A beautiful day for a hike

Today my friend Ron and I drove to Monadnock State Park to hike Mt. Monadnock.  And it was awesome.  The weather was beautiful - about 80 degrees and sunny - and the white dot trail (fastest to the summit) was the perfect mix of "dirt-trail-through-forest" and near-vertical granite climbs to the summit.  Needless to say our legs and lungs were screaming by the time we got to the top.  But every step was worth it, as you can tell from the photo below.

Unfortunately I led us down the wrong trail from the summit (one should never trust me with the trail map) and we ended up miles away from the car.  So we added an extra 1.5 hours to the hike.  I think that's the last time Ron will believe me when I say: "Don't worry; I'm totally sure this is the right way..."

Monadnock is the perfect day hike for Bostonians: about a two-hour drive from the city, with ample parking at the base of the mountain.  There's also a small campground at the bottom for folks wishing to "rough it" for the night.  I totally need to pick up some camping gear!