White Mountains

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

A Pemi Loop, as it’s known locally, is a 33 mile loop hike that follows the ridgeline encircling the Pemigewasset Wilderness. This 2-3 day route climbs TEN 4000 footers with 9000 feet of elevation gain and has long stretches of above-treeline travel, …

Spring hiking conditions in New Hampshire’s White Mountains can be quite unpredictable depending on your location and elevation. Despite the change in season and longer days, snow usually lingers on the high peaks well into late May, and daytime temperatures remain quite …

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 …

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 …