W1/HA-047 Crotched Mountain

After activating Rose Mountain I drove a few minutes down the road to the trailhead for this peak. I decided to use the Gregg Trail and approach the summit from the south. There is a dirt parking lot near the top of Crotched Mountain Road in Greenville. There was a port-a-potty, but it was locked. I set off up the trail.

Joe English Hill on the left, Rose Mountain in the middle.

This trail is marked as accessible, and it is wide and low gradient for the first section. This part also goes through some open meadows with great views to the south and east.

The Uncanoonucs and Joe English Hill to the East.

The trail turns into single track and climbs at a low rate along a fairly flat ridge. After crossing a small stream, it gets steeper. At a junction I turned and took the Shannons Trail, which climbed up some small ledges on the way to the summit. From the ledges there were great views of Grand Monadnock and the Wapack Range.

Wapack Range: North Pack, Pack Monadnock, Temple Mountain, Mt Watatic.

Above the last ledge, with the picnic table, the trail became very hard to follow. I did my best, and ended up at the summit. There is a cell tower here, and I could hear the ski lifts running a short distance away. I set up and sat on an old foundation block.

Crotched Mountain.

Like on Rose Mountain, I got some nice DX on 20 meters. This time it was Spain and two French stations. Everyone else was just the usual chasers. I didn't linger because it was cold and there were two more summits I wanted to get in. I took the same trails back down, passing a group on their way up. It is nice to have the mountain to yourself.

Trail on the way up.

Back at the car I drove up to Deering to get Clark Summit.

Trailhead: Gregg Trail on Crotched Mountain Road in Greenville. Other trailheads possible.

Website: SOTA Site. 

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Gregg Trail to Shannons Trail.

Red Tape: None.

Grand Monadnock.