Family Hike: Indian Head and Flume Gorge

Parched, Sondra (who still needs a trail name), Hummingbird, Hawk, and Dragonfly

The last time we hiked Mt. Pemigewasset, aka Indian Head, it was completely socked in.  And rainy.  The only view we saw was the edge of the cliff and a thick wall of cloud.  Which was still kind of cool, but not what we hoped for.  I knew the reputation of the panorama on that peak (there’s a reason it’s on the 52 With a View list), so I wanted to return some day in fairer conditions.

Conditions in Oct. 2020.

As has become annual tradition, we started making plans for a family hike over the summer.  My sister led the deciding vote this year, as she wasn't sure she'd be physically up for anything too challenging.  We settled on the moderate trail to Indian Head, which we were all satisfied with.  We met Wednesday morning in the parking lot for Flume Gorge, where the trailhead for various other hikes is also located.  There are many options concentrated in that area, so it was a convenient location, allowing us opportunity to do a second hike after Indian Head, if we all felt up for it.

Recent reviews for the Pemi trail consistently mentioned mud, so I prepared myself for getting wet and dirty.  Thankfully, conditions were not nearly as awful as I expected.  There was some mud, but it was totally manageable.  The hike up was uneventful… well, except for one break when my brother-in-law Parched had to make Sondra use her inhaler.  But things were a bit smoother after that.  

The trail was full of roots and rocks, with some squishy spots between, but I stayed dry.

I found this awesome boulder that was asking to be climbed.  Parched jumped right on that, followed by Hawk.  Sadly, I stepped back after seeing how slippery it was, and knowing my current trail runners are losing traction for things like this.  Next time I must remember to wear my "sticky shoes" so I can climb this safely!  After all, it was my idea in the first place!

The summit viewpoint rewarded us with a hazy view, but at least it was a view!  Definitely worth returning perhaps a third time when we don't have wildfire smoke and humidity limiting visibility.  Maybe a nice, crisp fall or winter day.  In any case, we all enjoyed hanging out on the expansive cliff tops, snacking and just enjoying the nice weather, which we've been far too short on this year!

When we were ready to move on and start descending, we all agreed to first take a quick detour a couple hundred feet around the corner to tag the actual summit.  It's viewless, but still a neat spot in a circle of trees.  It feels a bit like a site we would have chosen as a fort or playspace when we were kids.  Indeed, the guys decided to duck into the trees and explore, leaving us girls in the opening, as they weren't clear as to whether they were only exploring or also taking a pee break. 

We were all possibly slightly too fascinated by this curved arrow blaze on the true summit, but in our defense, we'd never seen one like it.  As Parched said, it very clearly states "yep, you reached the end, now turn around."  Cool.  We gathered 'round and took a different kind of group pic, just for fun.  I think it's pretty neat.

Interestingly, Hawk told me the 52WAV list does not always require tagging the summit.  That hiking patch is purely about reaching the viewpoints.  So in the case of hikes such as Indian Head, apparently you aren't required to go around that corner to reach the highpoint.  That explains why we didn't do it last time when we were accompanying Hawk on his 52WAV quest.  (That, and it was starting to rain harder, and Hawk was standing there with a look on his face, pointing impatiently with his pole to make us leave.)

My "higher purpose" in this relationship is to teach Hawk patience. It's still a work in progress.

Our descent from Indian Head was smooth and easy.  We popped into the Flume Gorge welcome center at the end for a respite from the sun, a bathroom break, and lunch for the guys.  Weighing our options between continuing to The Basin, doing the Flume trail, or just calling it a day, we eventually chose the Flume.  Growing up in NH, four of us were familiar with this tourist attraction, spending many a school field trip there.  I had revisited the Flume several years ago during a severe drought, and it was sad.  The waterfalls were barely a trickle, and I certainly did not feel any mist as I remembered from childhood.  I had been wanting to return in better conditions to erase that memory, and to introduce Hawk to another NH gem.  Being the only non-native resident, he had never been to the Flume.  And with the excessive rain we've had this year, I was sure the falls were at their prime, so what better time to go?

It's what I do.

The water did not disappoint.  All was as we remembered it, as faded as those memories were after all these years.  We were grateful to be there on a weekday, as a weekend surely would have been unbearably crowded.  There were enough people around as it was to almost forget it was Wednesday!  But can you blame them with these gorge-ous sights?...

Hawk captured one of the rainbows we saw in the falls.

The Flume also features a few caves which you can climb through.  At least if you're small enough.  Again I was limited by insufficiently grippy shoes and an oversufficiency of caution.  But hey, I don't have medical insurance to cover my ass if something went wrong, unlike everyone else on this hike!  Parched and Hawk made it through a couple caves before we reached the Wolf's Den, which I was able to safely tackle.  It was certainly more awkward than I remembered, but I made it through!  I'm glad I finally had my chance to play on/in the rocks.  Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos, but I did snap a couple of Hawk emerging from a cave earlier.  Most of them involve climbing up and out through the "roof" like this.

There are also a few viewpoints towards the end of the loop trail, which offered more glimpses of the hazy White Mountains.  The trail is nicely set up all around, with a few rain shelters to rest in if needed.  Everything is kept in good condition, which I'm sure is both challenging and necessary, being a very popular tourist destination.  While it gets busy during peak season, I definitely recommend seeing The Flume at least once if you're in NH.  It's an easy boardwalk and gravel trail, very family friendly, and tickets are not expensive.  Come check it out while the water is flowing! 

Ghost Pipe

On one of the boardwalk overlooks, I found this graffiti.  Not only was it fitting (with Hawk & my initials), it looked eerily like my own handwriting, with only a couple slight differences.  (Plus I could have drawn a better heart. haha)  I SWEAR I DIDN'T DO IT!  But while I don't condone defacing public property, we were pretty amused by the discovery.  

7/26 Indian Head, 4.29 mi, 1266 ft, 2:32/2:55 hrs
    & Flume Gorge, 2.6 mi, 525 ft, 1:36 hrs