Black Cap Bonanza

This morning the Fat Man presented two hiking options: Arethusa Falls (3 miles, 1,000 feet elevation gain) or Mount Willard (3.2 miles, 900 feet elevation gain).  Both were immediately rejected and I presented him with two new options: Black Cap (2.2 miles, 650 feet elevation gain) or Bald Mountain and Artist’s Bluff (1.5 miles, 550 feet elevation gain). 

Black Cap was accepted and we made some sandwiches (turkey and Swiss cheese again), loaded up Horace the Honda with our gear, and sped off.  

On the Black Cap Trail

Black Cap is a gem of a mountain that is frequented by many locals from the Conway, New Hampshire region.  It is one of the few hikes that the gliede (the guidebook that lies) gets right because you have one of the finest vistas in the White Mountains for relatively little effort. 

You cut out most of the elevation by driving up Hurricane Mountain Road, which is long, windy, and narrow.  It is an adventure in itself, especially on the ride down.  Save your brakes by putting your car in low gear.  Pray that no one comes up the hill because in certain spots there isn’t much room to spare and there is no shoulder.

Rock ledges on the climb

The ascent on the Black Cap Trail is gradual, so you only cough up half a lung on the way up.  We use hiking sticks (“four points of contact are better than two,” the Fat Man always says), which I recommend to hikers of all skill levels.  They are especially helpful on your descent.

It only took us 45 minutes to reach the summit from the starting point, which takes you through spruce trees in Conway State Forest.

 Close to the Black Cap Trail summit

You can pick up a trail map from a little kiosk about half a mile up, which is good to have on hand.  The wind was slightly breezy and cool on this crisp September day (it can get very windy up there).  We were able to see Mount Washington in the distance, Chocorua, and the Conway valley.  We had the mountain totally to ourselves for a good 30 minutes, just enough time for the Fat Man to take a snooze.

Summit of Black Cap Trail

The Fat Man snoozing

The big boulders on the final leg of the trail may be a little steep for severely vertigo-challenged climbers, especially on the way down. You can take a little side path — the spur of the Black Cap Connector Trail — instead.  We did the rock scramble both up and down and it was truly a delightful little jaunt.

Heidi’s rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Gain with no pain.

The Fat Man’s rating: ★ ★ ★ and mild pulmonary edema.