New Hampshire 4000 Footers

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Mount Isolation Backpack

SAT: Rocky Branch river

After my New Hampshire 4000 Footers outings in June and August, I began to question my approach to the list of 48. It wasn’t that the climbs had ceased to be enjoyable, rather that a certain routine or lack of intensity seemed to have crept in. It had been a while since I’d come down from a peak and thought “wow, that was quite something.” I decided to focus less on accomplishing the task (Mount Osceola, √ ) and more on the experience of doing it. From this came the idea of choosing a challenging summit next and making it an overnight. Mount Isolation, as its name says, is a remote peak, but do-able in a day even at the end of October. Doing it as a one-night backpack, however, might be more memorable, less rushed.

I was ready to take this hike on October 21/22, but the forecast became for heavy rain. I stayed in Connecticut. The next weekend began to look good, but by Thursday high winds had entered the forecast and put doubts in my mind. Finally, I decided that I would deal with whatever was put in front of me even if that meant turning back short of the summit. You can only plan so much. But Mount Isolation became my 35th summit of the 48 and I look back on it now and think “wow, that was something.”

DATE: Saturday and Sunday, October 28/29.
START & FINISH: Rocky Branch Trailhead (GPS 44.204372, -71.240455) 5 miles north of Jackson, NH on NH Route 16.
ROUTE: Rocky Branch and Isolation trails, Davis Path, to Mount Isolation summit (4,003’); retrace steps.
DISTANCE: 14.4 miles—Saturday: 10.7 miles (to summit, then back to a campsite near the junction of the Isolation and Rocky Branch trails); Sunday: 3.7 miles
TIME: 26¾ hrs (7:45am Saturday to 10:30am Sunday), of which maybe 10 hrs was actual hiking.
TERRAIN: With the exception of the first and last few miles, plus bits of the ridgeline Davis Path, the trails were very rough. My abiding memory will be of stretching from rock to uneven rock to evade surface water (flowing or still) and mud. There were several crossings of the Rocky Branch. I took off my boots for one of them, maybe unnecessarily as I rock-hopped across at the same place on my return leg. These obstacles overshadowed actual elevation gain—2,800’ from trailhead to summit. Most of the hike is in the Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness, so these conditions were not unexpected.
MAPS: Gaia GPS, plus print-outs of relevant notes from the AMC White Mountain Guide to help with river-crossings and campsite information.

WEATHER: Saturday morning—the ascent—was mild, even warm. In the afternoon, on the ridge and summit, it became windy, then wet, windy, and cold. By late afternoon, at camp at 2,800’, the rain had stopped and the campsite was sheltered from the wind. Hiking down on Sunday morning, it was colder, but calm and dry. Just as I arrived at my car, it began to sleet.
WILDLIFE: Squirrels; bird sound; a blue jay, I think, flying through the forest; a sound like antlers hitting timber in the woods.

FOOD: The highlight was Mountain House yellow curry on Saturday evening.
UPS: (1) The fleeting beauty of the rainbows seen from Isolation’s summit (see PICTURES); (2) a peaceful overnight camp to the sounds of river and breeze; and (3) Sunday’s short, carefree hike (no need by then to care what the weather may do, or wonder if I’d find a good campsite).
DOWNS: (1) Several episodes of thigh cramps; (2) I had hoped to camp near the ridge and make several visits to the summit, and maybe to nearby Mount Davis also, but actual and forecast conditions made for a brief summit stay and a decision to camp lower down.
KIT: My Salomon boots, fairly new still, kept my feet remarkably dry given the conditions. My smaller (1.9 gal) bear canister, brand new, kept my food safe from critters (without, I am pretty sure, actually being tested).
COMPANY: More than I expected, but nearly all gone by sundown.

PICTURES:

GPS TRACK:

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Day Hike Notes – Mount Monroe via Edmands Path

One of the Lakes of the Clouds from Mount Monroe proper

On Monday, I hiked the Hancocks in decent if unspectacular weather. The forecast for Tuesday did not look even decent. Sure enough, stirring myself at my campground on Tuesday morning, falling rain gave me no incentive to hang around and make coffee. Heading for another 4,000-footer seemed pointless too. To the extent that I had a plan as I drove away, it was to tour the Whites, stopping here and there for a lower-elevation walk. I drove down to Lincoln (no coffee on offer), up through Franconia Notch (yup, my car is making a funny noise), and on to Bretton Woods (gray, vacated). But from Bretton Woods I looked over to the Presidential Range and, despite showers and overcast, I could see its summits, even Mount Washington’s. Why not hike up to them?

For the record, Mount Monroe became my 34th of the 48 New Hampshire 4000 Footers (and the disconcerting noise from my car turned out to be wheel bearings in need of replacement, possibly because of driving too many dirt roads to trailheads).

DATE: Tuesday, August 15th.
START & FINISH: Edmands Path Trailhead (44.249084, -71.391292), Mount Clinton Road, 6 miles east of Bretton Woods, NH.
ROUTE: Edmands and Crawford paths to Mount Monroe Loop. Mount Monroe Loop over Little Monroe and Monroe (5,372’) summits, and down to Crawford Path near Lakes of the Clouds. Crawford and Edmands paths back to Start. On this hike, Crawford Path is also the Appalachian Trail.
DISTANCE: About 10 miles.
TIME: 7¼ hours (9:00am to 4:15pm).
TERRAIN: The summit of Mount Monroe is 3,372’ above Start. Generally, the climb is gradual and decent underfoot. There are, however, a few rocky or bouldery sections of trail and, on Little Monroe, some bouldering on “trail” shown only by cairns.
MAP: AMC White Mountains Trail Map 1 and Gaia GPS.

WEATHER: Rain to begin with, but not heavy. Misty above tree line with periods of partial clearing. No sunshine or significant wind. Clammy. Probably mid-50s on summits.
WILDLIFE: Nothing of note.

BREAKFAST & LUNCH: Coffee (good and strong) and muffin from the Bretton Woods Irving gas station. Lunch was tortillas with cheese and salami on Mount Monroe.
UPS: I pretty much enjoyed the whole day, but climbing Little Monroe as the views opened somewhat was special (see PICTURES).
DOWNS: On my way down, on a rooty-rocky part of Edmands Path, I tripped and fell into the small conifers on the downslope side of the trail. I came to rest reclined in the trees, supported by my pack. I took a few seconds to orient myself to my suddenly changed location and to realize that no part of my body was hurting. I extricated myself (inelegantly, I am sure) and resumed the descent, grateful that I had not landed on a rock or a snapped tree limb.
KIT: The last time I came this way, at very much the same time of year, “the wind was suddenly cold and fierce” when I reached the alpine zone, “and I went in moments from wearing a light layer or two to fleece, jacket, wooly hat, and gloves”. It wasn’t like that today at all.
COMPANY: Unsurprisingly on a wet and misty Tuesday, this was with few exceptions a solitary hike.

THE HIKE IN PICTURES:

GPS TRACK:
(I have no idea why Mount Monroe is not labeled. It lies halfway between Little Monroe and Lakes of the Clouds, on or near the binoculars icon.)

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Day Hike Notes – The Hancocks, White Mountains, NH

Mount Passaconaway from Hedgehog Mountain

On Sunday, the day I arrived in the Whites, I took a late-afternoon hike. It was supposed to be fairly gentle, a warm-up hike for the Hancocks on Monday. As it happened, I found the climb up little Hedgehog Mountain (2,532’) to be tough going. But there were views from the summit ledges (see adjacent photo for one of them) and I put the tough going down to a 4am rise and a long drive (I had detoured somewhat to meet Dave and Julie for breakfast at a coffeeshop beside the Vermont Appalachian Trail). Then, coming down to Hedgehog’s East Ledges, I felt pain in my right foot. It was not unbearable, but it was certainly uncomfortable, and it stayed with me for the rest of the hike. Some warm-up 😦 I wondered if I would be fit for the Hancocks the next day. On Monday morning, I bound up a toe that seemed to be connected to the pain, took two ibuprofen, and put on my hiking boots. Setting out from Hancock Trailhead, I discovered to my delight that I could walk without pain, and that was the big high of the day.

DATE: Monday, August 14th.
START & FINISH: Hancock Trailhead (44.040897, -71.523450), Kancamagus Highway, 10 miles east of Lincoln, NH.
ROUTE: Hancock Notch and Cedar Brook trails to Hancock Loop Trail. I did the loop part counterclockwise, that is South Hancock first.
DISTANCE: 9.8 miles.
TIME: 7¼ hours (7:15am to 2:30pm).
TERRAIN: Easy to moderate for the first 3.6 miles. Then the Hancock Loop Trail climbed 1,000 feet in half a mile to summit South Hancock (not much short of a 40% average grade and certainly steeper in places). The ridge/saddle between South Hancock (4,319’) and Mount Hancock (4,420’) was a return to “easy to moderate”, which is not to say that the Whites’ infamous rocks & roots were absent. There were muddy areas too. The climb down from Hancock was as steep as the climb up to South Hancock had been. Care was needed, especially where loose stones formed the surface of the pitched trail.
MAP: AMC White Mountains Trail Map 2 and Gaia GPS.

WEATHER: Mostly overcast, calm, mild (60s).
WILDLIFE: Most notably, a climbing toad (see PICTURES).

BREAKFAST & LUNCH: Oatmeal and coffee at Big Rock Campground, the usual trail food for lunch.
UPS: (1) Several attractive brooks; (2) my right foot not bothering me (see intro).
DOWNS: If I had to pick one, I’d say the muddy and eroded bits of the “easy to moderate” sections.
KIT: As usual, when I carry shoes for wet stream-crossings, I do not need them.
COMPANY: Almost none until South Hancock, then increasing, but never to the point of too much.

THE HIKE IN PICTURES:

Trailside brook 45 minutes from Start
A climbing buddy
Mount Carrigain (left) and Kearsarge North (prominent pyramid right of center) seen from South Hancock
South Hancock (right) and Passaconaway (beyond, slightly left of South Hancock) seen from Mount Hancock
Maybe North Fork, Hancock Branch

GPS TRACK:
Link to Gaia GPS page (Hancocks): https://www.gaiagps.com/public/F6FEuN5Oh68GcgyNBDcXRKhU/
Link to Gaia GPS page (Hedgehog, Sunday): https://www.gaiagps.com/public/bu0nVmN1h05iIJGoYLr6JJGn/

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Mounts Osceola and Moriah, White Mountains

Carter-Moriah Trailhead

Brief notes and a few pictures from a dash up to New Hampshire’s White Mountains the weekend of June 3rd/4th. I was working on the 4,000 Footers. Mount Osceola (Saturday, 4,340’) and Mount Moriah (Sunday, 4,049’) took me to 31/48. More importantly, despite (or maybe assisted by) poor weather, I enjoyed myself. The first set of notes are individual to each mountain, the second set (WILDLIFE down) embrace the whole trip.

MOUNT OSCEOLA:

START & FINISH: Thornton Gap (trailhead GPS 43.983152, -71.558801, elevation 2,280’).
ROUTE: Mount Osceola Trail to summit and back.
DISTANCE: 6.4 miles.
TIME: 4 hours from 8:45 a.m.
TERRAIN: A steady climb on very decent trail, probably my easiest NH 4,000 Footer yet.
WEATHER: Mostly dry but misty higher up. Cold on the summit (30s) especially when caught in a breeze.
GPS TRACK: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/60ac1f86ddd2f31b196d7a8dae5cd381/

MOUNT MORIAH:

START & FINISH: Bangor Street, Gorham (trailhead GPS 44.382480, -71.169390, elevation 800’).
ROUTE: Carter-Moriah Trail to summit and back.
DISTANCE: 9 miles.
TIME: 6 hours from 6:30 a.m.
TERRAIN: 3,250’ net elevation gain, but nowhere overly steep or scrambly. There are, however, steep ledges above Mount Surprise and, ascending them, I wondered how difficult the descent might be on rain-slicked rock. Quite manageable, it turned out, with only a little butt time.
WEATHER: Increasingly frequent and longer showers. Cold (30s) on the summit. Lingering patches of snow in a few crannies.
GPS TRACK (descent only): https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/d10070474b1c2052b23b5389eed6dfa8/

WILDLIFE: A red squirrel in the Mount Moriah pines.
DOWNS: I had an uncomfortable night in my Gorham motel and, waking up early and unrested on Sunday morning, soon saw a shrouded Mount Moriah beyond the edge of town. Skies were gray, rain looked imminent. I thought of driving home. I got some coffee and breakfast (in that order of importance) and drove to the trailhead, still not sure if I would climb.
UPS: At the trailhead, a breeze came through, not powerful but not soft either. It felt fresh, cool, and clean, and it made my mind up to climb. I’m glad I did. There were a few misty views, but mainly I got to enjoy little things like the sound of the dripping pine forest and the thwack of raindrops on the broad-leaved trees lower down.
KIT: On Sunday’s climb, working out when I was drier with my rain jacket on and when with it off—a rain versus condensation question.
COMPANY: On Osceola, lots, including a big trail maintenance crew (thanks!); on Moriah, just two encounters.

THE HIKES IN PICTURES:

The summit of Mt Osceola
Looking west from the Carter-Moriah Trail, lowly Pine Mountain is the only visible top (Presidentials, left of center, are well shrouded)
Reindeer lichen/moss (I think)
You know who atop Mt Moriah
A boggy stretch of Carter-Moriah
Carter-Moriah ledges

 

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NH Whites – Mounts Carrigain, Tom, and Field

Crawford Brook, near the end of Sunday’s hike

It had been an emotional week, holding the wedding of my eldest daughter, followed by the departure of my middle daughter to live in Seattle (where, incidentally, she joins my youngest daughter). Even before these events kicked off, I had thought that a weekend in the Whites once they were finished might provide room for reflection and reorientation.

Given the time of year, I did not think it would be a camping trip. But then I checked the weather forecast, which sent me looking for camping options, discovering that familiar Dry River Campground would be open for one last weekend. When the time came, Friday night in particular was cold, down to the mid 20s. But I had warm clothing and multiple sleeping bags, and gazing up at the dark, starry heavens before turning in was pure reward.    

Below are notes, pictures, and links to tracks for my two hikes, taken on days that grew mild. In my pursuit of the New Hampshire 4,000 Footers, these were summits 27, 28, and 29. You cannot be out in the Whites now without noticing how popular pursuing the list has become, maybe a little too popular if, as I do, you like a lot of peace and quiet and a degree of solitude. I will keep up the quest but not in the hope of isolation.

Mount Carrigain, Saturday October 29th

START & FINISH: Signal Ridge Trailhead (44.070001, -71.383669), Sawyer River Road, west of Bartlett.
ROUTE: Signal Ridge Trail to Mount Carrigain (4,700 feet) and back.
DISTANCE: 10 miles.
TIME: 7½ hours (7:40am to 3:10pm)
TERRAIN: An easy start for a few miles, then a steady slog to the summit, interrupted only by a short level and grand views at around 4,400 feet.

Gaia GPS track

The beginning
The trail crosses Carrigain Brook—no bridge
Almost there, fire tower visible atop Mount Carrigain
Almost there, easterly view—Carrigain Notch (foreground), Crawford Notch (left, middle distance), Mount Washington (left of center beyond Crawford Notch)
On the fire tower, Franconia Ridge (scarred) in the distance on the right. Camels Hump, 75 miles away in Vermont, can also be seen—just!

Mounts Tom and Field, Sunday October 30th

START & FINISH: Avalon Trailhead across the tracks from Crawford Notch Depot (44.217625, -71.410931), Route 302 south of Bretton Woods.
ROUTE: Avalon Trail to A-Z Trail then Mount Tom spur. Up and down the spur, then Willey Ridge Trail to Mount Field. Return by Avalon Trail (and Mount Avalon spur for the view 😊)
DISTANCE: 7 miles.
TIME: 5¾ hours (7:30am to 1:15pm)
TERRAIN: Plenty of rough and often steep trail. The section immediately after Mount Avalon (750 feet of descent in 0.5 miles) was notable in this regard, testing both concentration and knees. 

Gaia GPS track

Steep and rough—A-Z Trail
On Mount Tom (4,051 feet, not much of a view)
Looking north from Mount Field (4,340 feet), Mount Tom left of picture, Bretton Woods below
Presidential Range across Crawford Notch from Mount Avalon (3,442 feet, good views)
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Day Hike Notes – Mount Jefferson via Caps Ridge Trail

Caps and Jefferson seen on my descent

DATE: Tuesday, June 7th, the final day of a four-day trip to the White Mountains. Sunday’s and Monday’s hikes are covered in the preceding posts. Saturday’s was a warm-up on Mount Tecumseh.
START & FINISH: Caps Ridge Trailhead (44.296734, -71.353611), Jefferson Notch Road (gravel), 7 miles NE of Bretton Woods, NH.
ROUTE: Out and back on the Caps Ridge Trail, simple as that.
DISTANCE: 5 miles according to the signage (my GPA said less).
TIME: 5¼ hours (8:00am to 1:15pm).
TERRAIN: The summit of Mount Jefferson is at 5,716 feet and the trailhead, at the height of land in Jefferson Notch, is at 3,000’. So, 2,700’ climbed in the course of 2.5 miles. Pretty easy, right? Not really. The trail involves a fair amount of scrambling and is also exposed. I would not try it when the rocks are likely to be wet or the wind fierce.
MAP: Just my Gaia GPS.

WEATHER: Sunny, breezy in places, becoming warm by my descent.
WILDLIFE: Nothing of note on the hike but, around sunset that day, a bear hurried across a forest road in front of my car.

BREAKFAST & LUNCH: I made coffee and ate some kind of breakfast (I don’t remember what) at the trailhead. Lunch happened after the hike.
UPS: Well, the summit of course (my highest yet in the Whites), but really the whole outing was a high.
DOWNS: At breakfast before setting out, the mosquitos were plentiful.
KIT: Most of this hike is out of the trees but I forgot the sunscreen! (I used a shirt as a scarf to protect the back of my neck.)
COMPANY: As I was leaving the summit, I crossed paths with a hiker on the final steps of his way up. He must have been moving fast because he caught up with me soon after, not far into the descent. We exchanged some words, then some more, and ended up descending together for a fair part of the route. Stuart was good company and his hailing originally from Great Britain gave us some additional talking points. He had moved to New Hampshire quite recently after a long sojourn in California. He is also a blogger—Trailspotting (“NH Hikes, NH Railtrails, CA Hikes, More”).

THE HIKE IN PICTURES:

Potholed outcrop with views (moving left from center, middle distance) to Pierce, Eisenhower, and a flank of Monroe
One of the caps (rocky outcrops), right of picture
Washington (with antennas), Clay (just to Washington’s right), and Monroe (just right of center)
Washington from Jefferson, Great Gulf between
Adams from Jefferson

GPS TRACK:
Link to Gaia GPS page: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/Zod7ZyWSUhD0OpegJfaDKIyR

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Day Hike Notes – North Twin Mountain

Beside the Little River

DATE: Monday, June 6th, the third day of a four-day trip to the White Mountains. On the Saturday, I warmed up on Mount Tecumseh. On the Sunday, I hiked Mount Hale and Zealand Mountain.
START & FINISH: North Twin Trailhead (44.237958, -71.547375), Haystack Road (dirt), 4 miles south of the community of Twin Mountain, NH.
ROUTE: An out-and-back on the North Twin Trail. (Little River Crossings: Nearly half this hike follows the Little River. My AMC White Mountain Guide (2007 edition) says “The three crossings of the Little River on this trail are very difficult or impassable at high water; the third is the least difficult, and the first two can be avoided by staying on the east bank and bushwhacking along the river”. I discovered that (a) the crossing to the west bank is easily missed, (b) the east bank “bushwhack” is in fact a trail, albeit occasionally overgrown and faint, and (c) even without high water the third river crossing will be challenging for some if you are not equipped to paddle/wade. The stones are not conveniently placed or shaped for stepping. I used the east bank route out and back.)
DISTANCE: 8.6 miles.
TIME: 7 hours (8:15am to 3:15pm).
TERRAIN: I remember feeling, and having other hikers confirm, that the North Twin Trail is a workout. Except at the very beginning/end, and on the short summit section, the trail is rough underfoot. It climbs 3,000 feet to the 4,761-foot summit.
MAP: AMC White Mountains Trail Map #2 plus Gaia GPS.

WEATHER: Sunny, mild, calm.
WILDLIFE: Do gnat clouds on the summit trail count?

BREAKFAST & LUNCH: Breakfast was coffee and oatmeal at my campsite at Sugarloaf I (Forest Service). Lunch on North Twin was the same old same old but the accompanying view was superb.
UPS: Breaking out to the summit views after the long, treed-in slog to get there.
DOWNS: Somewhere on the return leg, I entered the state of “let’s just get this done”.
KIT: If I had brought stream-crossing footwear, I might have used it  (see ROUTE).
COMPANY: As I was enjoying alone my last view before descending, a party of four women from Massachusetts (aged 30-something to maybe late 60s) came up the trail. They had a good banter going and I was quickly and willingly sucked in, my accent proving popular.

THE HIKE IN PICTURES:

The “least difficult” crossing—challenging nevertheless (whatever the photo may suggest!)
Looking toward South Twin from near the summit of North Twin
North Twin’s treed in summit
Outlook just off North Twin’s summit—from left to right: Galehead Hut in the saddle; Franconia Ridge (in distance center/right of center); Mount Garfield (middle distance, right)

GPS TRACK:
Link to Gaia GPS page: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/czQ04PB4sJ1R2j7mMayHW7rf
(The straight-line section of the GPS track beside the river on my out leg is an error caused by my closing the app for a while by mistake.)

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Day Hike Notes – Mount Hale, Zealand Mountain, And More

Start

DATE: Sunday, June 5th, the second day of a four-day trip to the White Mountains. On Saturday, I warmed up on Mount Tecumseh.
START & FINISH: Hale Brook Trailhead (44.236529, -71.486954), Zealand Road (dirt), 5-6 miles SE of the community of Twin Mountain, NH.
ROUTE: A lollipop loop with the (twisty) stick halfway through—Hale Brook Trail to Mount Hale; Lend-a-Hand Trail to the Appalachian Trail (AT) at Zealand Falls, then AT “south” to the 0.1-mile Zealand Mountain side-trail; return by AT “north” to Zealand Falls (taking in a side-trip to Zeacliff Pond), then Zealand Trail/Road back to Start.
DISTANCE: 14.5 miles.
TIME: 9¾ hours (7:30am to 5:15pm).
TERRAIN: Up, down, up, down. The first up was to Mount Hale, a climb of about 2,250’ to the 4,054-foot summit. I remember it as being steady, not overly strenuous. I recall the first down (the Lend-a-Hand Trail) as very pleasant, with good trail underfoot. The 1,000-foot climb to Zeacliff was pure Whites, steep and rough, the remaining 500 feet of ascent to Zealand Mountain, much easier. The final down was Zealand Mountain to Finish—gradual, then tough, and finally easy after Zealand Falls.
MAP: AMC White Mountains Trail Map #2 plus Gaia GPS.

WEATHER: Mostly sunny and mostly t-shirt temperatures. It was probably only in the high 50s even later in the day, but with little wind and lots of exercise an extra layer was needed only occasionally.
WILDLIFE: A fellow hiker said I might see a moose at Zeacliff Pond. It looked a likely spot but nothing showed.

BREAKFAST & LUNCH: Breakfast was coffee, oatmeal, and a little peanut butter at my campsite at Sugarloaf I (Forest Service campground). I suppose I lunched on Zealand Mountain, but it was really just the most substantial of many snacks (whole wheat tortillas smeared in peanut butter).
UPS: So many, but the views from Zeacliff were simply spectacular.
DOWNS: The bugs were a nuisance here and there, notably around Zealand Falls.
KIT: My PeakFinder app proved popular on Zeacliff outlook.
COMPANY: The AT was popular but not overcrowded, the other sections more solitary.

THE HIKE IN PICTURES:

Hale Brook
Atop Mount Hale in former fire tower clearing—no good views
A duckboard section of the Lend-a-Hand Trail
Whitewall Brook heads for Zealand Falls
The AT near Zeacliff
Cliffs of Whitewall Mountain seen from Zeacliff outlook
Pemigewasset Wilderness seen from Zeacliff outlook, Mount Carrigain right, Anderson and Lowell center
Approaching Zealand’s treed-in, 4,260-foot summit
Zeacliff Pond
Back at Zeacliff outlook, Hancock just right of center
Mount Washington (11 miles distant, in sunshine) from Zeacliff outlook
Looking back to Zealand Ridge from the final stretch

GPS TRACK:
Link to Gaia GPS page: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/yxlfUedioc5Kleskr3FMZFlm
Start is at the top of the map/track.

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Five New Hampshire 4,000 Footers

Last year, I admitted (Day Hike Notes – North and South Kinsman) that, after years of being a peak-list skeptic, I did now intend to climb eventually all the New Hampshire 4,000 Footers (the 48 NH mountains that have “an elevation of at least 4,000 feet and a minimum of 200 feet prominence”). Starting on Saturday June 4th, I spent four days hiking to five more summits, taking me to 26/48. For now, here is a captioned photograph for each of those summits.

I will post in more detail about two or three of these outings but only after I have posted about “the magnificent stretch of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina and Tennessee” that I first said was “coming next” or “coming soon” two months ago!

TUESDAY, MOUNT JEFFERSON (5,712′): Looking up at Jefferson from Caps Ridge Trail on my descent
MONDAY, NORTH TWIN MOUNTAIN (4,761′): Looking toward South Twin from near the summit
SUNDAY, ZEALAND MOUNTAIN (4,260′): No views at all from Zealand, but spectacular panoramas en route at Zeacliff
SUNDAY, MOUNT HALE (4,054′): If you stand on the summit pile of rocks near where a fire tower once stood, you can just about make out scenery beyond the trees
SATURDAY, MOUNT TECUMSEH (4,003′): Looking NE from the summit, Mount Osceola (partially bare cliffs) in left of picture

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Mounts Pierce and Waumbek

Setting off up the Crawford Path

It sometimes feels as if White Mountains trails are about nothing but rocks and roots—that rough, precarious floor which demands so much of the hiker’s attention. It certainly felt that way in early November when I climbed Cannon Mountain and the two Kinsmans. On that occasion, ice coated the rocks and roots for added precariousness. It was on Cannon Mountain, in fact, that the thought came to me that all this might be so much easier with a decent covering of well compacted snow.

I had never seriously considered hiking the Whites in winter before. In part, this was down to their reputation for fearsome weather. Based on a few fall—indeed summer—experiences, I had reason to believe that this reputation was fully justified. The other part of my hesitation concerned snow depth. I enjoy winter hiking, but my enjoyment diminishes when the snow is more than boot-high. I have not yet developed a love of snowshoeing.

The hikes described in this post took place the weekend of January 22/23. It was only on the Thursday that I felt confident enough in the weather forecast to commit to the trip. No snowfall or high winds were predicted, though it still looked cold enough. As I drove north early on Saturday morning my main concerns were (1) that the trails might be too deep in snow and/or (2) that exercising in the dry, cold air would set me wheezing.

Mount Pierce

START & FINISH: Mt Clinton Road parking lot (GPS 44.223547, -71.411506).
ROUTE & DISTANCE: Crawford Connector/Path to Webster Cliff Trail, then Webster Cliff a short distance to Mount Pierce summit; return by same route. 3.2 miles each way.
TIME: 4¼ hours (10am to 2:15pm).

When I set off up the Crawford Path, I decided on a turnaround check at 1:30. If I had not made the top by then, I would stop and consider my position. I wanted to be done no later than 5:00, 20 minutes after sunset. It soon became clear, however, that time was unlikely to be tight. The Crawford Path to Pierce is the steadiest of ascents, rising 800 feet every mile for three miles with seemingly unwavering pitch. And today the Path was made of even, packed snow, which my microspikes gripped firmly. If the Crawford Path has rocks and roots, they were nowhere to be seen. As for wheezing, keeping my mouth and nose covered did the trick.

The trail snow had been packed, as I had hoped might be typical of the winter Whites, by people who had been out before me. And, in truth, my climb to Pierce showed the popularity of winter hiking here—at least on this trail and on a sunny day. When I reached the summit soon after noon, I did not lack for company there either. But it was nearly all good company, and certainly did not spoil the views north to the greater Presidentials or detract from the surprising comfort of the air at 4,312 feet on a January day in the Whites.

Mount Waumbek

START & FINISH: Starr King Road parking lot (GPS 44.418461, -71.467473).
ROUTE & DISTANCE: Starr King Trail to just beyond Mount Waumbek and back. 3.6 miles each way.
TIME: 4¾ hours (7:50am to 12:35pm).

Waumbek was my Sunday hike. At the trailhead yesterday, the temperature had been below 0 F (-18 C). Today, it was a balmy 10 F or so. But it had clouded up overnight and a breeze was forecast for the summits. My first impressions of Starr King Trail were that it would provide a surface just as perfect as yesterday’s but with less company. For the most part, these impressions were borne out. The route to Waumbek passes first over Mount Starr King. I’d read that Starr King (3,907’) provides the views that treed-in Waumbek (4,006’) lacks. Starr King did indeed have a good view south to the Presidentials, but I also learned there (from some of that scarcer company) that if I continued 50 yards beyond Waumbek, it too would reward me. It was an easy trek from Starr King to Waumbek—a flattish mile of snow-heavy pines. And there was a fine view (Presidentials again) near the end of it. I shared this view—and a numbing breeze—with a skittish Canada jay who just happened to appear when I opened a granola bar.

PICTURES

Crawford Path nearing Mount Pierce
Wind-sculpted snow below Mount Pierce
On Mt Pierce — Jefferson (left), Eisenhower (left, nearer), Washington (center)
Staying warm on Mount Pierce
Mount Washington and, a little left of center, rounded Eisenhower seen from just below Pierce
Mt Waumbek summit. Impressive, eh?
Presidentials from just east of Waumbek

GPS TRACKS
Mount Pierce

Mount Waumbek