The Black Crescents are three mountains located in the northernmost portion of the White Mountain National Forest bordering Jericho Mountain State Park in Berlin, NH. The three mountains, Black Crescent North, Black Crescent (Main), and Black Crescent South are all on the …
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Mt Monroe, Mt Washington, and the Bigelow Lawn
June is my favorite time of year to hike above treeline in the Whites, the sky is bright and clear, the wildflowers are blooming in the alpine zone, and the temperature is cool and crisp. It takes patience to wait for the …
Read More »Stairs Mountain Backpack
Stairs Mountain is a peak in the Presidential Range – Dry River Wilderness Area south of Mt Isolation and off the Davis Path. It’s the site of a magnificent cliff with far-reaching views of the southeastern White Mountains and several major peaks …
Read More »Climbing East Kineo Mountain
East Kineo is a mountain in a primitive area of the White Mountains called the Hubbard Experimental Forest. Run by the US Forest Service it’s home to one of the longest-running and most comprehensive ecosystem studies in the world, hosting long-term studies …
Read More »Hiking a McCrillis Trail Loop
The McCrillis Trail on Mt Whiteface isn’t very well known, even though it provides access to a White Mountain 4000 footer. I first hiked it five years ago when I was hiking all the trails in the White Mountain Guide, where the …
Read More »Climbing the Chocorua Blues
Mt Chocorua has a number of sub-peaks including Blue Mountain (2540′), Blue Northeast (2370′), and Blue Northwest (2380′). I’ve been thinking about climbing them since last Autumn and now that the snow has melted off most of the peaks under 3,000 feet …
Read More »Hiking a Chandler Brook Wamsutta Trail Loop on Mt Washington
The Chandler Brook Trail and the Wamsutta Trail are two lovely but strenuous trails located on Mt Washington that run from the Auto Road to the bottom of the Great Gulf Wilderness Area. They’re not very popular trails, despite the fact that …
Read More »Bushwhacking Currier Hill and Ames Mountain
Currier Hill and Ames Mountain are two trailless peaks in the Mt Moosilauke area of the White Mountains near Mt Carr. They’re adjacent to one another and make a nice off-trail loop if you like exploring new areas without the help of …
Read More »Gas Station and Convenience Store Resupply Guide
It’s a sad fact that many of the grocery stores you used to find in small towns along the Appalachian Trail and other hiking trails have been replaced by gas station convenience stores. The quality of food available has suffered and it can …
Read More »Bushwhacking Sentinel Mountain and Mt Mist
Spring has arrived in New Hampshire under 2500 feet, while winter conditions persist at higher elevations. After climbing some dozen 4000 footers in March, I’ve resumed working through the New Hampshire 500 Highest list with the aim of making some serious headway …
Read More »A Thirteen Falls Loop: Backpacking the 4000 Footers Guidebook
A 2-3 day, 31 mile scenic loop that journeys into the most remote part of the Pemigewasset Wilderness below Franconia Ridge, climbing 3 four thousand footers: Mt Garfield, Owls Head Mountain, and Mt Galehead. The route runs along the major watercourses of “The …
Read More »Climbing Tom-Field-Willey in March
Mt’s Tom, Field, and Willey are a group of three 4000-foot peaks that are usually hiked together because they’re all clustered along a single ridgeline above Crawford Notch. It’s not a difficult hike in mild weather, but it’s a reasonably long one …
Read More »Climbing Mt Cabot in February
Mt Cabot is the northernmost White Mountain 4000 footer and a 9.6 mile out and back hike with 3,000 feet of elevation gain. With spring on the horizon, I’ve started to wean myself off cross-country skiing and have begun hitting the trail …
Read More »Hiking a Faraway – Roberts Loop in the Ossipee Range
Mt Faraway and Mt Roberts are two peaks in the Ossipee Range in New Hampshire, about 30 minutes south of the White Mountain National Forest. Closer to New Hampshire’s “Lake District”, winter conditions there tend to be a bit milder than up …
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