Lost River Road, North Woodstock, NH 03262 ~ 8 miles and 6 hours

Mike and I decided to tackle Beaver Brook Trail again. Unfortunately for us, our October trip had to be postponed until November, and once again, time and weather were against us, preventing us from summiting. Fortunately for us, we were able to get much further and returned safely (which was my 11:11 wish!)

We started the trail at 12:09 PM. At this point the weather was beautiful: partly cloudy and 62 degrees Fahrenheit. We saw rain was forecasted at 5 PM and sunset was at 4:24 PM, so we knew we had to make good time and keep an eye out on the weather. We also once again agreed that safety was the top priority and we would turn back if needed.

This time there wasn’t any ice to contend with and the stream was easier to cross because it wasn’t overflowing with snowmelt. Getting to the steep part with the wooden sign was easy and only took us 4 mins.

The sign that warns hikers how dangerous the trail is was no longer posted, but I read articles that labeled it as “make sure your will is signed,” and “tell my wife I love her,” difficult. Having done part of the trail before, (on ice), we had a good idea of what we were in for — but also knew not to take anything for granted.

The trail is steep. It was interesting as we were going through certain sections to think back to what they looked like covered in snow and ice and decide if that had played to our advantage or worked against us. Timewise the snow and ice played against us, but it definitely smoothed out some of the rockier places making the climbing less intense, which in my opinion, was an advantage.

There are several sections of rock that have wooden stair steps installed using rebar. There are also sections that have old rebar handles installed. Some of these are sturdy and some offer some surprise give. About 50 mins in, I took my one and only tumble, stepping off a wooden plank onto rockface. It was a “controlled” slip but I hit my knee and leg on the rock and slid maybe a couple of inches downhill. Mike was right behind me and “caught” me to ensure I didn’t slide any further. (See image below that says FALL.)

I was incredibly excited to see the sign where we called the hike last time, and then even more so to make it to the Beaver Brook Shelter. It took us approximately 1 hour 40 mins to reach it and another 20 mins or so to reach the section of the trail that is considered the 2 “relaxing” miles to the summit.

At this point we had to do a reality check against time and the weather. It was 2:36 PM and we knew we had less than 2 hours of sunlight left which meant we needed to return soon. We decided to push a little further ahead but stopped to talk to two hikers who were just returning from the summit. Based on what they knew lay ahead and the fact that the rain was coming, their recommendation was to turn back. We concurred.

Before making our descent, Mike realized we were very close to summitting Mount Blue and conveniently enough there was a small trail that looked like it was heading in that direction. So we took it and at 2:52 PM we summited Mount Blue instead. It may not be an official 4000 footer but it is over 4000 feet, and blue is both of our favorite color, so we took it as a win!

We headed back to the Beaver Brook Trail. At 3:00 PM, we took a selfie at the squiggly tree that marked how far we made it and started the long return. As if the descent wasn’t going to be hard enough, at 3:06 PM it started raining.

Once we got to the steep sections, not only was everything wet, but it was also pitch black out. We had no choice but to just carry our flash lights and take the trail one step at a time. Whenever possible, I opted to sit on my bum and and do a mix of scooting and crab walking to stay low to the ground.

The wooden steps were treacherous. They were slippery and we took them each one at a time, with Mike staying one or two in front of me. It really was terrifying. I actually stood still for a moment trying to will us to the bottom — as if I was magic.

There were two spots in particular that Mike assessed with a “this isn’t good.” I think these were the two spots I noped-out of last time, but we didn’t have that option this time. We didn’t dare to leave the trail and it was too dark to even know what we would be getting ourselves into. So we just stayed calm and continued slowly and carefully.

At one point, we saw a head lamp coming up the hill. It was a solo-hiker with a huge pack so we could only assume he was doing the AT, but for the life of us couldn’t understand why he would be heading up this late. He was much closer to the bottom than the top and the rain wasn’t forecasted to ease up.

It took us three hours and three minutes to get down the hill and be safely tucked back into the truck. It was by far the hardest and scariest climb I have ever done.

On a personal note, even though Mike and I didn’t finish the trail, it was rewarding to know that we have done the hardest parts (twice), and more proof that we work really great together. We both knew we were in a tough situation and stayed calm and just focused on getting through it.

We will summit Moosilauke next time, but I am fairly positive that we will cut across from the Benton Trail to finish Beaver Brook. To be continued…again…

Adventurers included: Jes & Mike