'Old' man on the mountain: Third time up Monadnock is probably his last

JAFFREY, New Hampsire. − In the southwestern part of New Hampshire, in Cheshire County, a mountain rises above all the others. It’s been the focal point of that part of New England for over 300 years, with its first trail blazed up the granite outcroppings in 1706.

Now part of the New Hampshire State Park system, Mount Monadnock is the second-most climbed mountain in the world (behind Mount Fugi in Japan), with its summit at 3,165 feet making it a doable one-day trip.

The history of Monadnock is filled with endless highlights over the centuries, with such notables as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson writing about mountain, and Ulysses S. Grant among the dignitaries who have challenged themselves with the climb. It’s also been a sacred place for many Native American tribes.

My connection to the mountain goes back to my great, great uncle, Albert Annett, who lived in Jaffrey and once owned an inn on Contoocook Lake. From the 1850s to the 1950s, resorts, inns and camps flourished in the area, where one of the activities during extended-stay vacations was climbing Monadnock.

When my mother visited her great uncle during her summers as a youth, she climbed Monadnock, and in 1985, at the age of 65, mom wanted her sons and grandchildren to go up the mountain, and we all did. My daughter, Mariah, was 4 at the time, and son, Izzy, was 6.

Continuing the family tradition

We all met in Jaffrey 10 years later for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, and mom and dad didn’t climb the mountain on that trip, but the rest of us did.

Fast forward to earlier this month, and Mariah, now married with three children of her own, wanted her kids to climb Monadnock to continue the family tradition, and invited Jean and I along for our third trip up the mountain.

My son-in-law rented an Airbnb on Contoocook Lake, and on an overcast Thursday, seven of us set out for the summit of Monadnock.

For the grandchildren, with their young knees and endless energy, it was a much easier climb. For the adults, I wouldn’t say it was a struggle, but it was certainly a test of our fortitude, as nearly every step was up, and often traversing rocks and climbing up and over boulders. Even though we started out at 9:30 in the morning, we were already passing hikers on their way down. Some wanted to see the sun come up atop the mountain, some said it’s their daily workout, while others just got an early start. For me, I couldn’t help but wonder why so many people climb Monadnock every year.

The view from the top

Of course, the answer is the reward at the top, where on a clear day you can see six different New England states, church steeples and lakes galore, even downtown Boston when the conditions are right. I can only imagine how many people climb Monadnock in the fall, with its 360-degree view of autumn colors.

As we broke through the trees and started our climb up the all-rock top section, the allure of Monadnock became clearer. We were eye level with soaring raptors, and the vistas went on for miles in all directions.

Still, that didn’t make up for the sore knees, diminishing energy and the rest of the challenge ahead of us. We still had to reach the summit, where when we all finally arrived, we took the obligatory “family photo,” rested and replenished with apples, water, peanut butter and nuts before starting back down.

Now, for 68, I consider myself in pretty good shape, but Monadnock was starting to kick my butt way before the summit. That’s when I realized the reason for me to climb it again was solely for the satisfaction of completing the challenge, not for any other reason (OK, to also go up with my daughter, son-in-law, wife and grandchildren). After all, I had climbed to 11,000 feet in Mexico searching for butterflies, and 9,341 feet up Villarrica Volcano in Chile, so another jaunt up to the 3,165-foot summit of Monadnock should be easy, right?

The literature on Monadnock says if you take the 1.9-mile White Dot Trail, as we did, it’s a 3-4-hour hike. But, that 3-4-hour hike up and back took Mariah, Jean and I six hours round trip. And the worst part wasn’t the climb up, but the hike back down, with our knees aching with each downward step we took. The rocks seemed to never end. And, at the suggestion of the ranger at the park office, we even took the White Cross Trail down because it’s not as steep as the White Dot Trail, but you’ll never convince me of that.

Jean and I pushed ourselves to do it, and a big help was our hiking sticks. It would have been extra tough without them, and still, we both took a couple tumbles as it was.

Yes, people have been climbing Monadnock for over 300 years, and for all kinds of reasons. While we found out how difficult it is for our age, the mountain also attracts fitness gurus who look to test their endurance, agility and stamina. In 1985, I remember seeing hikers jogging up the mountain, and now that’s a big deal as setting the record for fastest time up the mountain, fastest time up and back, and most times up and back in a day are well documented. Just in case you’re wondering, in 2001, Elijah Barrett went up the White Dot Trail to the summit in 24 minutes and 44 seconds. That time was bested by Travis Muhonen in December 2022 by 34 seconds.

As for the most times up and back in a single day, Larsen Ojala, of nearby Rindge, N.H., successfully completed 17 climbs in April of 2021.

The single-best roundtrip time is 40:50.

If you’re interested in climbing Monadnock, there are five trails you can take to the top, from the shortest 1.9-mile White Dot Trail (also the most hiked) to the 4.5-mile Pumpelly Trail. All told, 40 miles of trails crisscross the mountain.

There is a $15 daily fee per car, and on the weekends during peak seasons and good weather days, you’ll want to get there early as they only let so many people up the mountain. During the weekdays, though, it’s not a problem. In a typical year, some 125,000 people climb Mount Monadnock.

On the day we climbed the mountain, there were probably 100 hikers at the top, but with the five trails up, the hiking pressure was spread out. Oh, and pets aren’t allowed on the trails, so keep your dog at home.

If you’re planning on hiking Monadnock, don’t think that because it’s just a 4-mile round trip and only a summit of 3,165 feet, that it’s a walk in the park. Don’t be fooled. You’ll need good hiking shoes, plenty of water, and hiking sticks are my suggestion. And, check the weather, as it can get windy and colder at the top.

The mountain is open year-round, and nearly all of the “daily” hikers will tell you that winter is their favorite time to climb Monadnock.

However, you won’t find me on the slopes in the snow, or probably ever again. As much as I relished completing the challenge this summer, I think my mountain climbing days are over.

Outdoor correspondent Art Holden can be reached at letsplabal@yahoo.com

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Mount Monadnock's 3,165 feet a doable one-day hike in New Hampshire