Scaling Bartlett Mountain

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When my soul yearns for the peace and beauty of nature, I head out the back door of The Buttonwood Inn and hike the trails with our two dogs, Britt and Clyde.  There are two trails, the Mt. Surprise Trail or the Buttonwood Trail, that you can take to get up to the Bartlett Mountain Ledges, which is about a 35-45 minute hike.  These are the rock outcroppings that are visible from the back of the inn, particularly in the field.  We suggest that our guests bring a camera to photograph the views of the valley, Moat Mountains, Cathedral Ledge, and The Presidentials off in the distance.  

Our neighbors who maintain the trails also remarked in yellow the Bartlett Moutain trail from the Ledges to the summit.  This piqued my interest in reaching the summit, so one afternoon I took Britt with me to check out this new trail.  After reaching the Bartlett Ledges, I immediately headed up the mountain along a scenic switchback trail.  We crossed over a few smaller rock outcroppings stopping to take in the views of Cranmore and Black Cap Mountains.  But we had to stop after a half hour and head back because it was hot and I didn't bring water. 

Several weeks later, my neighbor (a different one) mentioned that he made it to the summit and that it was another hour to the summit from the Ledges.  When he reached  the summit, he was disappointed that the trees blocked any view of the surrounding mountains and valley.  He said the best view on Bartlett Mountain was at the Ledges.

However, he did see faded white markers for a old trail that was bushwacked years ago leading from the Bartlett summit along the ridgeline to Mt. Kearsarge North.  The summit of Mt. Kearsarge is mostly a granite cap with a fire tower on it that you can climb to take in a glorious 360-degree view which rivals some of the 4,000 footers.

If this old trail is remarked and cleared, a loop trail will be created from the back door of The Buttonwood Inn to the trailhead for Mt. Kearsarge North on Hurricane Mountain Road--just 10 minutes from the front door our inn. Bartlett Mountain is the shoulder of Mt. Kearsarge North and reconnecting this trail would provide a full-day of adventure for hikers who enjoy nature at its best.

If you enjoy hiking, stay with us and reserve on-line or call 1-800-258-2625.

“Providing the best in service, hospitality, and attention to detail.” Bill & Paula Petrone Innkeepers at The Buttonwood Inn PO Box 1817 64 Mount Surprise Road North Conway, New Hampshire 03860-1817 800-258-2625 603-356-2625 Fax: 603-356-3140 innkeeper@buttonwoodinn.com www.buttonwoodinn.com FACEBOOK LINK TWITTER LINK