Waterville Valley Hostel Weekend

On Friday, May 28th, GO members joined us for this weekend. Most of the participants got up to Waterville Valley, NH around 9PM where we were staying at Rock ‘N River Lodge.  Some guys went into town for dinner before arriving. This first evening was spent socializing on the deck with Tiki torches lit up. Rock ‘N River was the perfect place to get away from everyday stress and to get outside for a hiking adventure.

We certainly were ready for exercise after a breakfast of bagels, fresh fruit, and coffee provided by Jon and Mike! It was going to be a HOT day...our temperature gauge registered 90 degrees!

We left for our hike to Fisher Mountain by 10AM and started from the popular Welsh and Dickey trailhead. At the trailhead we ran into GO Board member Alex who was volunteering for the Forest Service educating hikers as they started.

To reach Fisher Mountain we took the Black Ash Swamp Trail for 1.7 miles. We marveled at the engineering feats of beavers as they built multi-staged dams. We crossed a bridge and reached the unnamed trail that leaves the end of Forest Road 23D in Thornton. It's wide and clear at first, but then narrows and becomes more like a trail. We first walked on old, over grown fire roads. Then we reached a beautiful forest with nice rock formations in it. We then reached the first open steep ledges, with views to the southwest and over to the backside of Dickey Mountain. The trail continues across open, steeply sloping, angled ledges until it reaches an enormous open slab of ledge. This would be dangerous if wet. If we slipped, we’d be sliding a looooooong way! The trail goes right up the middle of this. We followed the painted blazes on the rock. At the top, it looks like the trail goes off to the left, but actually continues straight ahead. We kept climbing over more steep, angled ledges and crossed a small but deep crevasse. We followed cairns and blazes and we then reached the summit! On the summit, we got some interesting views of Hogback Mountain, Green Mountain and Mt. Tecumseh. We found a spot for lunch with incredible views of Mt. Moosilauke, Cannon Mountain, Franconia Ridge and the Osceola’s. This is a very cool hike with spectacular views from the large open ledges. If you like Welch/Dickey but not its crowds, you'll love Fisher!

After a decent day of hiking we drove back to Rock ‘N River. It was so HOT we decided to walk down to the Mad River from the house for some sunbathing and soaking in the Mad River. It was a tricky river crossing for newbies but entirely doable. We reached our private sandy beach, took a dip in our swmming hole and sunbathed. The water was refreshing and the temperature was just like it would be in summer. This is the earliest we have ever soaked in the river!

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, Jon served a home cooked dinner of marinated chicken kabobs with peppers & onions, rice, with a side summer salad of mixed greens & fruit. Later we had an ice cream dessert topped with whipped cream, fudge topping and strawberries. We then hung around the kitchen table sharing stories.

On Sunday after breakfast everyone packed their bags and said good-bye’s with promises of meeting again at future GO events.  

This was a wonderful weekend spent with a great group of guys. It was relaxing and everyone seemed to have a nice time. Thanks to everyone for making it such a special gathering. 

Trip Report by Mike
Trip Pictures taken by Mike and Jon

Jon and I are running this hiking weekend from Rock ‘N River [Mike and Jon’s house] in the White Mountain National Forest for this getaway! This is an opportunity for Newbies to get started with hiking and for experienced hikers to help the Newbies. It’s all about all of us having fun together! Lodging is optional to participate but we think you’ll have more fun, cut down driving back & forth in one day, and get to make new gay outdoorzy buddies better if you spend the weekend.

Dickey Notch/Fisher Mountain Hike

We will be meeting at the Welsh/Dickey trailhead for 10AM and the directions are posted below. The flat trail through Dickey Notch meanders past beaver ponds and boulders in a pleasant woodland setting.  

Located just north west of Dickey Mountain, and nearly the same height as Welch Mountain, Fisher Mountain provides views in nearly all directions from its ledgy summit.  This is a very cool hike with spectacular views from large open ledges. If you like Welch/Dickey but not its crowds, you'll like Fisher. Very few people visit this mountain so there will be a wilderness feel to this hike. We may even spot a moose!

Elevation 2,609 feet 
Vertical Gain: 1,300 feet [Moderate]
Distance: 6.9 miles 
Approximately 6 hours outing duration

We’ll hike 1.7 miles through Dickey Notch to get to the Fisher Mountain herd path. This herd path is not an official trail but is marked by blazes of various colors and cairns. We’ll be following a herd path but it will feel a bit like bushwhacking. There are steeply sloping, angled ledgy areas on the climb up that can be dangerous when wet and there is some rock scrambling that could make some people nervous. We’ve had someone turn around with us before. At the summit we’ll be poking around and bushwhacking a bit for optimal viewing areas.

We’ll be taking our time and not rushing…especially for the rock scrambles and hiking across the angled ledgy slabs. We plan on taking a leisurely lunch on the summit that will include some napping and sunbathing! 

Après-Hike

After the hike we will relax on our deck for beer/wine/snacks to enjoy the spectacular views, have a family style BBQ and a campfire under the stars! It’s BYOB all weekend. If you will not be spending the weekend with us and would like to join us for the BBQ [$10 to reimburse our food costs], let us know so can ensure there is enough food for everyone.

Lodging Option

Rock ‘N River has 2 rooms with 4 bunks each. The bunks include linen/blankets and there are plenty of towels in both bathrooms to use for showers. We can only accommodate 8 members indoors for the weekend so RSVP quickly!  Members who reserve both nights instead of one night will be given priority…so if you only reserve one night you may ultimately not have a place to stay.  Rock ‘N River will be open take in arrivals Friday night at 7PM. Saturday & Sunday mornings we will start the day with coffee and bagels.

Rate

The rate of $25 for Friday night and $35 Saturday night [includes BBQ]; or $60 for the entire weekend. Includes a bunk bed with a breakfast each morning, BBQ Saturday night and full access to the amenities at Rock ‘N River such as the Mad River, outdoor deck and campfire.