Friday afternoon, after working in the morning I thought it would be a good idea to run up to Bartlett and do Mt. Tremont. The hike was only 2.8 miles each way but the climb as it turned out, was a killer. 2,600′ of climbing. I did not take that into consideration prior to launch and as a result had nowhere near enough calories in the cooker prior to embarking on such a ‘walk’. I also failed to figure the total time commitment and as a result, we were not back to the Mitten until 6:30 where we were greeted by a couple of hungry dogs.
I don’t know the name of the stream that the trail follows for much of it’s early run, but it was gorgeous. You could see by the trail that it was popular more than what lay above and for good reason, there were many pools and water features and what lay above was only a hulking hump up steep slopes.
The trail was well marked and in great shape with only a few blowdown diversions. While you had to hop a few feeder streams, there were no real water crossings to deal with. There was however enough clear water for Murphy.
Eventually, the trail switchbacked for perhaps the last ¾ mile or so. There were some steep steps, but slow and steady and we were on top.
The view did not disappoint. There is a decent dome of granite affording a view from around 170 – 320. Great views to Sawyer and Little Sawyer pond below.
The bugs were out at the top, and the only thing we were lacking was a breeze to dry out and sweep the black flies off the summit. We had a snack, then headed back down knowing we would be late getting back for the dogs.
5.6 miles round trip with 2,600′ of climbing and we were ready for done by the time we got back to the car.
