Cabot, The Bulge, The Horn

We weren't entirely without views. This was what greeted us from Bunnell Ridge early in the day.

The flat part of the beginning right around 6am.

HIKED ON: September 4, 2022

Not every hike goes exactly as planned.  However, sometimes all your planning means you hike the hike anyway. The Mount Cabot loop is just outside of Berlin, NH and required an overnight stay.  While Cabot, itself, is one of the shorter of New Hampshire's 4,000 footers (4,160 ft) the prominence--or the amount if climbing you have to do--is substantial.  Also, I wanted to hike to the Horn, a slightly shorter peak that resides on the 52 With-A-View list. 

I will write up a post at some point about the two lists I am hiking.  Until then, you can find which mountain is on which list in the "Categories" section on this weblog. I will also post link to to more information at the bottom.  What is worth knowing for this hike is that in order to take in both Cabot and the Horn, we needed to form a loop, crossing one more peak--the Bulge--in the process.  Normally the best view--not surprisingly considering the list it is on--is the Horn.  This trip, however, epic views were hard to come by.

Anyway, we woke up at 5 and drove about 30 minutes to the parking lot.  Our starting time was a little before 6am.  The "Cabot Loop" starts on Bunnell Notch Trail, hits Kilkenny Ridge trail, and then heads down on Unknown Pond Trail for a total of about 11.5 miles.  It is not a technically difficult but...it is long and there is climbing involved so we felt like an early start was in order so that potentially, at least, we could drive home when we were done.

What we couldn't count on was the weather, of course.  The peaks during this hike were socked in with fog.  The whole day was humid and hot.  Still, we were there as we planned...so we did it anyway.

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A typical piece of trail on the way up Cabot. Both the way up and the way down had an abundance of those head-sized boulders that can trip you up.

The hut and the non-view beyond.

The loop was pretty straightforward, actually.  The first mile (as often happens) was flat and then we climbed.  This trail did not have much in the way of rocky parts.  It was just a case of putting one foot in front of the other and avoiding the random trail hazards; small boulders, roots, and mud.  The loop is not maintained at the same level as some but that was a plus after hiking the groomed trails and back roads of Scotland on the Great Glen Way.  The soft earth was more hospitable by far!

​Our experience on the Way certainly helped with this one.  Partly that was because of the differences.  It was so very nice to be climbing!  We could feel certain muscle groups that were underutilized as of late.  The relative ease of the footing will help to get us back in practice for whatever we climb next.

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​Near the top of Cabot, there is a hut and--the best of all blessings--an outhouse.  We hung out there for a while and chose to continue even though the views were non-existent.  Here our time in Scotland was useful.  During that hike (you can check out the posts under "Great Glen Way" for more info) we had to focus much of the time on small things.  In this case it had nothing to do with the elevation, just fog.  In theory we should have seen something. Still, as we went along we noticed the diversity in the trees, the moss, and the prolific undergrowth.  Mushrooms of various kinds were also in abundance.  At one point I think we could smell them. 

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​Also, there was mud.  I haven't seen mud in months.  Normally I am annoyed by how it sucks my boots in and forces me to alter my pace by jumping from dryish spot to dryings spot.  This, though, was spectacular.  The dryness  has bothered everyone.  It was great to see it again.  This summer it has felt like mud is endangered too.

There is power in the details sometimes.  This walk forced us to connect to the moment we were actually in.  There was no spectacular aesthetic payoff at the end to work toward and then savor on the way back.  The challenge on a day like this is to find joy in spite of the weather, the strain, and the discomfort.  I think we did a pretty good job.

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Another non-view

Once we got to The Horn we didn't even bother to take a picture of yet another bank of clouds.  Instead we settled in to eat our snacks (GORP and power bars).  We also passed the time with the others on the top.  There was a family with young kids who camped at Unknown Pond the night before.  They were fun.  We talked to the parents as the kids scrambled around on the bald rock that marks the peak.  We had a lot of the same interests.  It was good to pass the time with people who were also enjoying themselves.

Then we chatted with a woman who was waiting for her family to come back from Cabot. They were all doing a an out-and-back.  However, she didn't feel the need to bag the 4,000 footer as she had been there before.  Besides, it was totally worthwhile to sit on The Horn and soak in the atmosphere.  Everybody we met--and everyone I just mentioned was pretty much everybody, a rarity on Labor Day weekend--was in the mood for a walk in the fog.  Everybody also found a way to experience and value the sounds, smells, and beauty of this off-weather day. 

Will I hike Cabot again?  I don't know.  I may hit The Horn on a clear day when I go up Roger's Ledges nearby. Honestly though.  It was a good day, sufficient in itself.

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OK, Unknown Pond was darned pretty on our way out.

Like I said earlier, I do plan--there is that word again--to write something up about the two lists I am doing in NH.  Most of the hikers I know are picking away at both but show a preference for one or the other.  We are a divided family on that point.  Al likes the 48 4,000 Footer list more.  I lean toward the 52 With a View list because I like a view.  Usually when I can hike with my wife we do the 48 list.  This was fun because we knocked off one of each! Cabot was 26/48 for me.  The Horn was 13/52.