My last (and only) visit to Peaked Mountain in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness was on 2/20/12 with plenty of snow on the ground. This trip gave me a chance to see the area in the summer time, plus tack on a bushwhack to neighboring Slide Mountain; a mountain that I had not visited previously.
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| The kiosk at the start. |
It wasn't going to be a long hike. I waited out the morning rain and got to the trailhead at 1 PM with clearing skies. It was going to be a nice afternoon. My dog Rev was my only companion for this one. The parking lot was 2/3rd's full, mostly with boaters and campers. There were still empty campsites available right on the water, but of course the weather was just clearing.
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| Thirteenth Lake, looking southeast. |
It was a quick 0.9 miles south on the trail along the west side of Thirteenth Lake (passing two designated campsites) before the trail turned west and I began to climb, following Peaked Mountain brook. This brook is quite nice and there are many inviting spots to stop and stick your feet in the water or take a snack break.
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| Peaked Mountain, looking impressive. |
The trail crosses Peaked Mountain brook a couple times before arriving at Peaked Mountain Pond after 2.5 miles. There is a nice designated campsite at the water's edge on the east shore. There was also an aluminum canoe and paddle (marginal seaworthiness).
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| Campsite at Peaked Mountain Pond. |
The last 0.5 miles or so is steep, but it's a short jaunt to the top of Peaked Mountain. When I climbed in the winter, the last 0.2 miles was quite icy. This time it was just steep, but the trail was in good condition. The summit offers nice views in several directions.
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| Peaked Mountain Pond from the summit of Peaked Mountain. |
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| Looking southeast from Peaked Mountain. |
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| Looking east to Slide Mountain. |
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| Looking NW from Peaked Mountain. |
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| The U.S. Geodetic Survey marker |
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| Heading back down Peaked Mountain. |
After leaving the summit, I backtracked halfway down to the pond, the contoured over to Slide Mountain, bushwhacking though light to moderate woods. I picked up the southern approach ridge and made my way up to the top. It wasn't as open as I had hoped, but a few viewpoints opened up. There were no views from the actual summit highpoint.
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| Nearing the summit of Slide Mountain. |
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| Looking northeast to the Ruby Mountain mine. |
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| Zoom view looking towards the mine. |
From Slide Mountain I went almost straight south to return to the Peaked Mountain trail for my exit.
Hike Stats:
Hike Distance: 7.5 miles
Hike Time: 4 hours
Total Vertical Gain: ~1500'
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| The route |
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| The route on the Nat Geo map. |
