had begun to fall. Just ahead, hikers were moving as phantoms in the thickening mist that obscured the path above treeline. The wind here was stronger, and we layered up with jackets to keep the wind from stripping away body heat.

I turned to John and told him, I had no need to hike to the summit. We had both been here many times, hiked to the top and enjoyed the view. There was no prize awaiting us today, and having enjoyed a good stretch of the legs, I was fine with descending an alternate trail and head down to the parking lot if he wished. We decided to have a bit of lunch, hunkered down out of the wind. I recalled the many times I had climbed to the top, including not long after the Covid epidemic. It still seems so close in my memory, but of course was several years ago. Note: Face masks made great wind protectors! We used them carpooling as well.

John and I stowed our gear and fastened our packs. We made our way carefully down the wet boulders of the White Cross Trail. The White Cross is less steep, but still can be treacherous and was heavily flooded, requiring some rock hopping to get back to the smoother trail near the base of the mountain. A wet day on the mountain is still better than a fair day at work!