[Journal entry for March 14, 2019; Stinson Mountain, Rumney, New Hampshire] Gigi Estes, Dallas and I climbed Stinson Mountain. We parked at a small lot on Stinson Mountain Trail, an unpaved road that branches off of Cross road, south of Stinson Lake in Rumney. We wore micro-spikes, for the snow on the trail was hard packed. The day was mostly clear, with a few majestic clouds in an otherwise turquoise sky. The un-blazed trail leads southeast and heads gently uphill, following an old woods road lined with old Maple Trees and with a rock wall on one side. It headed through low, deciduous woods, and paralleled a stream that flowed a little to the north. The foot or so of snow that lay on the ground shone brightly in the sun. It was cut by many rivulets. Although the temperature was above freezing, signs of spring were few. No Snow Fleas (Springtails) hopped on the snow, no trees were blooming, buds on bushes looked somewhat swollen, but were as yet unopened. The moss seemed a little green that it might in midwinter.

We crossed woods road twice. I detoured north on the road after the first crossing, to a bridge crossing the stream. The water was flowing strongly. I peered into the flow, looking for fish and salamanders, but saw none. The trail became less distinct after the second crossing, even though the point where it left the road was marked by a rut worn in the uphill bank. It was easy enough to follow, for several previous hikers had packed it with their snowshoes, but it had more of the feel of a bushwhack than a well-used trail. This was especially true of the upper section, which crossed a field of low bushes which were encroaching to more into the path than bushes would on a real trail. Gigi pointed out Beach Trees that had been bowed over and snapped in an ice storm, decades ago, but with new shoots pointing straight up. The ice coating that had formed on the trees during yesterday’s rain had by today mostly fragmented and fallen to the ground, giving it a very glittery appearance.

The trail became steeper as it entered a stand of conifers, and wound around to the south to avoid some sheer ledges. After a few hundred yards it reached a ledge with a terrific view at the edge of a steep south-facing escarpment. We had a snack on the ledge, admiring the view. In the foreground and well below us, we could see the turbines of the Groton Wind Farm. They were rotating fairly rapidly because of today’s breeze. Further south, we could see the bare snowy summit of Mt. Cardigan. And way on the western horizon, we could see a ski area that I suppose was Killington, for it had very many trails.

Gigi and I took a short detour to a rock ledge with a cairn that we believe marked the summit of this 2900-foot mountain. There was no view, but on the way, we passed a break in the trees through which we could see snow-capped Mt. Moosilauke, to the north. Gigi and I returned to the viewpoint and then I took Dallas to see the cairn.

We then retraced our route back to the car. Afterward, we stopped to view Stinson Lake from Stinson Lake Road and bought coffee and candy in the Rumney Village Store, on Main Street in Rumney. We took a somewhat longer route back to Plymouth, cross the Baker River via the Smith Covered Bridge.

About 2:45 on the mountain.