I’ve hiked up Mount Monadnock nearly every year since I was a little squirt, and hiked Pack Monadnock more times than I can recall but for some reason, I hadn’t made it up North Pack until this winter.

I recommend it.

You can catch the northern end of the Wapack Trail by heading north up Route 31 out of Wilton. Pass through Lyndeborough center, and look for Gulf Road to your left. Take that to Mountain Road (Old Mountain Road on maps, but if I recall rightly, the sign says Mountain Road), and take a left. You pass by “Ted’s Trail” (not sure what that is) and a really cool fieldstone house before reaching the Wapack trailhead.

The trail up North Pack is no harder than hiking Pack Monadnock, just a bit less crowded. Also, it’s nice to know there won’t be any cars up top. My son and I did it one day in December, before winter had gotten around to Nashua. It was colder out west there (it always is), and there was ice on the trail. I’d suggest cleats, this time of year. I had hoped to do the “Cliff Walk” loop, too, but we started late, walked slow and voted unanimously in favor of getting home by dinnertime.