Mt. Starr King, Mt. Waumbek - New Hampshire - Hike Trip Report

Home

States
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New York
Vermont
View All

Lists
Belknap Range
NE 4,000 Footers
NH 4,000 Footers
Ossipee 10

Explanation of Ratings
Links
Search
Trip Log

About

Mt. Starr King, Mt. Waumbek
Jefferson, NH, Kilkenny, NH
Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below.

The Starr King Trail just below the summit of Mt. Starr King

Route: Starr King Trail

Leading up to the weekend, the forecast looked great - 70 degrees each day and sunny. Then the weather guys pulled a John Kerry and changed their minds. Nonetheless, being that it was 07/07/07, I decided I'd deal with the chance of rain and give Mt. Waumbek a chance.

We arrived at the trailhead relatively late (the morning weather appeared to be better, but sleep seemed like a nicer option). Despite the threatening clouds, the small parking area was nearly full.

The Starr King Trail started off rather flat before embarking on a moderate pitch for awhile. With limited scenery and turns, the ascent is rather boring. About halfway up, things become gentle again, before a short moderate final ascent to Mt. Starr King.

While the clouds obscured any possible views from Mt. Starr King, I don't see how there can be any strong views from here anymore - the trees are creeping up rather quickly.

With the rain falling, we decided to continue on rather than enjoy the views of the clouds.

The Starr King trail from Mt. Starr King and Mt. Waumbek is rather gentle, save for the last ascent (moderate). As expected, there were no views from Mt. Waumbek - just a cairn.

Bored, we decided to jog back between the two, walk down the steeper parts of Starr King, then jog the balance of the way - cutting off maybe an hour of hiking.

Unless someone sneaks a chainsaw up there, I don't think I'll be back on these again anytime soon. Though not a terrible hike, this is probably the most boring of the 4,000 footers I've done so far.

Hike Ratings
Getting To Trailhead:	Easy
Destination:	Mt. Starr King
Length:	Moderate
Steepness:	Moderate
Navigation:	Easy
Views:	Minimal (due to weather)
Crowds:	Minimal
Destination:	Mt. Waumbek
Length:	Moderate
Steepness:	Moderate
Navigation:	Easy
Views:	Minimal
Crowds:	Minimal

Hike Stats
Date Hiked:	Saturday, July 7, 2007
Hike Commenced:	1:28 PM
Parking Elevation:	1,675'
Destination:	Mt. Starr King
Ascent Commenced:	1:28 PM
Summit Reached:	2:42 PM
Time Elapsed:	01:16
Trailhead Elevation:	1,675'
Summit Elevation:	3,907'
Distance:	2.6 miles
Vertical Gain:	2,267'
Destination:	Mt. Waumbek
Ascent Commenced:	2:42 PM
Summit Reached:	3:10 PM
Time Elapsed:	00:28
Trailhead Elevation:	3,907'
Summit Elevation:	4,006'
Distance:	1 mile
Vertical Gain:	239'

Hike Ended:	4:39 PM
Hike Time Elapsed:	03:11
Hike Distance:	7.2 miles
Hike Vertical Gain:	2,628'

Starr King Trail trailhead

Looking southwest into the fog from the Mt. Starr King summit

The Starr King Trail to the Mt. Waumbek summit

The summit cairn on the viewless Mt. Waumbek

Directions to trailhead: Take Route 2 West from Gorham. Shortly after passing Route 115 on the left, take a right onto Starr King Road. Continue straight up the dirt road to the WMNF fee parking area and trailhead.

Back to Mt. Starr King Profile
Back to Mt. Waumbek Profile