Hiked July 4th weekend, 2005 by Tim and Valerie
Conditions: Poor Cotton Mountain seems to get no respect. It's a very tough little mountain. A lot of it is mental. We know it's only 0.9 miles, and we know it's only "X" minutes to the top, but somehow, it always seems long and tiring! The good thing is that we almost always have it to ourselves. The views from the ledges at the top are really nice. Gorgeous Squam Lake lies directly below it. This is a walk that we've done many times since we moved to Ashland. It's about a 10-minute drive from the house. It's definitely steep, and good when you only have a few minutes (such as in the evening in the late autumn).
Stats: 1.8 miles round trip, 700 ft elevation gain