Mount Tom
Gorgeous water feature with the snow making it really pop.
Dec 2, 2024 - Mount Tom! This was a day that we sort of just wanted to get a “4K” out of the way. Well, we did that but at the same time it turned out to be one of our favorite hikes. I know for sure from people reading all my blogs (hopefully) that exact line has been used once or twice but it holds true. The White Mountains just don’t dissapoint!
Myself, Kyle and Rocky started this hike later than usual, for one the sun rises later and two, we were just kind of dragging ass in the morning but decided to press on and drive over to Crawford Notch depot in Carroll, NH. This is a fairly quick drive from the “Maine” house in Bridgton as it’s about an hour or so. We got some intel from previous hikers that microspikes and gaiters would be a good idea due to some snow and quite a bit of ice. We started off on the trail at around 8am and immediately found out that the microspikes and gaiters were indeed a good idea. The one thing we have learned thus far on this journey is not to underpack the important equipment, water and first aid. After a small stream crossing or two we started our ascent of what was to be 2169’ of elevation gain in 2.8 miles. This was a fun climb as the snow makes these hikes a bit easier (my opinion) especially on a packed down trail like it was this day.
Rocky waiting for the slow pokes behind him!
After hitting mile two we continued up for the last 1.8 miles and ~1500’ more elevation gain. When we reached close to the summit of Mount Tom, the trees were mostly bare of any pine needles, and a few “blow downs” which are trees that have been blown down by wind and/or heavy ice or snow but it was beautiful nonetheless and we kept grinding through the snow for about another tenth of a mile before finally reaching the summit and crossing off #26/48 on our journey. It’s always such an emotional feeling when we conquer one of these mountains.
A few bare trees at the top of Mount Tom.
After a snack and hanging out a bit on the summit of the 4052’ Mount Tom, it was time to head down the mountain and grab some lunch and park our asses next to the wood stove back in Bridgton. This was really a fun hike and would highly recommend if you are just doing a short trip up. Most people do Tom, Field and Willey as a lop but due to time constraints it was a smart move to just hike Tom. We will be back for Field and Willey in the Spring. Here are a few links to Mount Tom.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-hampshire/mount-tom-spur