Mount Waumbek

Date: 10/25/2020

Elevation: 4,006’

Miles: 7.2 miles

Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes

Trails: Out and back on Starr King Trail

Honestly I’m writing this 2.5 weeks after the actual hike and this hike was not very memorable to begin with, so forgive me for any lack of detail. But what I do remember is that this hike was FREEZING. We started just before 8am and by 10:15 it was still only 27º at the base of the mountain.

But to warm us right up, Waumbek starts off with a pretty strong incline that’ll definitely get your legs going. I was hiking with someone I met through the “Hiking Buddies NH 48, 4000-Footers” Facebook group and he started us off at a very good pace. It’s hard to talk when you’re breathing like that and conversation seems important with someone you just met, but we made it work.

We got the hard part out of the way quickly and then the Starr King Trail flattens out a bit. After 2.6 miles we hit Mount Starr King at 3,915’. This has the best view of the hike, but we had some low-hanging clouds blocking anything spectacular. There’s an old chimney up there that’s pretty neat, the always-lurking gray jays, and a big slab of rock to sit on, so I’d make this my stopping point for a break for anyone else thinking of doing Waumbek.

An easy mile further on, we hit Mount Waumbek (9:46am). It was so so cold at this point so we didn’t stop for too long, but it’s just a cairn-in-the-woods type summit anyways. But a fellow 2020 graduate and her dad did pass us at the summit and recommended that we continue just a little ways for a better view. It was, in fact, much better than just the pile of rocks, so definitely check this out too.

I had been worried about ice on the trail since it was so cold and it had rained the day before, but we only found frozen mud along the way. The cold weather had also frozen the water onto the trees, giving them a super eerie look.

Thanks to the frozen mud and the undesirability of stopping anywhere for too long due to the cold, we were able to move quickly and finished the hike in under four hours. For me, I don’t think this hike would top any list, but I’m always just so happy to spend time outside hiking. And I have heard it’s a great winter hike in the snow, so maybe I’ll even be back for that one day.