FranklinSites.com Hiking Guide
Home

States
 Colorado
 Connecticut
 Maine
 Massachusetts
 New Hampshire
 New York
 Rhode Island
 Utah
 Vermont

 View All

Lists
 NE 4,000 Footers
 NE 100 Highest
 NH 4,000 Footers
 NH 100 Highest
 NH 52 With A View
 NH Belknap Range
 NH Ossipee 10

Links

Trail Conditions

Trip Log
 Sunrises
 Sunsets


About


Mt. Lowell
Livermore, NH, Lincoln, NH

Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below.
Looking down a small slide on the way up Mt. Lowell
Looking down a small slide on the way up Mt. Lowell

Route: Signal Ridge Trail, Carrigain Notch Trail, bushwhack, (Mt. Lowell), bushwhack, logging roads, Signal Ridge Trail

Mt. Lowell and Mt. Anderson seemed to be a decent choice with a deteriorating forecast. Though forecasted to be sunny in the morning, it started snowing almost immediately. While the first set of crossings was hoppable, the first crossing on the Carrigain Notch Trail was running high.

Shortly after passing over the height of land in Carrigain Notch, we headed off the trail and uphill toward the Lowell-Anderson col though less than optimal steep softwoods with some blowdowns. More favorable woods tended to pull us to Lowell and eventually across a small slide. After passing through a nice quasi-alpine zone on a plateau, we continued uphill to the recognized highpoint. Just west of the highpoint was what looked to be a nice vista that would look at Carrigain and Vose Spur, as well as into the Pemi - except, due to the snow, visibility was limited.

With the less than optimal woods and cold winds, we decided to skip Mt. Anderson and instead head down in search of Duck Pond, hoping we'd find better woods. The descent off Lowell was steep and nasty, as we had to skirt around some cliffs. Nearing the valley, we had to climb over a subridge in nasty woods - blowdowns and thick spruce patches with marshy areas in between. Eventually reaching Whiteface Brook, we headed upstream for a bit, but found no easy path or clear logging road. Not a fan of my footwear choice for climbing up a brookbed, I opted to stop a few minutes short of Duck Pond.

After regrouping, we headed down the brook, looking for some sort of path. While we found the occasional muddy logging road or moose path, it was usually short lived. Until reaching hardwoods perhaps around 2,400 feet, we had to deal with lots of spruce (under a mixed hardwood canopy) and blowdowns. Eventually finding the hardwoods, we soon reached a decent old logging road (occasionally choked with spruce) and followed it out to the Signal Ridge Trail, just a bit prior to the Carrigain Notch Trail junction.


Hike Ratings
Getting To Trailhead: Easy
Destination: Mt. Lowell
Length: Moderate
Steepness: Very Difficult
Navigation: Difficult
Views: Moderate (due to weather)
Crowds: Moderate


Hike Stats
Date Hiked: Saturday, October 30, 2010
Hike Commenced: 8:09 AM
Parking Elevation: 1,370'
Destination: Mt. Lowell
Ascent Commenced: 8:10 AM
Summit Reached: 11:35 AM
Time Elapsed: 03:25
Trailhead Elevation: 1,370'
Summit Elevation: 3,740'
Vertical Gain: 2,520'
Hike Ended: 4:56 PM
Hike Time Elapsed: 08:47
Hike Vertical Gain: 2,920'


Signal Ridge Trail trailhead on Sawyer River Road
Signal Ridge Trail trailhead on Sawyer River Road

Looking at Vose Spur from near the summit of Mt. Lowell - Click to enlarge
Looking at Vose Spur from near the summit of Mt. Lowell

The upper Whiteface Brook below Duck Pond
The upper Whiteface Brook below Duck Pond




Directions to trailhead: Take Route 302 West from Bartlett to Sawyer River Road. WMNF fee parking lot is a few minutes up the dirt road on the left. Trailhead is across the road.

Back to Mt. Lowell Profile




Copyright 2002-2021, All Rights Reserved.
www.FranklinSites.com