North (4761′) and South Twin (4902′) are two mountains on the north side of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. They’re difficult to climb in winter conditions because the road leading to the trailhead is gated closed in winter. There’s also a hazardous water crossing …
Read More »4000 Footers
Hiking Mt Carrigain in December
Mt Carrigain (4700′) is a beautiful mountain on the southeast edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness that boasts a viewing tower and a magnificent open ridge walk below the summit. It’s normally a 10 mile out and back hike with a whopping 3400′ …
Read More »Hiking Mt Garfield in December
Mt Garfield (4500′) is a 4000 footer on the famous Pemigewasset Loop. Located just north of Mt Lafayette, it is blessed with a fantastic view of the Twins, the Bonds, Owlshead Mountain, Franconia Ridge, and countless other peaks. Unfortunately, the summit was …
Read More »Very Cold Toes on Mt Field in November
Crawford Notch is one of the big mountain passes in the White Mountains and the dividing line between two mountain ranges, the Southern Presidentials leading to Mt Washington and the Willey Range, which forms the steep western wall of the notch opposite …
Read More »Hiking Mt Moriah in November
Mt Moriah is a 4000 footer overlooking the town of Gorham, NH, at the north end of the Carter Mountain Range in the White Mountains. There are a number of different trails that climb to the summit, but the most direct is …
Read More »Hiking the Twins and Galehead in November
Climbing the White Mountain 4000 footers gets more difficult in November with the onset of colder weather, seasonal and fire road closings, cold water crossings, and fewer daylight hours. But the show must go on if you’re hiking The White Mountain 4000 …
Read More »10 Tips for Climbing Mt Washington in Winter
Backpacker Magazine got it right when they named Mt Washington (6288′) one of the 10 most dangerous hikes in America. Several weather patterns collide on Mt Washington and produce its notoriously foul weather, which can move in quickly. The winds on Mt Washington …
Read More »Backpacking the Bonds in October
October is always a month of transition in the White Mountains from the peak foliage of Columbus Day to the onset of winter on the higher summits. The mood of the weather gods can seemingly change overnight, so it’s best to take …
Read More »Hiking an Adams and Madison Loop
With a high-pressure system parked over the White Mountains, I set out for another October climb in the Presidential Mountain Range. With temperatures in the high forties, winds under 20 mph, and fall foliage peaking in the valleys below, I looked forward …
Read More »Hiking a Monroe, Washington, Clay, Jefferson Loop
Winter comes early at the higher elevations in the White Mountains, especially on Mt Washington and in Presidential Mountain Range. Our first high elevation snowfall this year (2021) was on September 30, so when you get some good days in October where …
Read More »Hiking to Owls Head Mountain in September
Owls Head Mountain (4025′) is a White Mountain 4000 footer that is located deep in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. While it’s not a difficult peak to climb in terms of elevation gain, it’s an 18 mile out and back day hike with numerous …
Read More »Hiking and Fishing the Hancocks
North and South Hancock are two White Mountain 4000 footers in New Hampshire’s Pemigewasset Wilderness that are connected by a short ridge. Climbing them requires a fairly strenuous, wet, and muddy 9.8-mile hike with 2700′ of elevation gain, and most people do …
Read More »Backpacking the Bonds
The Bonds – Bondcliff, Mt Bond, and West Bond are three of the most scenic 4000 footers in the White Mountains, a place with no shortage of mountaintop views. They’re eleven miles from the nearest trailhead, smack in the middle of the …
Read More »Mt Monroe, Mt Washington, and the Bigelow Lawn
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 …
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