Trip Reports

The Lairig Ghru (Gaelic Làirig Dhrù) is the most famous mountain pass in Scotland. Its 500 meter deep trench cuts between the second and third highest mountains in the United Kingdom. The pass makes for a long day walk, or one of …

As we neared treeline on North Kinsman, Mr Bunny paused to admire the rime ice that coated the stubby spruce trees near the mountain summit. It had taken on a curious orange glow instead of crystalline white, diffusing the glare of the waning …

North and South Doublehead are two picturesque mountains located just outside Jackson, New Hampshire, on the eastern edge of the White Mountain National Forest. They’re moderate peaks to climb with special interest to skiers, because one of the trails on North Doublehead is a backcountry …

Jack Frost has arrived in the White Mountains, coating all of the peaks and big hills with a blanket of ice and snow. November can be a frustrating time for hikers here, when it’s hard to decide whether to carry full winter …

I’ve fallen in with a delightful group of bushwhackers who enjoy hiking up trailless peaks as much as I do. Our latest conquest were the twin summits of West and East Deception (3671′), two 3000 footers that overlook the valley with the Cog …

There are two ways to get food and supplies up to the Appalachian Mountain Club Hut in the White Mountains, by helicopter and on foot. Every May, each hut gets flown an average of 30,000 pounds of supplies including giant propane canisters, …

Mike and I were cold and wet when we reached the pond. We’d both gotten soaked on the bushwhack up to Mount Anderson (3740′) and had decided to hike back down to Norcross Pond and camp out instead of continuing deeper into …

My right leg sank knee-deep in the black sulfurous mud before I completely toppled into the stuff. As soon as my friends got a whiff, they backed away from me to escape the stench and put some distance between themselves and my mud coated clothing. I …

If you tell a White Mountain peakbagger that you’ve just climbed Mt Rosebrook (3004′), they’re likely to look at you funny and ask where the heck that is. Mt Rosebrook is the main peak of the Bretton Woods Ski resort across the …

The Captain is a remote 3540 foot mountain named for its resemblance to El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Located between South Hancock Mountain and Mount Carrigan in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, it’s a rugged off-trail bushwhack on the New Hampshire Hundred …

The North Peak of Loon Mountain, just outside of Lincoln, NH may just have the best views of any peak on the western side of the White Mountain National Forest. Where else can you see Moosilauke, the Kinsmans and the Cannonballs, Flume, …

Joe Comuzzi and I taught the AMC’s Map and Compass Course again last weekend at Harvard Cabin in Pinkham Notch, a 2-day class which combines a morning of instruction with two hikes to practice off-trail compass and navigation skills. The instruction includes some …

Kris and I were well on our way to sumitting West Hitchcock, our fourth Hitchcock in one day, when we let down our guard and used our eyes to navigate instead of our compasses. It’s such a simple mistake, but people do it all …

The Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness is arguably the best-kept secret in the White Mountain National Forest. Located entirely in Maine, it is adjacent to Evans Notch and the Wild River Wilderness, providing hikers with the opportunity to create multi-day backpacking routes through a …