Caribou Mountain Trip Report

A group of five kicked off the month of June with a community hike up Caribou Mountain via Bog Road. This White Mountain National Forest hike includes 1,961 ft of steady elevation gain through deciduous woods and a brief taste of higher elevation forest before the summit opens up to 360 degree views of the Presidential and Mahoosucs mountain ranges. Our group set out at 9:30 am from a small, full parking lot and reached the 2,480 ft summit at noon on Sunday, June 1. Those with bug nets considered themselves lucky as most of the trail followed a stream busy with mosquitos, mayflies and blackflies. Still, the numerous toads and high elevation trillium made for a delightful day amidst the wildlife as bright sun poked through the tree branches. All were rewarded with a comfortable breeze and plenty of snacks during our lunch break as we took in the scenery and mingled with the other hikers and their dogs on the mostly open rocky summit. We descended relatively quickly and left the scene by 2 pm with mud, sweat and smiles to remember the day.