Waternomee Airplane Crash Haunted Hike

On Saturday, Jim, James, Robert, Jon and I hiked up Mt. Waternomee to check out a piece of history. In 1942, a B-18 Bomber crashed on the side of the mountain in a winter storm. The story can be found here. Two pilots died in the crash.

The hike was 4.6 miles round trip. We put on our Halloween costumes and off we went! There were intermittent showers during the day that turned into snow showers the higher we climbed.

The trail follows an old logging road for about 1 mile before ending into a field. The path from the field to the wreckage is pretty clearly marked with survey tape and orange arrows painted on trees. It was easy to follow.

Grades were gentle until we crossed the brook. Then it was steep the rest of the way. Not far upstream of the stream crossing was a really pretty waterfall. Eventually, we reached the crash site.

Photos of the wreckage just don't convey what it is like to see how catastrophic this crash must have been. But here are a few pictures anyways. This debris was scattered over a large area.

Wreckage included the engine, wings, and landing gear. A monument was erected in memory of the crew. After we did some exploring, we then hiked out the way we came. The whole trip was about 3 1/2 hours long.

All of us except for Robert returned back back at the house to warm up by the fireplace, enjoy another fabulous dinner cooked up by Jon including a delicious pumpkin cheesecake topped with yogurt & whipped cream, followed by watching the haunted house movie, The Conjuring.

Airplane crash site, Halloween costumes, BBQ, horror movie and exercise! Come celebrate Halloween!

It’s that time of the year again! We have chosen the tragic tale of January 14th, 1942 ,when in a fierce blizzard, a US Army B-18 bomber crashed on the side of Mt. Waternomee, part of the Mt. Moosilauke Blue Ridge. Five of the crew were able to exit the plane and the other two died when the plane exploded. Parts of the wreckage remain so we can see evidence of the fierce crash. A patriotic memorial has been erected at the site. Come hear the story of the fate that bestowed the men on the B-18 bomber as we search for their restless and broken spirit.

This will be a 4.5 mile hike with 1,350 feet elevation gain. It should take us 3-4 hours to complete this trip.

Costumes are RECOMMENDED, but not required. 

After The Hike: Everyone is welcome back at our house for a Halloween BBQ. Bring a change of clothing and take a shower to freshen up...we have plenty of towels. It's BYOB and the cost is $5 to pay for food costs.  After the BBQ, we'll be watching a spooky haunted house movie, based on a true story called “The Conjuring.”    

Lodging Option: We have 8 bunks available with linen for Saturday night at our house in Waterville Valley for $20. You can use the kitchen facilities and store beverages/food in the fridge. We serve coffee in the morning and a continental breakfast. Contact us to RSVP. SPACE IS LIMITED TO EIGHT GUYS.