The Inn at The Rostay; Old Speck Mountain, Part 1

I was awake at 6:30 this morning, but have to admit that I didn't want to get out of the comfortable bed at The Inn at The Rostay, where we spent the night. Forest didn't seem too eager to bounce out of bed either, so we rested a bit longer. We were up and moving by 10:15 a.m., but had to head about a mile down the road to the store to get provisions before we headed back to the trailhead. We were able to hitch a ride and get on the way by mid-afternoon.

After leaving the trailhead parking lot, the Trail immediately began climbing. Old Speck Mountain, which is 4,100+ feet at the summit, ascends over 3,000 feet in 3.5 miles. It's the first and highest mountain on the Trail in the Mahoosuc Range and part of the Eastern White Mountains. It's also the third highest mountain in the state of Maine.

It was a pretty hike through the forest, with a brook running alongside and crossing our path several times. As the first part of the climb was the steepest and we got a late start, we climbed only as far as the waterfall located at about 2,400 feet; I decided to stealth camp there at about 7 p.m. That way, we could collect water and be ready for the rest of the summit first thing in the morning.