Last weekend Peter, Pete and I hiked Rowe, Gunstock and Belknap Mountains with the dogs. It was a rainy, cool-ish day; perfect for dogs to stay cool.
We started up from the base area after the dogs swam in the pond. The trail to Rowe is beautiful. I felt like I was in a different world because the woods were so dark and foggy. Rowe is a quick summit and then on to Gunstock. Toward the top we ran into mountain bikers coming down. That would be a fun thing to do – ride this trail.
The top of Gunstock was socked in and it started to rain/mist more. Perfection!
Then we headed over to Belknap and Pete got to the summit tower first. With no views I opted out. There were perfectly placed puddles for the dogs to cool down in as we headed back down.
My favorite part of this loop is Brook Trail. There is a bubbling brook that follows the trail to the end and the dogs got to drink, play cool off in it for the last 30 minutes.
This is the first time I’ve hiked in the Belknaps and it certainly won’t be the last. Just to think that I will be working at Gunstock in a few short weeks is exciting and I cannot wait!
I’ll be hiking, running and biking these trails over and over again. What a fantastic place.
Tired dogs are always good, too.
