Backpacking Trips

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 …

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 …

Castle Ravine and Jefferson Ravine are two glacial valleys in between Mt Adams and Mt Jefferson, the second and third highest mountains in New Hampshire’s Northern Presidentials. I did a one-night trip last week where I climbed both on successive days, with …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Sandwich Dome (3980′) is not quite a White Mountain 4000 footer but it’s still a popular mountain to climb because it commands such an impressive view. It’s also a huge mountain that can be climbed from a number of different directions along …

I just got back from a very quick 1 night backpacking trip into the heart of the Pemigewasset Wilderness in the White Mountains. My final destination was a set of three 4,000 footers called the Bonds that include: Mt Bond, West Bond, …

Mt Adams is the second-highest peak on the White Mountain 4000 footers list, with an elevation of 5774 feet. The most direct route to the summit follows the Airline Trail, which climbs 4,500 feet in 4.3 miles. It’s a tough climb up …

Boott Spur is a 5492′ sub-peak of Mt Washington and forms the southern headwall of Tuckerman Ravine. While it lacks the glamour and popularity of its massive neighbor it’s also a formidable rock pile and major alpine zone crossroads. Boott Spur is …

Mount Guyot is a 4000 footer (4580′) located near the center of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, almost exactly halfway between Franconia Notch and Crawford Notch, as the crow flies. Pronounced “Gee-oh”, with a hard “G”, it’s named after the Arnold Guyot, a geography …

Gentian Pond is in the Mahoosuc Range, one of the hardest sections of the Appalachian Trail. I hiked a one-night loop up to the AT shelter there, visiting two big waterfalls called Giant Falls and Dryad Falls on the way. My friend …

Most of my backpacking trips this year have turned into guidebook chapters for Backpacking the White Mountain 4000 footers, instead of personal trip reports. But my latest backpacking trip through the Caribou-Speckled Wilderness doesn’t have what it takes to be a guidebook …

“It is amazing how much trail building the Cohos Trail Association gets done with such limited resources,” said Guthook, as we climbed up the Percy Loop Trail to North Percy Mountain. Guthook has worked as trail crew for the Green Mountain Club …