4000 Footers

When we crested Kinsman Ridge, the first thing we saw was Franconia Ridge floating above a billowy cloud of undercast. Also called a cloud inversion, undercast occurs when a cold layer of air is trapped in a canyon or mountain pass and topped with a layer of warm air, which …

The first backpacking trip I ever took in New Hampshire’s White Mountains started at the Rattle River Trailhead on Rt 2 outside of Gorham. We met at the shelter that first evening, 2 miles up from the highway, and then climbed Mts Moriah, Middle Carter, South Carter, Hight, and Carter …

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 …

“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 …

North and Middle Tripyramid are two 4000 footers located in the Waterville Valley, in the southern section of the White Mountains. They’re quite close together and usually climbed on the same day. South Tripyramid is another peak on the same ridge, but is not climbed as frequently because it’s not …

South Carter Mountain (4430′) is a White Mountain 4000 footer located in the Carter Moriah Range, almost due east from Mount Washington. It’s one of the more moderate 4000 footers to climb and a good peak to start the winter hiking season with. I was joined on this hike by Keith …

Late autumn/early winter conditions are notoriously tricky to forecast in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and you need to be willing to modify or abort your trip plans when conditions on the ground don’t meet your expectations. I found myself in that situation the day after Thanksgiving (11/23/17), on a late …

Mt Flume and Mt Liberty are the two southernmost 4000 footers on the southern end of Franconia Ridge. Sometimes called “Fliberty”, they’re frequently hiked together in a loop since they’re only separated by a 1.2-mile walk along the top of the ridge. Of the two, Liberty gets the most traffic …

“South Twin must be the most climbed mountain on the 4000 footer list”, said my friend Lisa, “It’s on the way to so many other peaks”. South Twin Mountain is at a cross roads for anyone hiking from the Pemigewasset Wilderness to the Zealand Valley or Crawford Notch areas of …

Pungent. That’s the best way to describe the smell on the Zealand Trail as you approach the Beaver Ponds. They’re an essential part of the Zealand Valley ecosystem providing open space for migrating flocks of birds to land and rest while accelerating the decomposition of the trees and grasses they …

When people visit the White Mountains, the two geographic features they remember the most are the mountains and the notches, which are giant mountains passes that link different regions of the area together. When you drive down the narrow two-lane roads that snake through Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch, and Pinkham …

A Pemigewasset Loop is a 31-mile loop hike in New Hampshire’s White Mountains that follows the ridgeline encircling the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The route climbs 8 four thousand footers with 9000 feet of elevation gain and has long stretches of above-treeline travel. You can increase the number of four thousand footers …

Owl’s Head Mountain is one of the most remote 4000 footers in the White Mountains, deep in the heart of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Feeling in need of a long hike, I decided to climb it but to take a roundabout route to get there, looping around the peak’s north end …

The Passaconaway Slide Trail is an old “lost” trail that climbs an avalanche path to Mt Passaconaway, a 4000 footer in the Sandwich Range. While it’s no longer signed or listed in the White Mountain Guide, it is possible to find the old route with a little bushwhacking saavy and …