Alexandria, NH - Mount Cardigan

Date Hiked:  Saturday, October 12, 2013
Number in Group: 11
Estimated distance round-trip: 5.9 miles
Weather: 59°F, cloudy, extremely windy at the top
Resources: Mount Cardigan Loop Trail Route, AMC Cardigan Lodge
Highlights of the trip: fun with family, Cathedral Forest Trail, summit in the clouds

Several months ago, I told my sister that for my upcoming "big" birthday, I wanted to return to Mount Cardigan.  Our eighth grade classes had camped and hiked on this mountain, and I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate my birthday.  Well, it seemed like a great idea back in July.  My sister didn't let me forget, and we rounded up the other siblings and their families and went for a hike!

Mount Cardigan, located in the towns of Alexandria and Orange, NH is only 3,155 feet tall, but has spectacular views from its bald summit.  A forest fire in 1855 was so intense that the trees on the summit never grew back.  I read somewhere that Firescrew, the other peak along the trail, was named for the spiraling motion of the fire and smoke that came off it during the fire.

The route we took started at the AMC's Cardigan Lodge.  We did Holt Trail - Cathedral Forest Trail - Clark Trail - Mowglis Trail - Manning Trail - and back to the lodge.

Heading out on the Holt Trail.

Crossing a stream

That's right.  We took the easiest route.

Cathedral Forest Trail.

My brother and I were pulling up the rear.  My husband stopped and waited for us and while he was waiting, eating his GORP, he noticed a bear coming through the woods toward him.  He made noise to let the bear know he was there and it quickly turned around and went the other way.  (Or at least that's what he says.  He has no photographic evidence!  I guess I'll believe him, though.)

The rocks at the top of the mountain were another chance for my son and I to talk about geology and the rock cycle.  The top of Cardigan is composed of plutonic igneous rock.  Essentially, it had been a large underground magma chamber.  Since it was underground, it cooled slowly allowing larger crystals to form.  Also, as it cooled, it contracted leaving cracks that allowed other igneous material to flow in.  (A better explanation can be found here.)

Plutonic igneous rock with large crystals crossed by a vein.

Unfortunately, although the weather at the bottom wasn't bad, we could see that the top was in the clouds.  The weather report at the lodge indicated things were supposed to clear, but they never did.  In fact, the weather at the top was cold and extremely windy.  Thankfully, it was not raining.

Just before we left the cover of the trees, we met another family coming down.  Imagine our surprise when we found it was people we know from our home in Connecticut!

Near the top.

So much for the view.

Heading over to Firescrew.

One of the little ponds/puddles on the summit.

Below the summit of Firescrew, we stopped and had our lunch.  In some ways, the trail down was more difficult than the trail up.  There seemed to be a lot more rocks and roots to deal with.

Big boulder on the trail behind us makes me think of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Weird round lichen on boulder.

Looking back up the trail at the fall colors.

The hike took around 5 hours.  It certainly would have taken a lot less for many in our group, but they were good eggs and waited up periodically for the old lady.  Even though we didn't get ANY view from the top, I still had a great time.  I would like to do it again, though.

Thanks to my siblings and family members for joining me on my birthday hike.  And a special thanks to my sister for not letting me back out.