Hike #3: Mt. Kearsarge North

Two weekends ago brought more threats of rain, meaning slippery conditions on the exposed granite of the hikes we are trying to conquer. My klutziness is always a factor that has to be accounted for. I am like my grandmother, I will fall for any slight reason, or even none at all. But the thought of going two weeks without a hike meant I would have lost whatever leg strength I have gained in hiking these strenuous peaks.

So we set out on that Sunday, an overcast and humid day, towards North Conway to hit Mt. Kearsarge North (there's also Kearsarge South in western N.H., weirdly enough). Kearsarge North is a little over six miles, and despite the teeny tiny parking area, this trail gets more than its fair share of foot traffic. The promise of a neat fire tower at the top with views all around drew me in.

And the climb started immediately. This path doesn't waste any time prancing through flat fields for a few miles. Hard-packed earth wound its way up past a pretty little stream and a few cozy cabins. Ahhh, how heavenly! A home amidst the hemlocks. The path revealed millions of tree roots poking up like loops of errant thread from the soil's tightly-fused fabric. Truth be told, I had an even tougher time up this hill from my asthma that kept threatening.

As the treeline thinned out, we began to see glimpses from across the valley of our last big hike, near Cathedral Ledge and Moat Mountain.

There is something comforting about looking around and seeing an area with newfound understanding of Place. When you hit a moment where suddenly the geography's puzzle pieces begin to fall into their correct positions and you begin to understand the land. The only location I've ever lived in long enough to fully understand its Place was back in Pennsylvania. This was the first time I felt that New Hampshire really made sense. I could put mountains in proximity of one another in my head and truly understand their existence in relation to one another.

We passed a few groups of hikers on our way up, and looking around, we noticed that we were about to enter the cloud cover. Cold, misty whiteness blew past us as we approached the top, and despite its short length, this trail had promised my legs would be reminded of their travels the next day. We climbed the stairs to the enclosed fire tower to take a load off and eat some food.

Not much of a view from within the clouds, but it was a good feeling nonetheless. We chatted with two women, each hiking alone, and began to hike back down. I managed to slip on the wet, exposed granite and fell on my left knee pretty hard, pack flying over my head. Nothing that would stop the progress down the hill, but enough that I felt it the next day. We picked our way carefully and by the time we hit the trailhead and parking lot, my feet were sore and tired but my legs felt pretty good, considering.

Overall, not my favorite hike, but it got the job done as far as keeping my legs and lungs in shape until our next excursion.