Mount Monroe

<Japanese version is after English: 日本語は英語の後にあります>

It was a great day to be outside in the mountain.

We hiked up to Mount Monroe in the Presidential range in New Hampshire. It was a sunny day and the view was fantastic.

We started at Edmond Path trailhead. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and already 20 cars were parked. There was still room for 10+ more cars. So it was good. I went into the bush for toilet. Then I got a bug bite. 

Ugh. I forgot to put bug spray before peeing.

I am so sensitive to bug bites. Mosquitoes, noseeum, No-see-ums, etc. When I am in the wilderness, mosquitoes bite only me not Mr.N. So unfair. When I put DEET and Mr.N doesn't, they go to Mr.N. He can use me as a guard. 

The bite might not be by a mosquito, since I got a bump and felt itchy within five minutes before starting the hike. 

Anyway we started walking. The first part about 3 miles is in the forest.  2400 feet elevation gain in the 3 miles, then suddenly the view came, because it passed the tree line. It is amazing how low the tree line is in New England. The climate explains it. 

The "fake peak" Mount Franklin: looked the highest

3 peaks appeared!

At the junction at mile3, one direction goes to Mount Eisenhower, the other goes to Mount Monroe. We had done Eisenhower, so we went left for Mount Monroe. We thought the peak we could see from the junction was Mount Monroe, but when we reached there, there were another 3 peaks appeared. Yes, that was a fake peak. If you are a hiker, you know this feeling. Hiking up and up and up to the visible highest point where you believe the top of your hike. Then ALWAYS higher peak appears when you reach there. 

The "fake"peak was actually a Mount Franklin, so it was an official peak. Sorry, Mr. Franklin. It was really good view at Mount Franklin, but we continued to go to Mount Monroe. There was small hill to hike up before Monroe, then went down a little, then finally hiked up to the Monroe. 

 

The view was very good! It was lucky to be sunny day on the weekend. The countless mountains were there until the horizon. It was like a ocean wave. The Monroe is just next to the Mount Washington, which is the highest in the Presidential range. People can drive up to Washington, but not for Monroe. So it is much more peaceful and nice. I saw several trail runners near Monroe. They were serious, and probably doing all the Presidential peaks in a day. Despite such hardcoreness, they politely greeted and thanked us when we yielded the path. I thought that the same thing happened when I was hiking Tour du Mont Blanc. The trailrunners were super hardcore there, but super polite as well. They are very very impressive and admirable.

I found a good spot where the winds are blocked and ate lunch. It is always nice to have lunch with great view.

 

It was also nice to see cute flowers above the tree line. 

There is a hut down the Mount Monroe, so we went there to check it out. We saw a guy taking video at the top and saying he and his wife were going to stay there. We filled the drinking water at the hut and went to the restroom (they are free for any hikers). Grrr. The toilet was very stinky. I should have used "wilderness restroom". They sold self service tea (pot with hot water was there, $2), but I carried hot coffee in the Zojirushi insulated mugs, so I didn't need it. I love my Zojurushi's insulated mug. It is an essential item for hiking, especially in cold New England. 

Then we headed back. Nice day!  

今回はモンロー山へ登った。快晴の日で景色が素晴らしかった。

モンロー山はニューハンプシャー州にあるプレジデンシャル連峰のうちの一つ。

今回は１６キロ、１０７０メートルの登りのルート。まずエドモントパスのトレイルヘッドからスタート。スタートする前に草むらでトイレに行ったのだが、ここで蚊に刺された。

ぎゃー。虫除けスプレーする前にトイレに行ってしまった。

MrNは全く蚊に刺されないのだが私はいつも蚊に刺されまくるのだ。私がDEET入りの虫除けを塗っている時のみ蚊はMrNの方へ行く。まったく。

そして日よけ、虫除けをつけてスタート。スタートする頃にはすでに刺されたところが痒い。。最初の５キロは森の中。ずっと上りが続く。そして５キロのところでジャンクションがあり突然森から抜け出る。いい眺めだ。右へ行くとアイゼンハワー山、左へ行くとモンロー山へと行く。

ジャンクションから見える左側の山がモンロー山だと思い歩いて行く。景色が良いので歩くのも苦ではない。しかし、一番高いと思っていたところに着くと、新たにさらに高い山が登場（１枚目と２枚目の写真）。

山登りをしている人ならわかると思うが、これ、よくある。あ！あそこが頂上だと思って歩いてそこに着くとさらに高いところが現れるやつ。マウントホイットニーでは２−３回そういうのが現れた。

そしてようやくモンロー山へ到着。景色が素晴らしい。山が波のようにどこまでも続いている。空気も美味しく最高だった。風は強かったが岩の陰のスポットで風が一切来ないところを見つけてそこで昼食のサンドイッチとM＆Mのチョコレートを頬張った。

頂上付近では高山植物の花がたくさん咲いていて綺麗だった（最後２枚の写真）。

そしてモンロー山の麓にある山小屋へ寄った。山小屋ではハイカーはトイレ使用可、そして飲料水も補充可能だ。トイレはもちろん水洗ではないので臭かったが。。。まあ仕方ない。

そしてトレイルヘッドへと戻ったのだった。良いハイクだった！