Smarts Mountain

Looking north from the fire tower into the mist

Hiked on July 27, 2024 
26/52WAV

I held off doing this mountain for a while.  Partly because of its reputation.  Partly because I had a vision of climbing it when the Celtics won the NBA championship with Marcus Smart as their charismatic front man.  Of course the Celtics did win...but there was no Marcus Smart.  Still, it is on the 52 With-A-View list.  So even with its reputation for being sneaky-hard, I decided to check it off the list. It puts me exactly halfway on the 52WAV. My wife Allison--who tends toward the 4,000 footers--came with me.  Even she thought Smarts was plenty of mountain

Smarts Mountain--at 3,238 feet--does, in fact, punch above its weight.  The distance and cumulative elevation of this hike is comparable to that of taller mountains, like nearby Moosilauke.  I would say it is even a little bit harder than that particular 4,000 footer.  Both are among the only twelve mountains in NH with a prominence of over 2,000 feet. However, the landscape around Smarts rolls up and down. There are a few scrambles.  The bare rocks are wet.  On a personal level, we hadn't done much hiking in the last couple of weeks.  Moosilauke was my very first 4,000 foot climb while I was recovering from back surgery. I was in horrible shape and sulked most of the way down.  However, while I personally found this hike easier, I believe it has more to do with improved health than anything Smarts was able to give.

Typical elfy spot on the plateau before the peak.

The mountain is also home to the wreckage of two different small airplanes.  Some people will bushwhack to the location of these tragedies.  I prefer to leave the sites alone.  That said, this knowledge just adds to the legend.

Our hike began at the parking lot which serves the trailhead for both the Lambert and Ranger Trails.  Lambert is part of the AT.  Most of the people we saw were well aware of this fact.  Section hikers and thru-hikers were easy to pick out thanks to their large packs.  Some stopped to chat.  Others were powering north or south with only the vaguest awareness of those of us in the "slow lane".  Regular readers will know that our son did the AT a couple years ago.  In fact, he was only a few miles away, walking north on the Vermont Long Trail.   

As "peak-baggers" our hiking experience is very different.  We met a few of our own kind as well, with well-worn but lighter gear, fully expecting to be home in bed by the end of the day. That said, it was nice to be on a mountain where--whether long distance or habitual day hikers--everyone we saw was serious about their hobby.  People knew the unwritten rules of trail use and etiquette.  The shop-talk was excellent.  This is not unusual on the less well-known peaks.  More casual walkers tend toward places like Washington, Lafayette, Monadnock, and Chocorua.  Those are all great hikes as well.  The views are fabulous.  That said, it is very cool every once in a while to be an insider.  Insider moments make all the outsider moments easier to bear. 

A view of Mount Cardigan--another of the 52WAV peaks--just east of the Lambert trail.

The trusses of the tower create an interesting frame for the view

While Lambert was probably the more challenging of the two trails, we decided to take it up for the climb.  Near the top there were open ridges that promised encouraging views as we plodded along.  Also, the Ranger trail is notoriously muddy and wet. Given the relative humidity it was nice to be on the up with the breezes while fighting gravity.  The miles hit pretty hard but our morale was good.

While there were limited views on the way, the top is wooded.  Thankfully there is a fire tower.  We made our climb up to the top for the 360-degree view of southwestern New Hampshire and into Vermont.  Most of the mountains were harder to identify than we are used to.  The 52WAV list is broadly distributed so the peaks don't quite function as well as landmarks.  Cube--which has a great view of Smarts--was identifiable as was Mount Cardigan back on that ridge.  It was fine, though, just to look out and admire the landscape around us.

The only other remarkable thing that happened was that I took a massive fall!  After climbing down the tower my heal caught on a rock and my ankle gave way.  My water bottle went flying and I landed face-first in the midst of about a dozen fellow hikers.  They were...concerned.  However I seemed to be OK after a rest.  I have always fallen a lot on these mountains.  I'm not blessed with many athletic gifts. Maybe this is why I am used to it enough not to worry too much about the inevitable chuckles and recollections after I am out of earshot.  It is part of the experience for me.  My only concern is whether I can get down the next mountain and up the next one.

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A garage in the woods right where the Ranger trail switches from muddy and challenging to muddy and boring.

The walk down Ranger was uneventful.  The trail was buggy and wet, but easier on the lungs and joints than Lambert.  The mud was a challenge at times as were the slick rocks. Occasionally we found ourselves strolling next to a lovely stream that provided both soundtrack and visual interest. Near the end it devolved into a long, flat slog.  It always feels like the trail is a touch too long.  In the end we made it back  to the parking lot.  There we found a few section hikers refueling before heading back out.

​On the way home somebody backed into our car so instead of hitting the pub we got to fill out insurance papers.  Other than that it was a great day.  I am not sure if Smarts will be on my list again soon, but I am glad we did it.