Temple Mountain, a ridge rather than a single peak, is a feature of the 21-mile long Wapack Trail between Ashburnham MA and Greenfield NH. It’s a great location for a dayhike when nearby Miller State Park and Pack Monadnock are crowded, which is often the case on weekends and holidays. I recently parked in the marked lot on NH Route 101 across from Miller State Park, and started walking south. I kept my eyes open for blazes that would guide me away from Temple’s old ski trails and keep me on the hiking trail.

The walk south to Temple Ledges was pleasant. There are few vistas on this stretch, so all the folks wanting to see the countryside ought to go to just about any other peak on the northern part of the Wapack except this one. Lots of birds — including what I think was a bobwhite, which I had seen before only in books! A bird’s a little thing, but I was delighted anyway. I encountered about ten other folks enjoying the day, all (even their dogs) sensibly dressed with something orange in this hunting season. Woods, stone walls, a group of cairns that could pass for a living room grouping, plenty of birdsong: not a bad way to spend two hours. This is not the place to wear sneakers, by the way. The approach to the ledges isn’t all that steep, but within a few days of any kind of rain, there is mud. You’ll get fair warning of that as you splash your way through the parking lot.