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Mt. Success
Success, NH
Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below.
Looking down the Success Trail
Route: Success Trail, Mahoosuc Trail, (Mt. Success), Mahoosuc Trail, herd path, Appalachian Trail boundary cut, (Douglas DC-3 Plane Crash), Appalachian Trail boundary cut, herd path, Mahoosuc Trail, (Mt. Success), Mahoosuc Trail, Success Trail, Outlook Loop, Success Trail
With a cooler day forecasted after a recent heat wave, I took the afternoon off and headed up to the Mahoosucs.
After driving up the dusty Success Pond Road, I headed up the logging road portion of the Success Trail, parking at the first fork. In hindsight, I could have easily driven up to the end of the logging road and parked in the field next to where the trail enters the woods.
The Success Trail was generally moderate in pitch, weaving through young woods (from logging), prior to ascending on some slabs (which would be no fun if wet or icy).
Beyond the Outlook junction, the trail was quite muddy for an extended stretch, making for slow going. Finally reaching the Mahoosuc Trail, I passed a helicopter drop of bogwalk materials (hopefully they'll be installed on the upper Success Trail!), and then a fast moving AMC trail crew. While there were some steep scrambles, this section of trail was otherwise not too bad.
Reaching the summit of Mt. Success, I had excellent views into Maine and Northern New Hampshire. Continuing south, I walked along vast ledges and alpine meadows - an absolutely amazing area. Just under 10 minutes south of the summit, I saw a random large boulder to the left of the trail. From next to this boulder, I followed a herd path through a ledgy area, ducking into the woods at the lower corner. From here, the herdpath continued briefly to the Appalachian Trail corridor boundary, which was heavily blazed and cut to be a few feet wide. Taking a right onto the cut, I descended for about 5 minutes through some sprucy areas until I reached the wreckage.
The wreckage was certainly spooky, especially considering two people lost their lives here. In addition, a tree branch was hitting the side of the plane as the wind blew, giving an eerie sound.
Back on Mt. Success, I enjoyed the bug-free views for a bit, prior to descending to the Success Trail. I took a brief detour onto the Outlook Loop, which revealed some spectacular views from its dramatic cliffs.
| Hike Ratings |
|
Getting To Trailhead: |
Moderate |
| Destination: |
Mt. Success |
|
Length: |
Moderate |
|
Steepness: |
Very Difficult |
|
Navigation: |
Easy |
|
Views: |
Excellent |
|
Crowds: |
Minimal |
|
| Hike Stats |
|
Date Hiked: |
Thursday, May 27, 2010 |
| Hike Commenced: |
2:14 PM |
| Parking Elevation: |
1,635' |
| Destination: |
Mt. Success |
| Ascent Commenced: |
2:19 PM |
| Summit Reached: |
3:32 PM |
| Time Elapsed: |
01:13 |
| Trailhead Elevation: |
1,720' |
| Summit Elevation: |
3,565' |
| Vertical Gain: |
1,925' |
|
|
| Hike Ended: |
5:46 PM |
| Hike Time Elapsed: |
03:32 |
| Hike Vertical Gain: |
2,365' |
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The Success Trail trailhead at the end of the logging road
Looking at Old Speck and Goose Eye from Mt. Success
Looking down the Mahoosuc Trail south of Mt. Success
The remains of Northeast Airlines Flight 792 near the summit of Mt. Success
Directions to trailhead: Take Route 16 North from Gorham, NH. Take a right onto Route 16 Truck Route (Unity Street). This will become Coos Street, then Hutchins Street. Take a right onto a road with a brown OHRV sign (Success Pond Road). Head up this dirt road for around 5.4 miles (if Alder Brook Road is seen on the left, you've gone too far). A small sign will be on the right for Success Trail, a logging road at this point. As of May 2010, one could park a minute or two up this road at the fork on the right (trail goes right), or at the end of the logging road portion of the trail in a big field (a minute or two beyond the fork). The Success Trail proper starts at the back end of this field.
Back to Mt. Success Profile
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