White Mountains

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 …

The White Mountain National Forest, known as “The Whites” has its share of difficult hiking lists and challenging hikes. The White Mountain 4000 footer list with its 48 peaks, is the list that most aspiring New England hikers cut their teeth on …

Mt Clay is a 5500′ subpeak of Mt Washington that towers over the west end of the Great Gulf. While it’s become an increasingly popular destination in the Northern Presidentials, you can still find yourself alone on the summit when the surrounding …

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 …

Pliny Mountain is a 3605′ mountain close to Mt Waumbek, a 4000 footer in the Pliny Range of the White Mountain National Forest which includes Mt Starr King and the three Weeks, North, Middle, and South. It’s considered a trailless peak but …

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 …