It isn’t very often that you get to spend the night out on top of a mountain. But that’s exactly what a small group of us did last weekend.

Mount Kearsarge is a strikingly conical peak in the White Mountain National Forest just north of North Conway, NH. And it just happens to have a fire tower on its 3,260 foot summit that is open to day hikers and backpackers alike.

The lower section of the 3.1 mile trail was clear with only the occasional patch of ice. But halfway up that changed as the trail became increasingly steep and icy.

Now, given the non-winter we’ve had, you can understand why some of us decided to leave our heavy duty crampons behind and take only Stabilicers for the bottom of our boots.

That idea worked fine until we unexpectedly (duh!) encountered the big sheets of ice across the trail. We slipped, slid and fell, and quickly determined that bushwhacking through the woods next to the trail was the only way up.

The bushwhack had its moments of struggle through thick brush, but soon enough we emerged onto the final summit slabs, and scampered up to the top and the tower.

Home sweet home for the night! What a treat!

The inside of the tower was quickly transformed with colorful gear as we settled in. The stove was fired up for soup and snacks, and a spot of red wine was enjoyed, as we took in the wonderful 360 degree views: Mount Washington, the deep V of Carter Notch, Pleasant Mountain, the Pemi Wilderness, and the valley of North Conway below.

The rest of our overnight group of five arrived along with a handful of day hikers and we enjoyed a fun social hour.

Throughout the evening strong north winds buffeted the tower, bringing a few light snowflakes. Inside, however, we were warm and dry and generally ecstatic to be camping out in such a cool place.

Sometime in the night the winds quit and the night became eerily silent, actually waking several of us. The temperature plunged to the single digits. But a brilliant sky full of stars appeared, which we enjoyed with a bit of shivering during bathroom runs.

It was tough to pack up and leave in the morning. We lingered over hot cocoa and shuffled about from window to window drinking in the scenery, before setting out.

We quickly picked up our bushwhack trail and crashed down through the brush to avoid the ice. It was a good plan that helped us again avoid the worst of it.

Early afternoon found us enjoying the warmth of Bray’s Brew Pub in Naples and a killer pulled pork sandwich washed down with a fine Old Church Pale Ale. Life is good.

Note: The Kearsarge fire tower is open and available for day and overnight use. To be sure, we checked in with officials of the WMNF prior to our trip. The tower is the last remaining fire tower in the entire WMNF and is a historic landmark. It is in immaculate condition. Treat it with care! We did. You should too. Pack out all your trash, sweep the floor (broom provided) and close the door when you leave. We want this wonderful place to stay in good shape for the enjoyment of many for many years to come. Thanks!

The trail to Kearsarge North just outside of North Conway NH.

The lower mountain was snow free and easy cruising...

... but the trail on the upper mountain was a treacherous sheet of ice!

Approaching the summit firetower after a healthy 2,600' ascent.

The views were awesome in all directions, especially north to rugged Carter Notch. Doublehead Mtn. is in the foreground.

Trip leader Andi fixes up our afternoon cocktails.

Andi and Jeff comfortably ensconced in the tower.

Brewing up the evening cocoa.

Just too damn comfortable to wanna get up.

We bushwhacked a good part of the descent to avoid the killer ice.