Major & Straightback S 6/21/2008

Today, we decided to go for a smaller hike as we had the Osceola's Planned for Sunday. The Belknap range is actually quicker for us to get to as well and with gas prices as high as they are, it's tough to justify driving 220 miles for a 6 mile hike. We hit the trailhead at the Mount Major Parking lot and we were lucky enough to get a spot in this busy parking lot without having to park on the road.

Soon up the trail there was this stench that smelled like old campfire. I totally forgot the fact that this mountain was on fire just a month or two ago. There are still some areas that show the scarring of the fires, but most areas are growing up and recovering well.

**I believe that it is important to note here, that forest fires are actually a natural part of the life cycle of many forests. This may not have been the case in this particular case, as I believe it was started by accident or intentionally by humans, but it is a known fact that forest fires can help regenerate and stimulate growth in some forested areas.**

We took the same trail that I took in April in the snow and the trail looks much the same, just without all the snow. The Boulder Loop Trail is a fun trail with all the boulders and rock formations to look at. Shelby was definitely enjoying herself today.

Besides the views from the top of a hike like this, another great thing is just taking a nap at the top. We sat down at what I consider to be the best sitting rock on the mountain and ate our lunches. The top of the mountain was pretty busy, but we were able to sleep in the sun for a quite a while and take in the views as well. Seriously, there's nothing like just chillin' out at the top of a mountain with views like this.

We took a long view of Alton Bay which is actually where my Aunt and Uncle live as well as the Ossippee Mountains and much of the surrounding area while relaxing, but soon I soon decided that I wanted more. Here is the view of Alton Bay from the Summit of Mount Major.

I then decided to hike over to Mount Straightback S., and Shelby really didn't want to go. She really just wanted to keep laying out in the sun and relaxing.

She's pretty stressed out and really needs the relaxation time. It's tough to find a job these days, even with a Masters Degree. I told her that I was going with or without her and that if she wanted to come, she was welcome, but if she wanted to stay and relax I would be back in an hour.

Shelby eventually after much deliberation decided to tag along. I said that it would be worth it as there were some views from the summit of Straightback S. Before we left, we took another peek at Lake Winnepesauke.

Soon enough, we were at the summit of Straightback S. It's a really quick hike to get here from Mount Major. I might make it a regular hike from when I'm up here. We had a quick and pleasureable hike down. Here's a picture of some cool roots we encountered on the way back to Mount Major.