Start/End: Appalachia Trailhead, Rt. 2

Peaks: Adams (5,774')

Elevation Gain: 4,585 ft

RT Mileage: 9.13 mi

Duration: 8 hours, 54 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

On the last day before mud season begins in the Whites with a deluge of rainfall this weekend, I went for an ascent of Adams and Madison. An early arrival of the storm system cut my day short and I had to skip Madison, but I was able to summit Adams. Since it was the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, I flew my American flag on the summit. Read more...

Start/End: Marshfield Station

Peaks: Monroe (5,384'), Washington (6,288')

Elevation Gain: 3,940 ft

RT Mileage: 8.82 mi

Duration: 7 hours, 27 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

A winter ascent of Monroe and Washington has been on my bucket list for over two years, but I've had to postpone a number of times for various reasons the last two winters. My patience was finally rewarded right at the end of my last winter here, with a perfect weather day on the 14th. It was a Friday, so I had to take the day off, but it was 100% worth it. This would also be my first time filming with my new Insta360 I had been inspired to buy after borrowing my friend's on Moriah in January. Read more...

Start/End: Ferncroft Trailhead

Peaks: Whiteface (4,020'), Passaconaway (4,043')

Elevation Gain: 4,000 ft

RT Mileage: 11.73 mi

Duration: 9 hours, 51 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

Two weeks after Moriah, I was back in the Whites on the 8th for Whiteface and Passaconaway. I'd already hiked these summits in winter before, but my sister needed them for her 48, so here we were. Read more...

Start/End: Carter-Moriah Trailhead, Bangor Road

Peaks: Moriah (4,049')

Elevation Gain: 3,430 ft

RT Mileage: 9.20 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 35 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

After seven weeks away from the mountains, I was back in the Whites for a winter ascent of Moriah on the 25th, which I had previously hiked a few days before the official start of winter when I was working on my 48. My friend generously lent me his Insta360 to film my hike with, and I couldn't wait to get out and use it. Read more...

Start/End: Pinkham Notch Visitor Center

Peaks: N/A

Elevation Gain: 2,510 ft

RT Mileage: 5.00 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 7 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade II

I had been planning a hike of the Lion Head Winter Route for a couple of months now, and fortunately a series of snowstorms from late November to early December got the route open by the weekend of the 7th. Rain looks to spoil the winter fun later this week, but luckily I was able to take advantage of a brief window of good weather on the 9th. I had originally planned to ascend past the end of the winter route all the way to the summit of Lion Head, but ended up turning back a little short due to poor trail conditions. This was my first Grade II crampons and ice axe hike, and it was a doozy. Read more...

Start/End: North Twin Trailhead

Peaks: North Twin (4,761'), South Twin (4,902')

Elevation Gain: 3,710 ft

RT Mileage: 11.03 mi

Duration: 8 hours, 11 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

After a month away, though it felt much longer, I was back in the Whites the day before National Hiking Day. It was forecasted to be a mediocre day in the mountains, so we went with a mediocre set of summits, the Twins. Read more...

Start/End: Wildcat Mountain parking lot

Peaks: Wildcat D (4,050'), Wildcat A (4,422')

Elevation Gain: 3,490 ft

RT Mileage: 9.30 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 39 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After a weekend leaf peeping on the Sugarloafs and a weekend at home, I was back in the Whites for some peakbagging on Columbus Day weekend. With an impressive early-season snowstorm forecast for the upcoming week, I wanted to get the Wildcats out of the way for my sister's 48 before full winter conditions took hold. Read more...

Start/End: Crawford Notch, Rt. 302

Peaks: "Webster" (3,911'), Jackson (4,052')

Elevation Gain: 2,730 ft

RT Mileage: 6.34 mi

Duration: 4 hours, 7 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After Isolation for Flags on the 48 last weekend, I was back in the Whites on the 21st. Anticipating foliage to be approaching high color, I decided to go with the classic loop over Webster and Jackson from Crawford Notch. I hadn't hiked this loop in over two years, so it was probably time to revisit it anyway. Read more...

Start/End: Pinkham Notch Visitor Center

Peaks: "Boott Spur" (5,492'), "North Isolation" (4,293'), Isolation (4,004'), "Slide" (4,760')

Elevation Gain: 5,475 ft

RT Mileage: 13.18 mi

Duration: 10 hours, 24 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1+

After a washout last weekend, I was back in the Whites on the 14th. Now that I've finished the 48, I've decided it's time to get my sister her 48 too. Taking advantage of the nice September days, we went with Isolation today, a peak I had previously only hiked in winter. Since the Glen Ellis parking lot is closed, our route of choice was a loop over Boott Spur and Glen Boulder from Pinkham Notch. Read more...

Start/End: Moosilauke Ravine Lodge

Peaks: Moosilauke (4,802')

Elevation Gain: 2,860 ft

RT Mileage: 10.94 mi

Duration: 5 hours, 29 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After two weeks spent hiking in the Sierras, I was back in the Whites to finish the 48 on Moosilauke on Labor Day. For my route, I decided to go with a loop with the Asquam Ridge Trail, Carriage Road, and Snapper Trail, starting from the Ravine Lodge. Read more...

Start/End: Crawford Notch, Rt. 302

Peaks: Tom (4,051'), Field (4,340'), Willey (4,285')

Elevation Gain: 3,720 ft

RT Mileage: 10.02 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 31 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After a washout last weekend, I was back in the Whites for some peakbagging on the 11th. The forecast called for a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms, but I decided to take the risk and go for Tom, Field, and Willey anyway. Read more...

Start/End: Caps Ridge Trailhead, Jefferson Notch Road

Peaks: Jefferson (5,712')

Elevation Gain: 3,075 ft

RT Mileage: 6.14 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 34 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2+

My friends really enjoyed Tuckerman Ravine last month and have been wanting to go hiking again with me ever since. Since I now have just two short hikes left to finish the 48, I decided I could afford to take another weekend off from peakbagging to take them hiking again. Caps Ridge was one of the most fun short hikes I've done in the Whites, and this was a good excuse to revisit it. For the descent, I decided to make a loop with the Castle Trail and The Link and bag another Terrifying 25 route for myself. Read more...

Start/End: The Basin parking lot

Peaks: Cannon (4,100'), "NE Cannon Ball" (3,769'), North Kinsman (4,293'), South Kinsman (4,358')

Elevation Gain: 5,035 ft

RT Mileage: 15.27 mi

Duration: 10 hours, 48 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1+

For this weekend I decided to get Cannon-Kinsmans, the last long hike I had left to finish the 48, out of the way. Of the two days in the weekend, Saturday looked to have the better weather, so that's the day I went for it. Read more...

Start/End: Pinkham Notch Visitor Center

Peaks: "Boott Spur" (5,492'), Washington (6,288'), Monroe (5,384')

Elevation Gain: 5,475 ft

RT Mileage: 11.76 mi

Duration: 9 hours, 48 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1+

I had been waiting all summer for an exceptional weather day to bag Monroe and Washington, and it finally came on July 14th. For my route, I decided to ascend via the incredibly scenic Boott Spur Trail to Boott Spur, cross Bigelow Lawn and summit Washington, hike over to Monroe, cross Bigelow Lawn again, and descend via Tuckerman back to Pinkham. Read more...

Start/End: Great Gulf Trailhead, Rt. 16

Peaks: Middle Carter (4,610'), South Carter (4,430'), "Hight" (4,675'), Carter Dome (4,832'), Wildcat A (4,422'), Wildcat D (4,050')

Elevation Gain: 6,220 ft

RT Mileage: 17.40 mi

Duration: 9 hours, 59 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

For Fourth of July weekend I wanted to get the Carters-Wildcats Traverse, my longest hike of the summer, out of the way. Of the four-day weekend, the Fourth of July itself looked to have the best weather, so that's the day I decided to go for it. Read more...

Start/End: Unknown Pond Trailhead, York Pond Road

Peaks: "The Horn" (3,905'), "The Bulge" (3,950'), Cabot (4,170')

Elevation Gain: 3,345 ft

RT Mileage: 11.40 mi

Duration: 7 hours, 27 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After a washout last weekend, I was back in the Whites for some peakbagging on the 29th. Since it looked like low clouds would dominate the day and spoil any views to be had, I decided to go with Cabot since it doesn't have any views anyway. Read more...

Start/End: Pinkham Notch Visitor Center

Peaks: N/A

Elevation Gain: 2,470 ft

RT Mileage: 6.66 mi

Duration: 4 hours, 52 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Since I only have six hikes left to finish the 48, I decided I could afford to take a weekend off from peakbagging and see some summer snowfields instead. The biggest snowfields left in the Whites right now are in Tucks, so that’s what I went with. A couple of friends have been wanting to get into hiking anyway, and this was the perfect opportunity to take them. Read more...

Start/End: Lincoln Woods Trailhead, Kancamagus Hwy

Peaks: Owl's Head (4,025')

Elevation Gain: 3,190 ft

RT Mileage: 16.42 mi

Duration: 9 hours, 44 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2

Back in September, the last time I was in the Pemi Wilderness, I made the decision to bag the Bonds and procrastinate Owl's Head for a later date. That later date has finally arrived. To ease my misery just a little, I decided to use the Black Pond bushwhack and shave two miles off the hike. Read more...

Start/End: Livermore Trailhead, Waterville Valley

Peaks: North Tripyramid (4,180'), Middle Tripyramid (4,140'), "South Tripyramid" (4,115')

Elevation Gain: 2,985 ft

RT Mileage: 11.07 mi

Duration: 7 hours, 15 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 3

After taking the worst of mud season off from hiking per usual, I was back in the Whites for Memorial Day weekend. For my first hike of the summer, I decided to bag the Tripyramids via the classic North Slide/South Slide loop, as the route is mostly clear of snow at this point. Read more...

Start/End: Starr King Trailhead

Peaks: "Starr King" (3,907'), Waumbek (4,006')

Elevation Gain: 2,825 ft

RT Mileage: 7.22 mi

Duration: 4 hours, 41 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

The past week has been cold and dry, a rarity during mud season, and I figured trail conditions would improve enough for a 4,000er hike by the weekend. The North Country 4,000ers have the most remaining snowpack in the Whites outside the Presis, so I decided to go with Waumbek. Read more...

Start/End: Lowe's Store, Rt. 2

Peaks: N/A

Elevation Gain: 3,020 ft

RT Mileage: 6.38 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 58 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

My friend has been wanting to get into hiking in the Whites for a while now. I offered to take him hiking on the 14th, and he agreed. Since it's currently shoulder season in the Whites, I figured I'd be able to give him the most accurate picture of the Whites in the northern Presis, so I went with Lowes Path. Read more...

Start/End: Table Rock Trailhead, Rt. 26

Peaks: N/A

Elevation Gain: 735 ft

RT Mileage: 1.37 mi

Duration: 57 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

I would have loved for the path of totality with this eclipse to include the Whites—viewing the eclipse from the northern Presis would probably have been pretty amazing—but unfortunately the eclipse path is just to the north. The next best thing I could come up with was Table Rock, so that’s what I went with. Another Terrifying 25 route in the bag couldn’t hurt either. Read more...

Start/End: Hancock Overlook, Kancamagus Hwy

Peaks: North Hancock (4,420'), South Hancock (4,319')

Elevation Gain: 2,815 ft

RT Mileage: 9.65 mi

Duration: 7 hours, 10 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

When an anomalously warm stretch basically kickstarted spring in early March, I thought I was done for the winter. However, a snowstorm right at the end of winter presented me with one last opportunity on the last weekend of winter. I fancied a good glissade this time, so I decided to go with the Hancocks. Read more...

Start/End: Rocky Branch Trailhead, Rt. 16

Peaks: Isolation (4,004')

Elevation Gain: 3,130 ft

RT Mileage: 11.04 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 32 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

I had been waiting for a good day to bag Monroe and Washington, but winter was running out and so was my patience. When a half-decent day presented itself the day before Washington’s Birthday, I decided to wing it with Isolation instead. Read more...

Start/End: Carter-Moriah Trailhead, Bangor Road

Peaks: Moriah (4,049')

Elevation Gain: 3,440 ft

RT Mileage: 8.62 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 32 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

When an unseasonably warm stretch through the first half of December melted most of the snowpack, I decided to take advantage of it and do some easy peakbagging. I ended up going with Moriah, for no particular reason. Read more...

Start/End: Greeley Ponds Trailhead, Kancamagus Hwy

Peaks: East Osceola (4,156'), Osceola (4,340')

Elevation Gain: 3,050 ft

RT Mileage: 7.33 mi

Duration: 5 hours, 59 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

Two weeks ago I realized how inexperienced I was with shoulder season hiking, and I decided that now was the best time to change that. The weather on Friday looked better south and east, so I decided to go with the Osceolas. Read more...

Start/End: Signal Ridge Trailhead, Sawyer River Road

Peaks: Carrigain (4,700')

Elevation Gain: 3,440 ft

RT Mileage: 9.69 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 23 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

I had thought I was done for the season after Tecumseh, but when an exceptionally warm stretch presented itself right at the end of October and melted all the snowpack, I wasn't going to turn it down. I decided to continue with the theme of single 4,000ers and went with Carrigain. Read more...

Start/End: Waterville Valley parking lot

Peaks: Tecumseh (4,003')

Elevation Gain: 2,250 ft

RT Mileage: 5.11 mi

Duration: 3 hours, 25 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

I had initially been planning on spending peak foliage weekend leaf peeping instead of peakbagging, but later figured, "Why not both?" The northern Whites were past peak and had seen significant leaf drop from the storm on Saturday, so I opted for one of the southern 4,000ers. I ended up going with Tecumseh since it has ski trails on its slopes and, consequently, easy views. Read more... 

Start/End: Lincoln Woods Trailhead, Kancamagus Hwy

Peaks: Bondcliff (4,265'), Bond (4,698'), West Bond (4,540')

Elevation Gain: 4,955 ft

RT Mileage: 22.32 mi

Duration: 11 hours, 48 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After Galehead the previous week, I decided to close off summer 2023 with another hike in the Pemi Wilderness. I had a choice between getting Owl's Head out of the way now or procrastinating it and bagging the Bonds instead, and I chose the latter. Read more... 

Start/End: Gale River Trailhead

Peaks: Galehead (4,024')

Elevation Gain: 2,610 ft

RT Mileage: 9.81 mi

Duration: 5 hours, 36 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

With the end of the season fast approaching and good weekends remaining hard to come by, I decided to shelve the two technical hikes I had left for another time. In the meantime, I decided to get some more forgiving 4,000ers out of the way. When I had done the Twins, Zealand, and Hale Loop earlier in the year, I had left Galehead hanging, so I decided to get that taken care of first. Read more... 

Start/End: Spruceton Trailhead

Peaks: Hunter (4,040')

Elevation Gain: 1,940 ft

RT Mileage: 6.85 mi

Duration: 2 hours, 57 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide the previous day, I had Hunter up next. I was initially planning on hiking from Becker Hollow, but ended up choosing the Spruceton Trail instead. Read more... 

Start: Woodland Valley Campground

End: Slide Mountain Trailhead, Oliverea Road

Peaks: Wittenberg (3,780'), Cornell (3,860'), Slide (4,180')

Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,930 ft / 2,865 ft

Point-to-Point Mileage: 9.24 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 31 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Immediately after returning from the Canadian Rockies, where we vacationed for much of August, we went camping in the Catskills for Labor Day weekend. I figured it would be a good idea to take the opportunity to bag both Catskills 4,000ers. Future me, tying up the NE115 someday, would probably thank myself. Since we were staying at Woodland Valley Campground, I decided to ascend Slide directly from the campground and arrange to get picked up from the standard trailhead. Read more... 

Start/End: Appalachia Trailhead, Rt. 2

Peaks: Adams (5,774'), Madison (5,367')

Elevation Gain: 5,150 ft

RT Mileage: 9.54 mi

Duration: 9 hours, 58 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2+

The second and third weekends of July both involved afternoon thunderstorms, and all of the hikes I had left for the summer were above treeline and technical, so I didn't want to take any chances. A good weather day finally presented itself on the 23rd, and I took the opportunity to bag Adams and Madison. I intended to take the Class 3 King Ravine up but decided on Chemin des Dames instead after speaking to the ranger at the trailhead. Read more... 

Start/End: North Twin Trailhead

Peaks: North Twin (4,761'), South Twin (4,902'), "Guyot" (4,580'), Zealand (4,260'), Hale (4,054')

Elevation Gain: 5,495 ft

RT Mileage: 16.92 mi

Duration: 10 hours, 26 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

The last two weekends of June were total washouts, which meant no hiking. By the time Fourth of July weekend rolled around I was getting impatient, and decided to take my chances on a day with a slightly lower chance of thunderstorms. I didn't want to be too risky though, so I went with the nontechnical North Twin, South Twin, Guyot (not a 4,000er), Zealand, and Hale Loop, which is safely below treeline most of the way. Read more... 

Start/End: The Basin parking lot

Peaks: Flume (4,328'), Liberty (4,459')

Elevation Gain: 3,565 ft

RT Mileage: 8.1 mi

Duration: 5 hours, 44 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 3

After taking the spring off from hiking, I decided to resume hiking with the classic Flume and Liberty Loop to warm up for the harder hikes I had planned for the summer. For those who don't know, this loop ascends the Class 3 Flume Slide Trail and descends the much tamer Liberty Spring Trail. Ironically, the Flume Slide Trail doesn't actually follow the Flume Slide, but rather a minor gully adjacent to the actual slide. Read more... 

Start/End: The Basin parking lot

Peaks: Liberty (4,459')

Elevation Gain: 3,130 ft

RT Mileage: 6.99 mi

Duration: 4 hours, 8 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

Before the end of climatological winter, I wanted to get my sister her first winter 4,000er. I decided to go with Mt. Liberty, a summit that I hadn't done in winter myself but one that I knew was fairly straightforward. We took the Liberty Spring Trail both ways, the only direct route to the summit of Liberty. Read more... 

Start/End: Ferncroft Trailhead

Peaks: Whiteface (4,020'), Passaconaway (4,043')

Elevation Gain: 4,335 ft

RT Mileage: 11.96 mi

Duration: 7 hours, 45 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

I got COVID for the first time in early January 2023, and it took me five weeks to fully recover. I unfortunately missed out on most of the winter as a result. Whiteface-Passaconaway was on my bucket list from the start of the winter, so I decided to get it done first when I did finally return to form in mid-February. I decided to go for the classic route – up Blueberry Ledge to Whiteface, across Rollins to Passaconaway, and Dicey's Mill back down. Read more... 

Start/End: Crawford Notch, Rt. 302

Peaks: Pierce (4,310'), Eisenhower (4,780'), "Franklin" (4,974')

Elevation Gain: 3,945 ft

RT Mileage: 11.19 mi

Duration: 7 hours, 36 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

For my first winter hike of the season, I decided to start off strong and complete at least a few peaks in the southern Presidentials. My plan was to do an out-and-back hike of Crawford Path, going as far as possible before returning. I initially intended to continue ascending until Mt. Monroe, but was unfortunately cut short by bad weather. Read more... 

Start/End: Roaring Brook Campground

Peaks: Baxter (5,267')

Elevation Gain: 3,850 ft

RT Mileage: 10.6 mi

Duration: 8 hours, 54 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2

There's no better birthday present than a good hike. So for my birthday this year, I decided to complete Mt. Katahdin's Baxter Peak. I initially wanted to do the classic Hunt Trail, but heard from some others that the slightly easier Saddle Trail was very scenic in the fall, so ended up doing that instead. Read more... 

Start/End: Ferncroft Trailhead

Peaks: Whiteface (4,020')

Elevation Gain: 2,800 ft

RT Mileage: 7.0 mi

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After returning from Colorado on August 25, I decided to do another NH 4,000er with Mt. Whiteface, with no break from hiking in between. I wanted to do Dicey Mills/Tom Wiggin Trail up, since that's a fun Class 2, but I was quite exhausted after an active week of hiking and travel, so ended up doing the standard Blueberry Ledge Trail instead. Read more... 

Start: Argentine Pass Trailhead, Horseshoe Basin

End: Grays Peak Trailhead, Stevens Gulch

Peaks: Grays (14,270')

Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,205 ft / 3,040 ft

Point-to-Point Mileage: 7.25 mi

Duration: 7 hours, 38 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2

After completing a couple more non-notable hikes during the first half of August, I began a week-long trip to Colorado on August 16. After spending a couple of days acclimatizing since I live at sea level, I completed my first 14er with Grays Peak. The standard North Slope route is an extremely popular Class 1, so to spice things up I decided to do the desolate Class 2 South Ridge instead. Read more... 

Start/End: Garfield Trailhead

Peaks: Garfield (4,500')

Elevation Gain: 3,000 ft

RT Mileage: 9.8 mi

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

I completed two more 4,000ers after Jackson-Webster, neither of which I felt notable enough for inclusion in this blog since I had done them before in previous summers. After these two, I decided to do Mt. Garfield, a decent-sized 4,000er in the shadow of the prominent Franconia Ridge to its south. Read more... 

Start/End: Crawford Notch, Rt. 302

Peaks: Jackson (4,052'), "Webster" (3,911')

Elevation Gain: 2,200 ft

RT Mileage: 6.4 mi

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

One week after taking on Jefferson, I returned to the Presidentials, only this time for a much easier peak. Mt. Jackson is by far the easiest Presidential and one of the easiest NH 4,000ers as a whole. Although Mt. Webster is shy of a 4,000er, I decided to throw it in as well. Read more... 

Start/End: Caps Ridge Trailhead, Jefferson Notch Road

Peaks: Jefferson (5,712')

Elevation Gain: 2,700 ft

RT Mileage: 5.1 mi

Rock Difficulty: Class 2+

After taking the spring off from hiking, I decided to begin the summer with a Presidential. Since I'd been out of it for a while, I started off small with an ascent of the Caps Ridge Trail to Mt. Jefferson. This trail is relatively short in terms of mileage, just 2.5 miles one-way, but pretty steep with just over 1,000 ft of elevation gain per mile on average. Read more... 

Start/End: Lafayette Place Campground

Peaks: Lafayette (5,260')

Elevation Gain: 3,600 ft

RT Mileage: 7.5 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 14 minutes

Snow/Ice Difficulty: Grade I

For my first above-treeline winter hike ever, I decided to do the uppermost segment of the Franconia Ridge, which includes 2 NH 4,000ers. The weekend before, I had attempted the loop counterclockwise, but turned back on the Falling Waters Trail below treeline after running out of warm water. This time, I came back more prepared but decided to go a bit easier and do just Mt. Lafayette via Old Bridle Path. Read more...

Start/End: Berry Hollow parking lot

Peaks: Old Rag (3,284')

Elevation Gain: 1,750 ft

RT Mileage: 5.4 mi

Duration: 3 hours, 11 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Old Rag was #1 on our priority list when we visited Shenandoah, and we were really looking forward to the rock scramble on the infamous Ridge Trail. However, the national park has done a great job at discouraging people from attempting that route, convincing visitors that the route from Berry Hollow is nearly as challenging (spoiler alert: it isn't), and we unfortunately believed it too. Read more...

Start/End: Roaring Brook Trailhead, Rt. 73

Peaks: Giant (4,627')

Elevation Gain: 3,300 ft

RT Mileage: 6.8 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 28 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

We went camping in the Adirondacks for Memorial Day weekend, so we decided to bag a High Peak on one of the days. Our last major hike was in August 2020, nine months ago, so we opted for one of the easier High Peaks. We ended up choosing Giant Mtn via Roaring Brook Trail, which is just your average Class 1 below-treeline hike. Read more...

Start/End: Pine Springs Visitor Center

Peaks: Guadalupe (8,751')

Elevation Gain: 3,000 ft

RT Mileage: 8.5 mi

Duration: 5 hours, 21 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2

When we visited Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns for Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to bag Guadalupe Peak on our last day there. Perhaps taking George Mallory's words, "because it's there," too literally, we decided to just wing it the day of without doing any of our homework, despite not having any previous hiking experience. Read more...