It was perfect hiking weather this past Labor Day weekend, I made a spontaneous trip to Minerva to hike Moxham Mountain. The drive took me around 2 hours which led me to a dirt road. The road lasted roughly .5 miles until you reach the trailhead and parking lot. The parking lot was very small and held 4-5 cars, however the road was lined with 10-15 cars.
The trail started out moderate and slowly gained incline, taking you through many different types of forest. There were root covered paths, small streams, and rock ledges that were covered in moss that from afar looked like snow.
I passed quite a few groups on my way to the summit, including a large group with a small dog that had enough. The trail to the top is roughly 2.5 miles and had many small overlooks that offered great views.
I kept an active pace and made it to the summit in roughly an hour. There was a family at the very top, so I chose a larger area next to the summit to sit and enjoy some breakfast and take in the views.
There were a few ponds and there was a fantastic view of all the surrounding mountains. The sun appeared for a few moments and mixed with the clouds it created the perfect backdrop.
I spent 30 minutes at the summit and as the groups I passed (including the small dog) started filtering in, I chose this as an opportunity to head down the mountain. I stopped at another overlook and took a great photo of the rock edge that leads to the summit. If you look at the very top of the ledge, this is where I ate my breakfast.
I also took time searching the sides of the trail for mushrooms. I found a few unique fungi, photos below. (view my Mushroom Montage https://hikinggypsy.home.blog/2020/11/22/mushroom-montage/ post for more photos from this hike and previous adventures)
As I made my way back to the parking area there were a few groups heading up the mountain. The weather was getting very windy and it was starting to rain, so I made it back in perfect timing.
I always love traveling to these small towns and seeing different trailheads along the way. I wrote down a few new hikes I am going to explore, such as Eleventh Mountain. There is also a new brewery in Speculator called Lemontree Brewery. I can’t wait to check it out when I do my yearly fall hike up Panther Mountain.
Take a Hike 