Mount Tremont Then Down To Owl's Cliff

After watching the weather all week and planning for a hike to Mount Isolation the decision was made last night to postpone that hike and wait for a better day. The forecast called for cloudy skies and partly sunny with afternoon showers. I would be joining fellow hikers Brian and Jill today. Brian needs to hike Mount Isolation to complete his 48 4,000 footers. We'll watch the weather for next weekend. The alternative plan for today was a hike to Mount Tremont (3371') via the Mount Tremont Trail then down the other side on the Brunel Trail to Owl's Cliff (2940') and return on the same trails.

Mount Hale Loop Hike

The weather forecast was looking ominous early this morning with showers and thunderstorms along with hazy, hot and humid conditions. I have a low tolerance for hot and humid so I chose a short hike to Mount Hale (4,054'). The plan was to park at the Zealand Trailhead, a one mile road walk to the Hale Brook Trail, 2.2 miles to the summit of Mount Hale then 2.7 miles down the Lend-a-Hand Trail, a brief stop at the Zealand Hut and completing the loop with a 2.7 mile hike back to the parking lot on the Zealand Trail.

Avoiding the Crowds on Owl's Head

Large crowds of hikers could be expected on all the popular trails with the long Fourth of July weekend here. This would not be the case on Owl's Head so I joined fellow hikers Jill and Larry for the long hike to this summit. Both have hiked to Owl's Head several times and this would be my second. The weather forecast called for warm temps and an overcast sky.