Mount Agamenticus

Dear Folks,
​I am in the process of catching people up with some early hikes and other encounters with nature that I thought people might find interesting as part of a "How It Began" (HIB) series.  Mostly this will describe specific hikes and perhaps some lessons learned along the way...if there are any.  They are meant to be short and, perhaps helpful in some way to other hikers or fellow-travelers.  I will post the dates of when I hiked a specific mountain since the ones in this series are NOT posted at or near the date I actually hiked them.

JANUARY 24, 2022

After our hike up the Osceolas, my brother Dan and I decided to head out closer to where he lives in Maine.  Our eventual destination was  Mount Agamenticus.  This tiny mountain (about 600 feet) is yet another monadnock, boasting views well over its weight class.  Also...you can see the ocean, which is cool.  I am unsure the exact distance we hiked but it was probably between 4 and 5 miles.  We intentionally explored a bit...then we were briefly lost.  It was all good, though as it was a spectacular place to be.

Most of my winter hiking up that point had been in the White Mountains of 2,500-4,500 feet (and yes, I will get to at least some of them).  This, however, was different, not just because of the height but because there was very little snow.  Of course the absence of snow sometimes means a great deal of ice, so microspikes were definitely in order.

As promised, this little peak boasted some fabulous views.  Back in the day, it was the home of the "Big A" ski area, with night skiing, snow cannons, and chair lifts.  It is funny to think of this now when most ski mountains are quite more involved.  That said, you can see how it made sense.  The location of York in southern Maine near both Maine's and New Hampshire's population centers sustained the business from 1966 to 1974 but it must have been hard to compete against the big guys.

Anyway, it was a great day.  The company was fabulous and the trails had a lot to offer.  As I have mentioned before, I also like a little decaying machinery in my views.  There was plenty on Agamenticus in the form of Big A ski gear.  

And that flat thing out in the distance?  That is the ocean, my friends....