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Mt. Tom
Carroll, NH, Bethlehem, NH
Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below.

The Mt. Tom Spur trail near the Mt. Tom summit
Route: Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur, (Mt. Tom summit), Mt. Tom Spur, A-Z Trail, Avalon Trail
My previous hike to Mt. Tom had been viewless and quite miserable from bad weather that hadn't been forecasted. As a result, I wanted to check out Mt. Tom in better weather and see what the summit views were like.
The forecast for the previous day was mostly sunny. When I awoke, it had changed to partly sunny. As I arrived in Crawford Notch, there was not a cloud in the sky...except for everywhere...completely overcast with a cloud hanging out over the top of Mt. Tom. Arg.
There was a consistent dusting of snow starting at the trailhead. The first two brook crossings were somewhat tricky due to increased water flow from recent storms, but still possible without getting wet.
Once I passed the Avalon Trail junction, there was most snow - about an inch or so. A few hundred vertical feet higher, there was a good inch or more of crud with an inch or two of snow on top of that.
I arrived at the summit area of Mt. Tom with a familiar sight - nothing. Cloud. Blah. I didn't hang around for long.
The descent was uneventful - though it was interesting to note that the last half mile of the trail was somewhat wet, as the dusting of snow and minimal frost had melted.
Back on US 302, I could see that the tip top of Mt. Tom was still in a cloud...however, once I was ready to hop in my truck, I looked up one last time - and saw that the cloud had lifted and there was actually a tiny bit of blue sky over it! Arg.
Hike Ratings |
Getting To Trailhead: |
Easy |
Destination: |
Mt. Tom |
Length: |
Moderate |
Steepness: |
Difficult |
Navigation: |
Easy |
Views: |
Minimal (due to weather) |
Crowds: |
Minimal |
|
Hike Stats |
Date Hiked: |
Thursday, November 8, 2007 |
Hike Commenced: |
10:05 AM |
Parking Elevation: |
1,900' |
Destination: |
Mt. Tom |
Ascent Commenced: |
10:10 AM |
Summit Reached: |
11:37 AM |
Time Elapsed: |
01:27 |
Trailhead Elevation: |
1,900' |
Summit Elevation: |
4,051' |
Distance: |
2.9 miles |
Vertical Gain: |
2,291' |
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|
Hike Ended: |
1:15 PM |
Hike Time Elapsed: |
03:10 |
Hike Distance: |
5.8 miles |
Hike Vertical Gain: |
2,431' |
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Avalon Trail trailhead near the rail station
Looking southeast into the cloud from the Mt. Tom summit

Directions to trailhead: Take Route 302 west from Bartlett, NH. There is a parking area on the left side of the road at the top of the pass. Continue down the road on foot to the rail station - the Avalon Trail trailhead is across the tracks.
Back to Mt. Tom Profile
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