February is the height of winter in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range and it can be difficult to find a weather window where the temperatures and wind speed are safe to climb the higher peaks. I’d passed up a few opportunities the week …
Read More »4000 Footers
Hiking a Bonds-Z Traverse in February
The Bonds is a group of three adjacent 4000+ foot mountains – Bondcliff, Mt Bond, and West Bond in the middle of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. They’re usually hiked along with Zealand Mountain as a 23-mile traverse when the forest service road leading …
Read More »Hiking to Mt Isolation in January
Mt Isolation is a White Mountain 4000-footer located in the Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness south of Mt Washington, with outstanding views of Washington, the Southern Presidential Range, the Oakes Gulf Headwall, and the Dry River Valley. It’s a potentially difficult hike in …
Read More »Wildcat Mountain 4000 Footer Access in Winter
The Wildcat Mountain Range has two White Mountain 4000 footers, called the ‘A’ peak or Wildcat A, and the ‘D’ peak, or Wildcat D. There are actually about 10 peaklets in total along the Wildcat Ridge Trail but those two are the …
Read More »Hiking North Twin Mountain in January
Every day I get a little bit stronger and my breathing gets a little bit easier. But getting Covid in December really kicked my ass. Even worse was the Covid cough that followed, setting me back a month or two in terms …
Read More »Hiking a Franconia Ridge Loop in December
The Franconia Ridge Loop consists of two five thousand footers, Mt Lincoln (5080′) and Mt Lafayette (5242′). In addition to their summits, the highlight of the loop is the above treeline Franconia Ridge Trail connecting Lincoln and Lafayette, with magnificent views of …
Read More »Hiking a Z-Bonds Traverse in December
A Z-Bonds Traverse is one of the more difficult hikes you can do in winter in the White Mountains. It’s even longer than a Presidential Traverse and much more remote. It requires hiking across the breadth of the Pemigewasset Wilderness for 23.3 …
Read More »Backpacking the Bonds in November
The Bonds are a group of three peaks – Bondcliff, Mt Bond, and West Bond – 11 miles from the nearest road in the middle of the White Mountains Pemigewasset Wilderness. They are spectacular mountains to climb with breathtaking views. With daylight in …
Read More »Backpacking a McCrillis Loop with Guthook
My friend Guthook (Ryan Lynn) and I try to get together every few years for a backpacking trip to reconnect and catch up. We’re in touch online, but there’s nothing like getting out into the woods, climbing a few mountains, and camping …
Read More »Backpacking Owls Head Mountain in October
Owls Head Mountain is a 4000-footer located deep in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. While you can hike out and back to it in a long 16-18 mile day, I had a hankering to turn it into a casual backpacking trip for a chance …
Read More »Hiking Eisenhower, Pierce, and Jackson in October
Mts Eisenhower, Jackson, and Pierce are three 4000 footers in the Southern Presidentials, west of Mt Washington. I like to climb all at once when because they’re in close proximity to one another, although it can be a big day, depending on …
Read More »Hiking Mt Lafayette and Mt Lincoln in October
The two most popular peaks to climb on Franconia Ridge, are Mt Lafayette and Mt Lincoln, two 5000-footers with stellar views of Franconia Notch and the Pemigewasset Wilderness. These two mountains are sublime and magnificent in their own right, but they really …
Read More »Backpacking a Reverse Kate Sleeper Loop
Autumn has arrived in the White Mountains, but leaf-peeping season is still a few weeks out. The Forest has been surprisingly empty the past two weeks and you can hike all day and just see a handful of people if any. I’ve …
Read More »Hiking Mt Madison in September
Mt Madison is the fifth highest 4000-footer in the White Mountains, topping off at 5367′. It’s a beautiful mountain to climb and you can follow many different trails to the top. For this hike, I chose one of the less used ones, …
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