Cherry Mt. [Mt. Martha & Owl's Head] Beginner Winter Hike

Elevation:

Mt Martha [3573 feet]

Owls Head [3258 feet] – a spur of Cherry, not the 4,000 footer peak]

Fun Fact: Cherry Mountain used to be called Mt. Martha, after George Washington’s wife. Today, it is still commonly known as Mt. Martha in the hiking community.

Parking: Parking lot on Rte 115 across from Lennon Rd. was not plowed and unless you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, don't try parking. We had a 4 wheel drive truck so not a problem. Long tried to go into the parking lot and got stuck...we had to push him out. So both Long and Bob parked on the shoulder of 115 just past the trailhead.  

Cold start! 1° at the trailhead when we started at 9AM. We donned our MicroSpikes and wore them the entire trek. We did a straight out and back to Cherry Mountain Trail and Martha’s Mile.

This was our annual holiday hike so we donned our gay apparel of hanging jingle bells off our packs and wearing a variety festive headwear: Santa hats, Antlers and Elf hats! We had a couple of inches of snow with one set of tracks in front of us. Not enough for snowshoes, there were still plenty of rocks poking just below the surface of the snow. 

After a mile in, it became more and more winter like that’s always beautiful. The snow got deeper now - probably 4-6” of loose powder in spots and there was plenty of ice underneath. We were glad we had our MicroSpikes!

With the snowy landscape and our gay apparel, fa la la la la la,la, la; we were all in a holiday spirit and decided to name ourselves after one of Santa’s Reindeer:

Keith – Vixen

Long – Prancer

Bob – Rudolph

Luciano – Comet

Jon – Blitzen

Mike/myself - Dasher

We took an easy pace up Cherry Mountain with a couple of breaks for the ascent. Once we reached the summit of Mt. Martha, we had an enticing view to the heart of the Presidentials! We also went between the footings of a now-removed firetower to an outcrop for a glimpse of Cannon Mountain, Franconia Notch, and the Kinsman Peaks.

The 0.8 mile traverse to Owl’s head was quite a winter wonderland. The final scramble over the ledges was sketchy- large sections of ice in between patches of bare rock. The only snow cover was in shady crevices. We took it very slow and made it no problem. Having crampons and ice axe for this section would have made it safer. We thought of turning around and not reaching the peak but we persevered with a bit of anxiety. 

We had lunch on an open granite ledge that offered a sweeping panorama, and a little wind on top. We hung out for 20min or so before descending. Didn’t see another soul all day!

A special shout out to Keith on his first winter hike! Fully prepared and we hope he will join us on another winter hike real soon!

After the hike, Bob joined us for some snacks and dinner back at our house beside the fireplace

Beautiful day, perfect weather for the first day of winter climb! Cherry Mountain might not be one of the 4000 footers, but it’s one of our favorites!

Happy Holidays!!!

~ Mike and Jon

The open ledges of Owl's Head is home to perhaps the best view anywhere of the entire Presidential Range!

Cherry Mountain [3573'] and Owl's Head [3258'] are just 0.8 mile apart on a stand-alone ridge. From the summit of Cherry [also known as Mt. Martha], there is a good view of the Presidentials from one spot, and a superb panorama of the western White Mountains from another, with over two dozen 4,000-footers visible in one glance!

We first hike 1.9 miles up the Cherry Mtn. Trail to Mt. Martha and soak in the views. Then we take Martha's Mile, which is really only 0.8 miles long, to the knobby peak of Owl's Head with great views of the Presidentials. We will return the way we came, going over Mt. Martha again.

Total distance: 5.4 miles
Book Hiking Time: 5 Hours
Vertical Rise: 1,500 ft.

Winter Hiking Clothing/Gear Tips and Recommendations

Winter conditions will be in effect so this moderate hike is ideal for anyone on their first winter hike. Winter travel offers unique challenges to any hiker and we can provide tips and answer any of your questions during the hike. We are here to help you!

For winter hiking, you are basically wearing the same clothing/gear you did in summer except you need to have additional layers to keep your core body warm, dress in synthetic layers [no cotton], wool hat, and gloves [we highly recommend buying the chemical hand warmers for your gloves]. The only piece of gear you will have to buy is MicroSpikes [Kahtoola is a popular brand], which are essentially cleats that you attach to your boots to prevent falls from black ice encountered on the trail.  

One of the biggest mistakes beginner winter hikers do is overdress. You don’t need a heavy winter jacket since you will be heating up naturally during the hike. Wear thin, insulated layers so you can easily regulate your temperature. If you overdress, you will start sweating and actually make yourself get colder. Assess if your summer daypack is big enough to put your clothes in as you warm up and if not, then that is probably another investment you’ll have to make for this trip.

Winter hiking boots is something you may want to invest in later on, since it helps keep your feet warm, dry and comfortable. Snowshoes will not be needed for this hike, and we rarely use them in general, but are definitely needed to break trail if we recently had any significant snowfall.

We’ll have lunch on the summit of Owl’s Head. Carry at least 2 liters of water [use hot water and place your water bottle in a thick wool sock], lunch and snacks. A small thermos of hot liquids is a welcome treat at the summit!

After the Hike: We can gather together at the Mad River Lodge [our Waterville Valley house] around the fireplace for food and drink. Bring a change of clothes and you can take a shower to clean-up. Bring your own beverages and if you like, snacks to share. If you would like to stay for one of Jon's gourmet dinners, we ask you reimburse us $10 for our food costs. 

Lodging Option: Bunk beds are available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday and Saturday night at $25 per night. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email me ASAP to reserve a bunk!