With the forecast showing cloudy skies, I figured today would be a good day for my pup and I to finish the last two peaks on the
Belknap Peak Challenge list, the viewless summits of West Quarry and Rand Mountain. The recently created parking area off of Reed Rd. in Alton Bay has made these once very remote peaks now much more accessible for a medium-sized day hike, as was our plan for this day.
 |
| Entrance sign at the Reed Rd. parking area |
We arrived at the new parking area around 9:30 a.m. and started our journey by continuing to walk down the road toward where the Reed Road Trail properly entered the woods. As we got further down the road, the condition of it slowly deteriorated, starting as a rocky, gravel road, then once past a large three-car garage, a completely fallen out pile of rocks and rubble. At this point we came to the
SPNHF gate put up to block dirt bikes and ATVs from continuing any further. From there the condition of the road continued to be a pile of rough rocks until we came to our first view over Lake Winnipesaukee, where the ground was a better mixture of hard-packed dirt and small rocks.
 |
| Gate blocking ATVs from the roughest section of Reed Rd. |
 |
| Looking back at the Belknaps and Ossipees from the top of Reed Rd. |
As we continued along the road, ascending at a moderate clip, we came to the best mountain view of the day when we reached the staircase into the woods signifying the proper start of the Reed Rd. Trail. Looking back from the rocky staircase the summits of Belknap, Gunstock, and several of the mountains across the lake in the Ossipee Range stretched out before us. It was a nice panorama to take in before we set off into the woods.
 |
| The stone steps that felt like entering an arena |
The way the stone stairs were laid out, welcoming us into the forest, felt like we were walking into an arena to truly begin hiking. From here, the climb continued to be steady, with a few switchbacks along the way to try and ease the grind of the relentless climb higher and higher. As I've noticed to be common, this was another sneaky tough climb in the otherwise small elevations of the Belknap Range. It would not be our last grind of the day.
The footing on this section of trail was mostly hard-packed dirt, stiffened by all the water collecting and freezing underneath with the cooler temperatures of late fall taking hold. I could feel the ice underneath the dirt crunching beneath my feet in several places, and we even noticed a few "hiking frost heaves" along the way where some of the ice had pushed through to the surface. There were a few spots of actual ice along the trail, but they were few and far between on bare rock slabs, and easily stepped over or walked around.
 |
| Electric green moss on the Dave Roberts Quarry Trail |
Once we reached the junction of the Dave Roberts Quarry Trail, we turned right onto it to head toward West Quarry and Rand. We had one last, quick steep ascent up a rocky ledge and then the trail finally leveled off for a good long stretch, becoming a peaceful walk in the woods almost all the way to the summit of West Quarry. As we neared it for our first summit of the day, we had a moderate climb to get to the top, and enjoyed a small lookout just before reaching the summit sign. With that peak, it was eleven Belknap peaks down, and only one more just a mile away. To Rand we went!
 |
| View from the lookout just before the West Quarry summit |
It was a quick drop off the summit as we headed down West Quarry into the col between it and Rand. We came to a split in the trail where we could go by the Quarry Ledges or take a bypass into the col for our descent. My pup headed toward the bypass and thus I followed, happy we chose this as a descent after going up the ledges to change things up on our return. Especially as the weather gets colder and more ice builds up, I would not recommend the ledges for descents, as one slip could result in some nasty injuries and lots of bare rock.
 |
| My favorite trail signs, the rustic, hand-painted arrows in the Belknaps |
The bypass had much better footing with soft forest floor the whole way, albeit steep. Once in the col, it was another nice walk in the woods before things turned into a mixture of tough elevation gain mixed with a blank of dead leaves and big rocks for the final climb up to the summit of Rand. This was yet another sneaky tough climb in this small mountain range that had me huffing and puffing as we approached the summit sign of our final peak of the challenge list. We took a quick break at the summit to bask in our "glory" before retracing our steps and heading back down the way we came.
 |
| My pup using the summit of Mt. Rand as his victory throne |
While the 4000 Footers get all the love here in New Hampshire, the overlooked challenge of the Belknap peaks is definitely a fun one that is suited for a wider range of abilities. I highly recommend it for someone who finds the 4000 Footers or 52 With a View a little daunting, and the Belknaps are great training ground for those bigger mountains as well while still packing their own gorgeous views in many spots (Mt. Major, Straightback, and Whiteface being my favorites). Even with the peak challenge completed, I'll still be coming back to these peaks to enjoy the views and keep my hiking legs primed for the bigger challenges in the Whites.
