My friend Joe has this saying, “Leave No Stragglers”, which is his mantra for hiking the White Mountain 4000 footers in a time and energy-efficient way. He’s working on his third 4000 footer Grid (see The Grid, Gridiots, and the Gridiocracy), where …
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Bushwhacking Sugar and Jericho Mountains
Sugar Mountain and Jericho Mountain are located in Jericho Mountain State Park, just outside Berlin, NH (pronounced Ber’-lin), the “City that Trees Built.” While it’s just a short distance from Mt Washington, Berlin has a “border outpost” feeling to it. It’s also …
Read More »Bushwhacking Mount Cushman
Mount Cushman is a 3220′ mountain on the New Hampshire 200 Highest List. It’s a trailless mountain so you have to bushwhack to climb it. It’s located just south of Mt Moosilauke on the edge of the Hubbard Experimental Forest, which is …
Read More »Bushwhacking Dinsmore Mountain
Dinsmore Mountain is adjacent to Mt Israel in the Sandwich Range. It’s a trail-less peak, so you have to bushwhack to the summit. Dinsmore is on the NH500 highest peaks list which I’ve started working on. I hiked this mountain with my …
Read More »Bushwhacking West Moat Mountain and Spruce Hill
West Moat Mountain and Spruce Hill are two peaks on the NH500 Highest List. They’re located near Conway, NH near the Boulder Loop Trail. Both are trailless peaks, so you have to bushwhack them. West Moat is located in a wild section of …
Read More »Bushwhacking West Hitchcock Mountain
The Hitchcocks are a cluster of five mountains in the White Mountain National Forest just outside of Lincoln, NH. They’re all on the New Hampshire 100 highest list (and the NH500 Highest list I’m currently working on) and none of them have …
Read More »Bushwhacking Mt Oscar
If you hike in the White Mountains, you’ve probably driven by Mt Oscar a million times without knowing its name. It the northernmost peak at the Bretton Woods Ski Resort (they call it West Mountain), adjacent to Mt Rosebrook, which is the …
Read More »Bushwhacking Northeast Paugus
Northeast Paugus is a mountain located off the Bolles Trail, near Mt Chocorua. Actually, it’s a knobby sub-peak of Mt Paugus, but well worth a climb of its own with a jaw-dropping view of Mt Chocorua and the Sisters Ridgeline from its …
Read More »Bushwhacking South Engine Hill
South Engine Hill (3244′) is a trail-less mountain on the New Hampshire 200 highest list that’s located off the Rocky Branch Trail outside of Jackson, NH. Climbing it requires hiking up the Rocky Branch Trail from Rt 16, a distance of 2.6 …
Read More »Bushwhacking Bartlett Haystack Mountain
I’ve had Bartlett Haystack Mountain on my radar for a few years, but never made the time to go climb it. It’s a trail-less peak off Bear Notch Rd, which is closed in winter, usually from November thru May or June. With …
Read More »Hiking the Skull Cairn Trail on Mt Chocorua
The White Mountain National Forest is riddled with decommissioned hiking trails, old logging roads, railroad spurs, and logging camps enough to keep anyone with a thirst for history and hiking off the beaten path satisfied for years to come. The Skull Cairn …
Read More »Backpacking a Willey Range Lollipop
Pungent. That’s the best way to describe the smell on the Zealand Trail as you approach the Beaver Ponds. They’re an essential part of the Zealand Valley ecosystem providing open space for migrating flocks of birds to land and rest while accelerating …
Read More »Red Rock Cliff Loop: Great Hikes in the White Mountains
The Red Rock Trail is in the northeastern corner of the White Mountain National Forest, in Maine. It’s a ridgeline trail that begins at Speckled Mountain and runs east over several lesser peaks named Butters Mountain and Red Rock Mountain, all the …
Read More »Fly Fishing the Great Gulf Wilderness
The Great Gulf Wilderness is a deep glacial valley surrounded by Mt Washington, and the Northern Presidentials – Mt Adams, Mt Jefferson, and Mt Madison. It’s drained by a high gradient stream called the West Branch of the Peabody River which runs …
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