Belknap County High Point Trip Report
Date: February 16, 2003
Author: Clifford Young
Driving directions per Mike Swartz's previous report.
There is a nice parking area at the gate mentioned by Mike.
The road beyond is used as a snowmobile trail.
About 150 feet past the gate is a white blazed trail to
the left (east). It climbs in about one mile to the top of Gunstock Ski Area.
As you come out of the woods at the top of the ski slope just to the right (south)
there is a sign indicating "Brook Trail". The Brook Trail is blazed in yellow
and follows the ridge south and downhill for about 0.2 mile to a junction with the Ridge Trail.
The Brook Trail turns east and continues its descent to the Gunstock parking lot in another 1.4 miles
(per the sign). The Ridge Trail runs from there to the top of Belknap Mountain, a distance of 1.1 miles.
It is blazed in white (with some faded blue),
and intersects the blue trail mentioned by Mike at 0.5 mile from the summit.
The summit may be one of New Hampshire's most visited during the winter. The snowmobiles use the road
and the Green Trail all the way to the summit and it looked like it may be quite popular. The tracks looked
to me to run over the highest patch of snow adjacent to the tower.
Due to an ice storm a couple of days earlier, the climb up the last half mile on the northeast side of the
mountain was quite spectacular. Ice was from 1/2 to 1 inch or more thick and was just beginning to fall off
the branches as the temperature rose above freezing. Only got hit once in the leg and even though it was a
small piece, I can testify that ice falling 35 or 40 feet does sting a bit.
Followed the snowmobile trail back out to the gate.
Total trip about 4 miles in length.