Saturday, May 19, 2018
Miles: 7.34 (3.0 were road walking)
The Grid: Hale
Elevation gained: 2351′
MapMyRun
Initially, I had planned to hike Peak Above the Nubble (PATN), which is on the New England Hundred Highest list. Unfortunately, when I got to the turnoff for Haystack Road, the road was still gated for winter. Given that it was a 2.5 mile uphill walk on the road to get to the trailhead, I decided to save it for later. Instead, I decided to hike Mount Hale since it was maybe 10 minutes away by car. I followed Zealand Road down towards the trailhead and ended up encountering yet another closed gate. However, it was only 1.5 miles of a road walk on a flat road to the Hale Brook Trailhead, so I decided to give it a go.
It was windy and raining for the entirety of my hike, but at least it was peaceful and not too cold (around 50-55 degrees). So long as I kept moving, it was a reasonable temperature. I finished my hike after sunset, walking through dusk, and arrived back at my car just as true night was falling. I was able to navigate the whole hike without a headlamp, so I was pleased.
