It looks like a painting, but that's the actual view from atop 1,700 foot Mt. Major, located on the south side of Lake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire.
This weekend, we were desperately in need of some big views and wide open spaces, so we headed up Route 16 from Dover, caught Route 11 north at Rochester, and found the Mt. Major trailhead, located just north of Alton. As soon as you pass Jesus Valley Road, there's a scenic viewpoint on the right side of the road. Immediately after this, you see a sign for Mt. Major Trail, next left. That's the parking lot.
It wasn't too busy, considering the trail was so slushy and icy, but the weather was beautiful. It was in the 50's the whole way up, but brutal winds on top made the weather almost unbearable, were it not for the little bunker that exists on the summit. We brought kabocha squash & black bean stew with wheat pitas, and the stew was still steaming hot in our thermos after the hour and 1 minutes it took us to reach the top.
Though not as large as some of the Colorado mountains we've summited, Mt. Major is definitely a great hike - thanks mostly to the panoramic views of Lake W. and Mt. Washington beyond that. Also, it's a hill you can bag in one morning or one afternoon, so it's great for novice hikers who want a challenge, or experienced hikers who don't want to spend an entire day climbing. On a summer day, you can lounge on top and watch the boats on the lake, or spend the night on July 4th and watch the firewakrs from towns all around the region.
You'll love this little stone hut if it's windy!
Lake W was totally frozen solid. There were lots of people skating in the bay and ice fishing. A fellow climber told us they will build little huts around the ice holes, called "Bob Houses" or something, and will place a generator outside for TV, computer, heat and even a couch, and spend several days at a time in there. Makes me wonder what else they use the hole in the ice for! ;P He also said that so far this year, one truck, one snowmobile and 2 huts have been lost through the ice. No one has been injured or killed though, luckily. I'll stay on shore, I think.If you go, here are some technical specs regarding the hike.
And here's a link to the Google Map, which also shows elevation gain.
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Look how thick the ice was on top of this stream we crossed (about 6 inches):
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