Belknap Mtn. 2382' /Gunstock Mtn. 2250'

Brook Trail/Blue Trail/Gunstock Mountain Trail

4.5 miles 1200' Elevation gain

Kevin, Judy and Emma

Just north of our often visited Mount Major in the Belknaps are the two highpoints, Belknap Mountain and Gunstock Mountain. We've been taking things slow this spring after a lazy winter and the beginning of a new year that brought illness and injury to our little dog, Emma. A bout with pancreatitis, a very sore shoulder from an ice slipping injury and the latest, a bout with kennel cough has kept our little girl down. Well, bad things come in three, so hopefully this is the last of it.

So, off we went along the Brook Trail from the parking lot at Gunstock. The trail criss-crosses the brook several times, as well as a couple of different ski trails. As we went along it was apparent that Emma had been missing these times out on the trail together, and seemed pretty much her old self. At the trail junction we headed south to Belknap first. It was a warm spring day and there as yet no signs of the dreaded blackflies that would soon make their appearance and significantly lessen the thrill of being outside.

Except for one hiker between peaks and a couple on Gunstock we had the trails to ourselves. Views were decent and just being outside worked its restorative powers on all of us. We had our lunch on the deck of the closed Panorama Pub at the summit of Gunstock, then slooshed our way back down the ski trails to the parking lot. Good day out!