Bushwhacks

Eagle Cliff in a 3,420′ peak in Franconia Notch, one of the most beautiful mountain passes in the White Mountains. Although it’s not a 4,000 footer, it commands tremendous views of the surrounding high peaks including Mt Lafayette and Mount Cannon. But …

I co-led an Osceola Ridge Traverse attempt on an Appalachian Mountain Club hike on Saturday with my friends Michael and Alex. Our goal was to traverse the West (4114′), Middle (4200′), Main (4315′) , and East Osceola (4156′) peaks from west to …

Yesterday was one on those perfect winter days in the White Mountains when it all came together – good friends, clear blue sky, gorgeous views, and a great climb. Our destination was Mt Nancy (3926′), a New England Hundred Highest Peak, which …

My friend Barbara said, “the reason bushwhacking is so challenging, is that there’s no guarantee that you’ll reach the peak. We’re so used to getting anything we want in this world that there are few things like that anymore.” She was right, …

Mount Moosilauke (4802) is one of the great peaks of the White Mountains with a substantial amount of picturesque above-treeline hiking. I’ve hiked it a few times this year with the intent of hiking up the different trails to the summit and …

Last weekend, I co-led a bushwhack to Northwest Hancock (4020) with a small group of experienced hikers from the Appalachian Mountain Club. This was my second attempt to summit this rarely climbed peak, the first of which was ended prematurely by cold-induced …

Last weekend I bushwhacked to Bald Cap, a 3,000 footer located to the north of the Mahoosuc Trail (Appalachian Trail) in New Hampshire’s North Country. I co-led this trip as part of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Map and Compass Navigation Workshop. We …

I popped up to New Hampshire for a quick hike last week, climbing two 4,000 footers, Mount Osceola and and bushwhacking to Middle Osceola. The first time I climbed on Mount Osceola, this was a few years back, I met a guy named …

I am really good at finding summit signs and canisters on trail-less bushwhack peaks. I have an uncanny ability to find herd paths, clear water sources, and even parking spaces in Harvard Square. I’m not sure if it’s attitude or karmic alignment …

Last Saturday, I co-led another AMC Boston instructional trip, a winter bushwhack up Mount Kancamagus, a New Hampshire 100 highest peak with an elevation of 3,763 feet. The point of this trip was to provide a gentle introduction to bushwhacking and expose …

My friend David and I went on a very tough bushwhack yesterday, climbing West Field Mountain (3,617ft) on the western side of Mount Field. This didn’t look like a difficult bushwhack on paper, quite the opposite, but the brush was so dense …