Monadnock Mountain, Monadnock Trails, Monte Rosa, New Hampshire hiking, maps, New Hampshire trails, Jaffrey, Hiking New Hampshire, Mt Monadnock, NH, trails
Monte Rosa
;)
Above: Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa is a crag on the southwest ridge
of Grand Monadnock. It offers fine views of the summit, Perkins Pond, Gap
Mt., Little Monadnock, the southern New England coastal plain, the
Berkshires and Green Mountains of Vermont from its bare ledges and various
viewpoints. To climb Monte Rosa; shortly beyond the Halfway House Site the
Monte Rosa Trail and Fairy Spring Trail head up Monte Rosa. From the summit
of Grand Monadnock, Monte Rosa is accessible by descending via the Smith
Summit Trail. There are many longer more interesting ways to hike Monte
Rosa. The Cart Path, Mossy Brook Trail and up the Great Pasture Trail is a
scenic way up Monte Rosa. There is a web of Trails that cover Monte Rosa to
make for interesting hiking, away from the crowds of the main trails.
Hiking Trails:
Monte Rosa Trail
leads west at the junction of the White Arrow and Royce Trail about 100
yards beyond the Half-way House Site. Watch for the junction which isn't well signed for ascending hikers. This junction was the site of an old
picnic grove. The Monte Rosa Trail crosses Fassett Brook; a vernal stream, then up a steep
section climbs from a hardwood to a spruce forest then levels out for a short stretch. The Monte Rosa Trail crosses Fairy Brook another vernal stream
then climbs up another step up the ridge then passes Sweetwater spring, a stagnant water hole on left then ascends up to the Fairy Spring
trail junction, on right, then Smith bypass, 50 yards ahead on right, then
with some steep spots climbs up Monte Rosa. In winter Monte Rosa Trail may
be difficult to follow under a thick blanket of snow.
Fairy Spring Trail
leads west from the White Arrow just past the Monte Rosa junction crosses
Fassett brook and passes Fassett's Mountain House Site, on left, then climbs
up a steep spot as the forest turns from hardwoods to spruce, goes past a
cascade on the left when there is good runoff then leads to Fairy Spring,
the path continues on up a few steep spots to Monte Rosa Trail.
Smith Bypass
diverges right from Monte Rosa trail just
below Monte Rosa heading through spruce forest to the Tooth and the
Smith Summit Trail.
;)
Above: View from Great Pasture Trail
The Cart Path, Mossy Brook Trail
and Great Pasture Trail
is a round about scenic route to Monte Rosa. The Cart Path starts west,
left from the Old Toll Rd. 1 mile from 124 near a private residence known as
the Hermitage (junction can be missed easily). In about 50 yards it crosses the Halfway House Trail then
the Metacomet-Monadnock/Royce Trail in 20 more yards then Cart Path crosses
Fassett brook and Fairy Brook and leads through a hardwood forest. The
forest turns to a spruce forest at the junction of the Mossy Brook Trail
(signs). The Mossy Brook Trail follows a pretty mossy brook, even the trail
is mossy. The brook can be a brook bed in a dry pattern. The path crosses
to follow the west bank of Mossy Brook then comes to the Marion/Great
Pasture junction. The Marion trail heads left or west and the Great Pasture
Trail heads east across Mossy Brook and the heads steeply uphill. A short
distance up the Great Pasture Trail there's one section can be a steep green
slippery ledge in wet or icy conditions. The upper section of Great Pasture
Trail is on open ledge affording great views across to the distant Green
Mountains of Vermont and to the summit as it leads up to Monte Rosa.
Marion Trail
is a little used mossy trail and care may be needed to follow from Mossy
Brook/Great Pasture junction heads west about 30 yards then turns north
toward Marlboro Trail by an open depression called the Bear Pit. Closer to
Marlboro Trail the Marion Trail crosses some bare ledge with some views.
Smith Summit Trail
connects Monte Rosa to the summit and is blazed with white dots painted on ledges. The Smith Summit Trail leads from Monte Rosa past the height of land northeast towards the summit heading to the Tooth then turns left along open ledges
climbs up a short way up to the Amphitheater trail which leads
right, east about 100 yards to Black Precipice and the White Arrow Trail beyond. The Smith Summit
Trail enters spruce woods and continues uphill then on open sunny ledges by
Cranberry Crag then shortly further heads above tree-line with superb
views and is marked by cairns and white paint blazes on bare ledge to
the summit. In winter Smith Summit may be difficult to follow in open ledgy areas.
Monadnock Trails:
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