Jaffrey, NH
Time:
• ~2 hours up
• ~1.75 hours down
Parking:
Non-optional $15 fee, paid to a clerk at the gate when open. Carpool if you can!
Trail Route:
• Ascent: Old Halfway House Trail → White Arrow Trail → Summit
• Descent: Smith Summit Trail → Monte Rosa → Old Halfway House Trail
The access road for the Old Halfway House Trail is a huge help when hiking in the dark. A few cars did drive up the private road on our way back down—something Bre had never seen in all her years of hiking Monadnock—so keep an eye out!
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The Trek
We started at 3:30 AM on a brisk September morning, just as the night was giving way to dawn. Good headlamps are a must! There’s a lot of climbing. No matter how many White Mountain hikes we do, Monadnock is still a booty kicker.
It took us just under two hours to reach the summit, trying to keep sweating to a minimum. We waited about 40 minutes for the sunrise, spread out from a few other groups who had also made the early trek. Some guys brought their Jetboil for sunrise coffee—genius move. If it’s really cold, starting 30 minutes later wouldn’t be the worst idea.
On the way down, heading toward Monte Rosa, we hit a junction where an old-timer passed us and helped us figure out the right trail (because, of course, he wasn’t disoriented like we were). We briefly stopped at Monte Rosa to check out the cool wind dial.
Near the Halfway House, we had what we hope was our first (and not last!) encounter with Larry.
Who’s Larry?
We learned that Larry has:
✔ Hiked Monadnock for decades
✔ Red-lined the entire mountain countless times
✔ Cleared trails (not just Monadnock!) with a tiny hand saw
✔ Captured the mountain’s beauty as a photographer
Huge thanks to Larry and all the other trail maintainers out there!
📷 Check out Larry’s work here:
KK enjoyed her first-ever sunrise hike and even used one of the photos for her profile picture… for what seems like forever.
Directions
This route is the closest to what we did:
Monte Rosa & Mount Monadnock via Old Halfway House Trail
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Post-Hike Fuel
📍 The Works Café | Keene, NH
They care about quality ingredients and sustainability, so you can feel good about eating here—and it tastes good too!
🥓 KK’s Breakfast: Bacon Avocado Ancient Grain Power Bowl
🌯 Bre’s Breakfast: Sunrise Burrito (keeping the theme alive), no egg, extra bacon (thanks to her sad egg allergy).
☕ Small mocha latte.
Solid spot. Highly recommend.
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Final Thoughts
Mt. Monadnock at sunrise? 100% worth the early wake-up. Just bring a good headlamp, layers, and maybe a Jetboil for that summit coffee moment. And if you run into Larry, consider yourself lucky.
Would we do it again? Absolutely.
Stay hungry, stay adventurous, and stay tuned! ⏳🥾🍽️
We’ll be serving up fresh hikes and tasty bites every Wednesday at 7 PM EST—because midweek deserves a little adventure too! Set your alarms, grab a snack, and join us for the next trail and treat. See you then! 👀✨ #PeaksAndEats
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