Trip Reports

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Your clothing for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike doesn’t have to be overly complicated—in fact, simpler is better because you don’t want to carry anything you’re not going to use. What you do want is clothing that is durable, doesn’t chafe or rub …

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 …

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 …

The Baldface Circle Trail is one of the most magnificent hikes in the White Mountains with nearly 4 miles of open ledge rivaling the northern Presidentials in terms of views. Located in the northeastern corner of the Whites near the New Hampshire …

North and Middle Sugarloaf are two small mountains located just outside Twin Mountain, NH that provide outstanding views of the Twin, Rosebrook, and Presidential Mountain Ranges and only require a moderate 3.4 mile round trip walk to reach. While both peaks have views, Middle Sugarloaf …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Winter isn’t so much of a season in the White Mountains as an altitude. The onset of winter always starts at the higher elevations first with freezing rain and snow before the snow line drops into the mountain passes and valleys below. …

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 …