“All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild”
John Muir
Rain, rain go away, we want to go out and play. The rain began the day before our hike and was forecasted to continue through the next morning. I convinced my friends that it would stop before we got to the trailhead. As we traveled on, the rain began to beat down upon us with a fury. My friends surely doubted the rain would subside, but they did not voice their concerns. I was hoping it would stop when predicted. We had planned a morning hike, but rescheduled to afternoon due to the rain. The hiking gods smiled down on us as the rain clouds broke and the rain stopped just as we turned into the trailhead.
Pine Mountain is the perfect hike for a short afternoon wilderness fix. A little bit of everything and an easy descent. We started up the dirt road across from the trailhead that leads to the Horton Center. One mile from the trailhead on Pinkham B Road we turned right onto the Ledge Trail that is marked by yellow blazes.
This trail starts out as a typical woods trail with a fairly easy ascent level. Painted trillium wet from the morning rain lined the trail. At the base of the south cliff it becomes evident where the trail got its name. The remainder of the way to the summit is a ledge climb, steep in some places. Ledge trail merges with Pine Mt. trail and is a fairly flat hike around to the Horton Center. At the far end of the Horton Center there is a short steady trail that leads to Chapel Rock (Pulpit Rock). I have a book that calls it Pulpit Rock; however, the sign on the trail calls it Chapel Rock. Whatever you call it, it provides beautiful views and a great place to stop and rest.
We made the return trip via the dirt road that leads back to Pinkham B road. The entire hike took about 3.5 hours. This time included many stops for pictures and a snack break. An after hike stop for beer and pizza at Mt. Fire Pizza in Gorham, NH made the day complete.
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