Mount Washington, elv. 6288′ (1917m), located in the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF a.k.a. “The Whites”) in New Hampshire, is the crowing jewel of the Northeast. It is noted for being the tallest mountain in that region, and it’s the most prominent peak east of the Mississippi River. Mt Washington is also one of the state’s “4000-Footers” topping that list, of course. Many activities occur on […]
While writing an article yet to be published on another website (now published), the topic of Mt Washington’s weather crept in — fast and unannounced like the weather up there on the exposed 6288 foot (1917 m) summit itself. In an effort to be concise, we initially wrote something along the lines of this: Three major weather systems converge over its peak and being that it’s […]
During the middle of the spring season and through most of the fall — meaning the time of year when the vast majority of hikers are hitting the trails — a “three-season” or “summer” hiking pack will be used. This said, we’re reluctant to use the term “three-season” because a true “three-season” pack needs to include winter hiking essentials such as heavy layers, traction devices (like […]
There is a lesson to be learned. Accomplishment leads to confidence, and that leads to greater comfort, and from there complacency is a close neighbor. It’s a neighbor we can stumble onto quite easily if we’re not careful. We want to respect this neighbor and give complacency a wide berth. To remain aware of ourselves and the fragility of human life. The story below was penned […]
We’ll call him John because, well, that’s his name. John is a Class 1 or All-Season Trip Leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) distinguished New Hampshire Chapter. It’s a hard-earned and respected position, to be sure. John is also a “Gridder” — meaning he is hiking all of the 4000-footers of NH in every month of the year (48×12=576) — so, at being nearly 500 […]
People who don’t get up-close and personal or tramp upon our mountains — or any mountains, really — will probably lack understanding. Understanding, for instance, that moutain weather is usually temperamental, colder, windier, and can even more dangerous. Or understanding of how it feels to exert oneself step after step for thousands of steps, digging deep within, then reaping the reward of the joy of arrival. […]
Safety is No Accident As a general rule, people don’t venture forth into the woods on a hike looking for trouble. Trouble, in fact — if you ask many if not most victims of trips gone awry — is the furthest thing from their minds. And that is a problem in the mountains. Or can be. Ignorance may be bliss, as the saying goes, but in […]
IMPORTANT NOTE: This page was updated in 2020 to reflect list modifications made by its creators. If you are looking for something less, something different, something under four-thousand feet in elevation, look no further. Though trust us when we add that sometimes less is actually more. In other words, some of the mountains on this list, while under 4000-feet, are really quite challenging featuring long hikes […]
The Epic of Dan McGinness… a True Story The following is a story of self-rescue. A tale of being involuntarily stranded overnight; forced to bivouac. A situation resulting not from injury, but from an unrecoverable navigational challenge. The time and place is near-winter on the Presidential Range — which is like real-winter everywhere else. It’s a tale of preparation, sound thinking, and courage spelling the difference […]
In The Beginning: Where We Have Fire Sometimes it’s nice to have a fire. It can be a source of comfort while keeping the night at bay and warming the soul. And it’ll warm us in other ways, too, from toes to fingers, from gathering the wood to sidling up to the blaze, just watch that you don’t burn your socks or melt the rand or […]
If you’re injured in the backcountry there are possible many scenarios with many outcomes, but most have one thing in common: Rescue will take longer than one may expect. To give a clearer understanding of why, this fictional tale describes a typical rescue from start to finish. Chapter 1: The Situation To begin our story, let’s consider this: It is early June and you’re hiking a […]
It is here that I think of hiking as an almost religious experience. What follows is a 2013 article reprint by Mike Cherim detailing the various stages hikers often go through as they put mountains behind them. Aside from the never added “mindlessly driving there for hours on end” stage, you should be able to relate to at least some of this. After all, hiking is […]
