Mt. Martha Snowshoe

After almost everyone bailed (for various reasons), Rick and I met up initially at the parking lot in Franconia Notch on the morning of February 20th.  Driving up Rt. 93 it was sunny and mostly clear.  When we got up to the notch, it was grey and overcast.  Anyway, Rick and I drove up to the trailhead for the Cherry Mountain Trail off of Rt. 115 and got ready.  We started out at around 10AM and we found the trail totally unbroken with a good 6+ inches of fresh snow.  The trail itself was not well marked other than the initial trail marker, but it was easy enough to follow.  The trail reached the junction with the Martha Spur Trail and the Cherry Mountain Road, which is extensively used as a snowmobile trail in the winter.  We continued up to the summit following the snowmobile tracks.  It was about 12:30 when we got to the summit.  There were no views, but there are a number of fine lookouts from the summit and would be nice to go back on a clearer day.  Also on the summit are the supports for a firetower, which once stood on the mountain.  We enjoyed our lunch here and enjoyed a break.  After lunch we explored the summit and looked for the trail over to Owl's Head, known as Martha's Mile.  There was absolutely no sign of the trail and with no line of sight to Owl's Head we decided to just call it a day and start back.  On the decent back down we were nearly run down by a group of snowmobiles speeding up to the summit...they obviously weren't thinking about hikers being on the trail.  We met up with more of them at the trail junction, where the spur trail met up again with the main trail.  After chatting a bit with them we continued back down the same trail we had ascended.  On the return trip we met up with just a few other people who were hiking/snowshoeing part of the lower portion of the mountain.  We returned to the parking lot by 3PM and after getting settled we headed to North Woodstock for a light meal/snack at the Woodstock Inn. 

Despite the fact that we were not rewarded with views of the Presidential Range, which Martha is famous for and that we were not able to get over to Owl's Head, it was a very nice snowshoe trek (my previous snowshoe trips had turned into plain hikes due to a lack of trail snow cover).  A huge thanks to Rick for joining me for the trip.

Join me for this 5.2 mile out and back snowshoe trip up to Mt. Martha (3573') and then to Owl's Head (3258')...the other one!  Mt. Martha, also known as Cherry Mountain, is named after George's wife.  Mt. Martha is well known in the White Mountains for having one of the best views of Mt. Washington and the Presidentials and should be spectacular in the winter.  The peak also has a great view off to the northwest into Vermont and to the southwest toward the Pemigwasset Wilderness.  Owl's Head also provides wonderful views of the surrounding Mountains and was the site of a historic slide, which took out the Stanley Farm in 1885.  Approximate elevation gain is 1900 feet. 

Trailhead:  Take I-93 North to Exit 36 (Route 3) toward Twin Mountain.  Stay on Route 3 past Twin Mountain until reaching NH 115.  Take NH 115 for 1.9 miles and the Cherry Mountain trailhead will be on your right (oposite Lennon Road).  NOTE:  The parking lot may not be plowed in the winter, so you may have to park along the road.  The week of the trip, I'll send out details for carpooling to the trailhead, if anyone wishes... this may be more convenient rather that having a lot of cars parked roadside. 

What to Bring:  Please dress accordingly for a day in winter conditions, bring your snowshoes and wear appropriate boots with thick socks.  Also bring along snacks, water, lunch and anything else you may require for the day. 

Afterwards:  We should be completed with the hike by 4-5 PM.  If there is sufficient interest, we'll cap the day off with dinner/drinks in the area afterwards.