Trip Reports

When you backpack in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, there are two types of backcountry campsites. The first are designated backcountry lean-tos and tentsites managed by the US Forest Service or local trail organizations, and the second are dispersed campsites that you choose yourself in wilderness settings, provided you …

The Kilkenny Ridge Traverse is a moderate 2-3 day, 27 mile scenic traverse of some of wildest and remote scenery in the White Mountains. It’s a particularly attractive route for backpackers interested in avoiding the crowds of day hikers who frequent the southern and central Whites. It’s also a wilder …

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 Pemi” past cascades, pools, and gorgeous swimming holes, …

A Presidential Traverse is one of the most famous and strenuous hikes in the White Mountains. This 2-3 day route is 25 miles in length with a cumulative elevation gain of 9,000 feet. It climbs eight 4000-footers with 14 miles of above-treeline hiking. Madison Adams Jefferson Washington Monroe Eisenhower Pierce …

Imagine you’re standing on top of a mountain, looking down at a sea of clouds blanketing the valleys below. Called a cloud inversion or undercast, it’s a rare enough weather phenomenon that you’re willing to blow off work to climb a mountain to experience it. I’m not sure what prompted me …

A 2-3 day, 22 mile scenic loop that travels up the Dry River Valley, climbing the Oakes Gulf headwall, to a set of alpine lakes at the foot of Mt Washington. From here, hikers climb 4 four thousand footers in sequence: Mt Monroe, Mt Eisenhower, Mt Pierce, and Mt Jackson, before …

“These aren’t 20 mile per hour winds,” I told Eliot, as we started climbing the Crawford Path up to the Southern Presidential Range, just south of Mt Washington in New Hampshire. Our destination was Mount Pierce and Mt Jackson, two 4000 footers, both with above-treeline summits. I could tell that …

The White Mountain National Forest is located about 2 and 1/2 hours north of Boston, 6 hours north of New York City, and about 2 hours from Portland, Maine. It’s visited by over 6 million people per year, and provides numerous recreational opportunities including hiking, backpacking, camping, climbing, skiing, ice …