Pack Monadnock

:"This article is about a mountain located in Peterborough and Temple, New Hampshire. For other mountains with similar names, see Monadnock (disambiguation)":"Should not be confused with the nearby Mount Monadnock, the most prominent mountain in southern New Hampshire. "

Infobox Mountain
Name = Pack Monadnock
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Elevation = convert|2290|ft|m
Location = Peterborough and Temple, New Hampshire
Range = Wapack Range
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Coordinates = coord|42|51|46|N|71|52|43|W|type:mountain
Type = monadnock; metamorphic rock
Age = 400 million years
Last eruption =
First ascent =
Easiest route = auto road (seasonal)
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Pack Monadnock or Pack Monadnock Mountain, convert|2290|ft|m, is the highest peak of the Wapack Range of mountains and the highest point in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The mountain, a monadnock, is located in south-central New Hampshire within the towns of Peterborough and Temple. The convert|22|mi|km|abbr=on Wapack Trail and a number of shorter trails traverse the mountain. A firetower and ledges on the summit offer long views north to the White Mountains, west to Mount Monadnock, and south into Massachusetts. North Pack Monadnock Mountain is located directly to the north along the Wapack ridgeline; Temple Mountain to the south. Much of the mountain is located within Miller State Park. A seasonal automobile road ascends from the south to summit picnic area.

According to local tradition, the word "pack" is a Native American word for "little" and "monadnock" is used to describe an isolated mountain summit; thus "Little Monadnock" refers to its relationship to the higher Mount Monadnock, convert|3165|ft|m, convert|11|mi|km to the west. It should not be confused with the peak named Little Monadnock Mountain, located convert|17|mi|km to the west.

The east side of the mountain drains into the Souhegan River watershed, thence into the Merrimack River and Atlantic Ocean; the west side drains into the Contoocook River, thence into the Merrimack River.

The mountain is the home of the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory, where birdwatchers from around the region gather for the annual hawk migration. During the peak migration season in September, birdwatchers search the sky for kettles of hundreds of hawks swarming above rising thermals as they migrate south.

References

*"Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide" (1999). Boston: The Appalachian Mountain Club.

External links

* [http://www.wapack.org/ Friends of the Wapack]
* [http://www.newhampshireaudubon.org/center_pack.php Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory]